Companion care
Company, meals, errands and rides for a parent who is safe at home but lonely, or getting a little behind.
Care we offer
How it helps
Companion care is for the parent who can still shower and dress on their own but whose days have gotten small. A caregiver comes a few times a week to cook, run errands, drive to appointments and simply be good company. It's often the first step, and it gives you a second set of eyes in the house.
This may be right if
- Dad hasn't left the house much since he stopped driving
- The fridge is nearly empty, or full of food that's gone off
- Mom is lonely, and the phone calls with you are the only talk in her day
- You'd like someone to notice small changes before they become big ones
What a visit can include
You and your parent choose what's in the care plan. Caregivers follow it, and you can change it any time.
Company
- Conversation, card games, puzzles and old photo albums
- Walks, gardening and hobbies your parent already loves
- Help with video calls to family and friends
Meals and the house
- Planning meals and cooking together
- Grocery shopping, with a list your parent helps write
- Light housekeeping: dishes, laundry, tidying, taking out trash
Out and about
- Rides to appointments, church, the salon or a friend's house
- Picking up prescriptions and the mail
- Waiting with your parent at the appointment if they'd like
Non-medical care
What caregivers don't do here
- Bathing or toileting help (that's personal care, and the same caregiver can do both at the personal care rate)
- Managing money or signing for your parent
- Heavy cleaning, like washing windows or moving furniture
Not sure if a task is medical? Ask us at the assessment. We'd rather say no clearly than guess.
A typical afternoon visit
An example. Every plan is built around your parent's own routine.
- 1:00 Arrive, catch up, and look at the week's calendar together.
- 1:20 Drive to the grocery store and the pharmacy.
- 2:30 Put groceries away and cook a dinner to reheat later.
- 3:15 Coffee, the crossword, or a walk if the weather is good.
- 3:50 Write the visit note and say goodbye.
Questions families ask
All questionsDo caregivers drive their own car?
Yes. Caregivers who drive clients have their driving record checked and carry insurance. Errands in the caregiver's car are billed at 70 cents a mile. Some families prefer the caregiver drives the parent's own car; we can set that up too.
Dad says he doesn't need a babysitter. How do we start?
We hear that a lot. Many families start by calling it help with errands or driving. Once Dad has a ride to the hardware store and someone to talk to, the visits usually stop feeling like help.
Other kinds of care
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Talk to us about companion care.
Book a free in-home assessment, or call and tell us what's going on. No pressure, no long contract, and a written plan with the weekly cost before anything starts.