Companionship care
Good company, every week
A companion visits for a chat, a walk, a hobby or a trip out, and helps with the little things while they’re there. You choose someone whose company your loved one will enjoy, and it’s the same face every visit.
3,500+ vetted carers across the UK
Prefer to talk it through? Call 0203 369 3624
What you get
What a companion does
Companionship care is a regular visitor whose job is your loved one’s company and wellbeing. The friendship is the point, and the practical help fits in around it.
The company
- Conversation, and properly listening
- Hobbies, games and shared interests
- Walks, outings and trips in their car
- Meals cooked and eaten together
- Company at church, clubs and appointments
The help around it
- A tidy round and the washing-up while they’re there
- The food shop, alone or together
- Medication prompts, on time
- A quiet eye on how they are coping
- Keeping family in the loop
What about personal care?
Companionship care doesn’t include help with washing, dressing or continence. If that’s needed too, most carers happily do both in the same visit as hourly care, and many families start with company and add the rest when the time comes.
Try it
Build a visit around the things they love
Companionship works when it’s built on real interests, not small talk. Tap the things your loved one enjoys and see what a visit could look like.
What do they enjoy, or what did they used to?
Carer profiles list hobbies and interests, so you can shortlist people who already enjoy the same things. Shared ground on day one gives the friendship somewhere to start.
A visit could look like
- A gentle walk to the park and back, arm in arm if that helps
- Cards, dominoes or the crossword, and the loser puts the kettle on
- The old records on, and the stories that go with them
And there is always time for a proper chat over tea. Most companionship visits are 2 hours: about £30 to £40 at typical rates.
See companions near youWant more ideas? Read activities companions do with clients and how trips out work.
Why it matters
Loneliness does real harm
Long stretches alone raise the risk of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline, and they make people stop cooking, moving and looking after themselves. Families usually notice the quietness before they notice the harm.
Regular company reverses a surprising amount of it. A companion gives your loved one something to look forward to, meals eaten with another person, and someone who notices change early.
older people in England are often lonely, according to Age UK
higher risk of dementia for older people who are socially isolated, according to the US National Academies
a week, at the same time with the same person, is where the difference starts
Who it's for
Is companionship care right for your family?
If your loved one is safe and managing but the days have gone quiet, companionship care is usually the right first step. These are the situations we see most:
Not sure what your loved one needs? Call 0203 369 3624 and we'll talk it through with you, no obligation.
Thinking ahead
Care that grows without starting over
The hardest part of care is trusting someone new. Start with companionship and that trust is already built if needs ever grow.
Start with company
A visit or two a week for conversation, hobbies and trips out, with light help around the house. £15 to £20 an hour.
Add practical care if it’s needed
Washing, dressing, medication and more hours, usually from the same carer your loved one already knows and likes.
How hourly care worksStep up to live-in, together
If round-the-clock support is ever needed, a live-in companion carer moves in, and home stays home.
What a live-in companion doesPricing
What does companionship care cost?
Companionship sits at the friendlier end of care pricing: most carers charge £15 to £20 an hour, visits start at one hour, and there are no joining fees or minimum terms. Hourly visits run on 48 hours' notice, and we charge nothing ourselves if you cancel one.
Typical hourly rate
A typical two-hour visit costs £30 to £40. Travel is only chargeable if you agree it in advance, usually 55p a mile in the carer's car, and any tickets or entry fees are at cost.
Your rate includes everything
- Your carer's pay: they set their rate, and keep more of it
- Insurance for every visit
- Contracts, invoicing and payments all handled
- Ongoing support from a real UK team
- Continuous DBS monitoring of your carer
Is it worth paying for company?
Families usually decide it’s the cheapest thing that works. Two visits a week costs less than most cleaning services, and it buys mood, appetite, safety checks and a happier phone call home.
Sketch a week and see the cost
Our hourly care page has an interactive planner: tap out the visits you have in mind and watch the weekly cost update as you go.
Try the week plannerGetting started
How to arrange companionship care
You can see real carers today, and the first visit can happen this week.
See who’s near you
Browse real profiles of local carers, with photos, hobbies, experience and reviews from other families.
Shortlist by personality
Chemistry matters more than anything in companionship. We’ll help you shortlist people who share your loved one’s interests.
Meet before you decide
Interview your favourites by phone or video, free and with no obligation. You’ll know the right one when you hear them.
The visits begin
Regular visits, same person, same day each week. We handle contracts, payments and insurance in the background.
Free to search · No obligation · Interviews cost nothing
Safety first
Someone coming into their home? We take that seriously.
Letting a carer into the home of someone you love takes trust. We've built every layer of protection so that trust is earned, not assumed.
Vetting that never stops
Enhanced DBS, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview before a carer appears, then continuous DBS monitoring for as long as they work. We check that a carer is caring; their skills and training are for you to check with them.
Insured and above board
Every visit is insured, contracted and paid securely online after care happens. There is no cash and no informal arrangement to manage.
A real person who knows you
Your own account manager and a UK support team who know you, your carer and your situation, not a call centre script.
Help when plans change
If your carer is unwell or away, our team will always do their best to find you vetted cover at short notice.
What clients say
Our Latest Carer Reviews
Margaret N
"Excellent - Lovely lady. My mother is so pleased with the work she does in helping her."
Read the full review
Julia S
"Julia is a highly skilled and companionate carer who is able to give so much of herself and adapt to any situation."
Read the full review
Andres Felipe C
"My son who he is caring for automatically welcomed Andres and can be heard laughing & having fun with Andres."
Read the full reviewCommon questions
Companionship care, answered
The questions families ask us most about companionship. Every situation is different, and talking yours through takes ten minutes.
Free, friendly and no obligation.
A vetted carer visits regularly to keep your loved one company: conversation, hobbies, walks, outings and meals together, with light help around the house while they’re there. The friendship is the job. It suits people who are managing day to day but spending too much time alone.
Most companions on PrimeCarers charge £15 to £20 an hour, with £18 typical. Visits start at one hour, and most families book two-hour visits, so around £30 to £40 each. There are no joining fees or minimum terms. Read the full cost guide.
Whatever your loved one enjoys: a walk, a bake, cards, the garden, a drive out, or just a proper chat over tea. Companions also help with meals, tidying and medication prompts while they’re there. See activity ideas.
Yes, and trips out are often the highlight of the week: the shops, a garden centre, church, appointments or seeing friends. Travel is only chargeable if you agree it in advance in writing; where families do, it is usually 55p a mile in the carer’s car. Entry fees are agreed the same way. How trips out work.
No. Anyone who is isolated can benefit: adults with disabilities, people recovering after illness or surgery, and anyone whose world has shrunk. Most of our companionship clients are older people living alone, but it is not an age-limited service.
Companionship itself doesn’t include washing, dressing or continence care. But most carers offer both, so if needs grow the same person can add personal care as hourly care, without your loved one having to trust someone new.
Profiles list hobbies and interests as well as experience, so you can shortlist people with real common ground. Then interview your favourites for free before deciding; chemistry is obvious within minutes. How our vetting works.
Most families start with one to three visits a week, at the same times with the same person, because a predictable visit becomes something to look forward to. You can add visits whenever you like, and drop back again on 48 hours’ notice.
In the early stages, very much: routine, conversation and a consistent familiar face reduce anxiety and help someone stay confident at home. Research also links chronic loneliness to faster cognitive decline. What the research says, and our dementia care page.
A carer who lives in the home and provides company and light support around the clock. It suits people who are lonely and anxious alone at night but don’t yet need heavy care. Live-in companions explained, or see live-in care.
Go deeper
Every companionship question, answered
We've written plain-English guides to the questions families ask us about company and care at home. Start with what matters most to you.
Holidays and getting out
Give them something to look forward to
See real companions near you today, with their photos, hobbies, rates and reviews, and talk to your favourites for free.