Keeping up the things they love is most of what makes a day good. 2,048 vetted live-in carers could come to live in London. This page shows what they enjoy, what London offers for each interest, and how to find someone who shares your mother's or father's.
14 carers near London have told us what they enjoy
What the carers enjoy
Live-in carers move in rather than travel each day, so the choice is wide: 2,048 are within about three hours of London. These are the interests on the profiles of the nearest of them. Tap one to see what London offers for it.
Listed by manyLess common, so a better matchFrom the profiles of the 18 nearest live-in carers within about three hours of London, September 2026; 14 of them list interests.
Common ground is easy
Most carers list walking, cooking & baking and music. If that is what your mother or father enjoys, nearly anyone will share it, so choose on the things that matter more: experience, manner and whether they get on.
The less common interests
Fewer carers list these, which is exactly why they are worth searching on. Someone who shares a real passion makes a long week go quickly.
Carers choose the interests on their own profiles. A shared hobby is a good start, not a guarantee, so talk about it when you meet them.
Interest 1
London walking is mostly flat and paved, with a tidal river, canal towpaths and Victorian public parks giving short, level routes between benches and cafes.
13 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list walking
Somewhere to go
London
The Thames Path runs through central London on both banks, with paved riverside sections past Tower Bridge and the Pool of London. A carer can drive or travel with someone to one entry point, walk a short stretch at their pace and turn back at a bench or riverside cafe rather than attempting a long route.
Source: tfl.gov.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Bethnal Green
A large East End park dating from the 1840s, with wide surfaced paths, lakes and seating areas. A carer can plan a loop of a length that suits, using the published access guide to pick step-free entrances before setting out.
Getting around: AccessAble publishes a detailed access guide for the park that is worth checking before a first visit.
Source: accessable.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A companion walks at their pace, knows when to turn back, and drives to the flat, well-surfaced routes so a short walk is still possible when a long one is not.
Live-in carers who enjoy walkingSome who could come in London
Joyce C.£148 a day25 yrsAlso enjoys dancing, card games, cooking & baking, puzzles
Carmen A.£172 a day15 yrsAlso enjoys painting, cooking & baking, puzzles, gardening
Pere O.£160 a day17 yrsAlso enjoys painting, cooking & baking, gardening, yoga
Lucy O.£160 a day20 yrsAlso enjoys dancing, card games, puzzles, gardeningInterest 2
London's food memory is built on working-class and immigrant kitchens, from eel and pie shops to East End bakeries that have fed night workers for generations.
12 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list cooking & baking
Local tradition
London
Pie and mash with parsley liquor, and jellied eels, is a London working-class dish served in family-run shops since the nineteenth century. A carer can take someone to a surviving shop for lunch, or use the recipes as a starting point for cooking a plate of pie and mash together at home.
Source: londonmuseum.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Local food
Beigel Bake, London
Brick Lane's bakery has sold boiled-then-baked beigels, salt beef and cream cheese round the clock for decades, a survival of the area's Jewish East End. A carer can make a short outing of it, queue on someone's behalf, or bake beigels at home and talk through how the dough is boiled first.
Source: beigelbake.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A carer does the lifting, the hot trays and the washing up, so the recipes, the judging and the tasting stay with the person who knows them.
Live-in carers who enjoy cooking & bakingSome who could come in London
Interest 3
London gave the country the music hall, and its churches and small halls still put on concerts most days of the week.
9 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list music
Somewhere to go
London
A Grade II* listed Victorian music hall off Cable Street, a few minutes from Tower Hill, still staging concerts, singalongs and theatre. A carer can book access tickets in advance and check which rooms are reachable, since the auditorium and the upper floors differ.
Getting around: The main entrance is on pedestrianised Graces Alley, but the first floor is reached by 19 stairs and floor levels change through the building, so ring ahead about seating.
Source: wiltons.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
In the calendar
London
The church by Trafalgar Square runs regular free lunchtime concerts of classical and choral music. A carer can check the listings, arrive early for a seat near the aisle and pair it with a drink in the crypt cafe afterwards.
Source: stmartin-in-the-fields.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Old records, a choir concert, singing along in the kitchen. Music often stays with people long after other things fade, and a companion who enjoys it makes it part of the day.
Live-in carers who enjoy musicSome who could come in London
Zahra A.£145 a day5 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, cooking & baking, puzzles
Ashley.Kip L.£154 a day10 yrsAlso enjoys walking, socialising, watching TV, sports
Princess Manjula G.£160 a day8 yrsAlso enjoys walking, cooking & baking, gardening, reading
Sabahudin O.£207 a day14 yrsAlso enjoys walking, card games, cooking & baking, puzzlesInterest 4
London has centuries of plant-growing history, from walled physic gardens to street flower markets and small back-garden plots squeezed between terraces.
7 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list gardening
Somewhere to go
London
A walled garden founded in 1673 for growing medicinal plants, with glasshouses and a cafe in the grounds. A carer can book ahead, borrow a wheelchair at the kiosk if needed and plan a visit around a sit-down in the cafe.
Getting around: The garden is on one level once inside, with ramp access to the cafe and education space and a limited number of wheelchairs to borrow.
Source: chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Potting on at a table rather than kneeling, deadheading from a stool, visiting gardens with level paths and a tearoom: a carer keeps the garden in their week.
Live-in carers who enjoy gardeningSome who could come in London
Iliyan C.£175 a day10 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, dancing, cooking & bakingCarmen A.£172 a day15 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, cooking & baking, puzzlesPere O.£160 a day17 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, cooking & baking, yogaLucy O.£160 a day20 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, card games, puzzlesInterest 5
London keeps both its folk dance tradition and its ballroom past alive, with purpose-built halls still used for social dancing.
7 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list dancing
Somewhere to join
London
The home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society runs seasonal classes and social dances in traditional English dance, plus singing sessions. A carer can help with booking a term of classes and travel to Camden, and join in as a partner where a class needs pairs.
Source: efdss.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Brockley
A Grade II listed south London ballroom with its original 1950s decor and sprung dance floor, still used for dance nights and events. A carer can check what is on, arrange transport home late in the evening and sit out the faster numbers alongside them.
Source: timeout.com. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
From tea dances to seated movement to music, a companion can find the right session, drive there, and make sure it is enjoyable rather than tiring.
Live-in carers who enjoy dancingSome who could come in London
Interest 6
London's tradition of free libraries and institutes for working people means most neighbourhoods have somewhere warm to read and a group to talk books with.
6 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list reading
Somewhere to go
London
Tower Hamlets' library and learning centre on Whitechapel Road, with lending stock, newspapers, courses and adult activity sessions. A carer can help someone join, collect and return large-print or audio books and sit in with them at a group session.
Source: ideastore.towerhamlets.gov.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
London
A public institute open since 1895 near Liverpool Street, with a library, an archive reading room on London history and a programme of adult courses. A carer can book a reading room slot in advance and bring out material on the streets and trades someone remembers.
Source: bishopsgate.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Library trips, reading aloud when eyes tire, audiobooks set up and ready, and somebody to talk about the book with.
Live-in carers who enjoy readingSome who could come in London
Joyce C.£148 a day25 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, card games, cooking & bakingPere O.£160 a day17 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, cooking & baking, gardening
Julia Hazvinei L.£135 a day10 yrsAlso enjoys walking, cooking & baking, gardening, knitting
Jose R.£170 a day20 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, dancing, cooking & bakingInterest 7
London has both top-level grounds to watch from and a strong network of walking and veterans sport for people who still want to play.
6 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list sports
Somewhere to join
Leyton
A walking football club affiliated to the Walking Football Association, running regular over 60s sessions in east London where running is not allowed. A carer can arrange transport, stay for the session and help with the first contact to the club.
Source: thewfa.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Lord's Cricket Ground, London
Middlesex play their home county fixtures at Lord's, where quieter championship days are cheap and unhurried compared with internationals. A carer can book accessible seating in advance, take a flask and a rug and leave after a session rather than a full day.
Getting around: Lord's publishes a match-day accessibility guide covering wheelchair spaces and accessible facilities, which should be checked when booking.
Source: lords.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Watching the match together, a trip to the bowls green or the cricket, or gentle exercise done safely with someone alongside.
Live-in carers who enjoy sportsSome who could come in London
Joyce C.£148 a day25 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, card games, cooking & bakingPere O.£160 a day17 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, cooking & baking, gardeningLucy O.£160 a day20 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, card games, puzzlesJulia Hazvinei L.£135 a day10 yrsAlso enjoys walking, cooking & baking, gardening, knittingInterest 8
London rewards photographers with river light, markets and street life, and it has dedicated places where photography is the subject rather than a sideline.
5 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list photography
Somewhere to go
London
A gallery devoted entirely to photography, with changing exhibitions, talks and a specialist bookshop. A carer can plan a short visit around one or two floors and use the cafe as a rest point between exhibitions.
Source: artfund.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
London
An outdoor public space beside the gallery showing free, changing photography displays on the surrounding streets. A carer can make it a short, no-booking outing, taking pictures together on the way and stopping when someone has had enough.
Source: thephotographersgallery.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A companion can plan an outing around the light and the tide, carry the kit, and help sort the pictures afterwards.
Live-in carers who enjoy photographySome who could come in London
Carmen A.£172 a day15 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, cooking & baking, puzzlesPere O.£160 a day17 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, cooking & baking, gardeningSabahudin O.£207 a day14 yrsAlso enjoys walking, card games, cooking & baking, puzzlesIliyan C.£175 a day10 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, dancing, cooking & bakingInterest 9
London's public galleries were among the first in the country, and many charge nothing to look at paintings for an hour.
4 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list painting
Somewhere to go
London
Founded in 1901 to bring art to the East End, the gallery shows free changing exhibitions a short walk from Aldgate East station. A carer can borrow a wheelchair on arrival, use the lift between floors and keep the visit to one gallery if standing is tiring.
Getting around: A passenger lift gives step-free access to all floors, two wheelchairs can be borrowed and folding chairs are available.
Source: whitechapelgallery.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
London
Opened in 1817, it holds a compact collection of old master paintings alongside a garden and cafe. A carer can check the access details in advance, book a slot and plan a sit in the garden between rooms.
Source: dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Setting up the table, washing the brushes, finding a gallery with a lift: a carer handles the practical side so the time goes on the painting.
Live-in carers who enjoy paintingSome who could come in London
Carmen A.£172 a day15 yrsAlso enjoys walking, cooking & baking, puzzles, gardeningPere O.£160 a day17 yrsAlso enjoys walking, cooking & baking, gardening, yogaJose R.£170 a day20 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, cooking & baking, puzzlesIliyan C.£175 a day10 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, cooking & baking, puzzlesInterest 10
Much of London's green space and heritage depends on volunteers, and roles range from a couple of hours greeting visitors to regular conservation work.
4 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list volunteering
Somewhere to join
London
The charity that looks after the eight Royal Parks advertises volunteer roles including conservation sessions, visitor welcome and helping at walks and talks. A carer can go through the current openings with someone, help with the application and accompany them to the first session.
Source: royalparks.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A carer can help find a role that suits sitting down or short sessions, and handle the lifts there and back.
Live-in carers who enjoy volunteeringSome who could come in London
Joyce C.£148 a day25 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, card games, cooking & bakingPere O.£160 a day17 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, cooking & baking, gardeningPrincess Manjula G.£160 a day8 yrsAlso enjoys walking, cooking & baking, gardening, readingSabahudin O.£207 a day14 yrsAlso enjoys walking, card games, cooking & baking, puzzlesInterest 11
London's reservoirs, ponds and the tidal Thames give the capital a long angling history that survives inside the city boundary.
3 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list fishing
Somewhere to go
London
Twelve reservoir fisheries in the Lee Valley offering coarse and fly fishing on day tickets or season permits, bought from the ranger's lodge. A carer can sort the rod licence and day ticket, carry tackle from the car park and sit out a few hours beside them.
Getting around: Blue Badge holders can use reserved car parks by arrangement with the rangers, and one coarse reservoir has a platform built for wheelchair users.
Source: walthamstowffc.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A carer can sort the permit and the tackle, drive to a bank spot close to the car park, and bring the chair, the flask and the patience.
Live-in carers who enjoy fishingInterest 12
London's textile trades ran through the East End for generations, and the city still supports yarn shops and free library knitting groups.
2 of 14live-in carers we looked at
list knitting
Somewhere to go
London
A long-established yarn shop in Camden Passage stocking wool and patterns and running knitting and crochet classes. A carer can help choose yarn for a project someone can manage, or book them onto a class and go along to the first one.
Source: loopknitting.com. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Winding wool, reading the pattern aloud, picking up dropped stitches, and a trip to the wool shop or a knitting group.
Live-in carers who enjoy knittingCloser to home
Not every good day involves going out. These are the everyday interests the carers who could come list most, and each is easier, and more fun, with somebody to share it.
From interest to introduction
Use the link under any interest on this page. It opens a search of live-in carers in London with the carers who list that interest first; nobody else is hidden, so you still see everyone who could come.
Each profile shows the carer's interests next to their experience, the conditions they have cared for, their day rate and their reviews. Shortlist two or three.
Message and meet them for free. Ask about the hobby: someone who really gardens will tell you what they grow. Nothing is booked until you decide.
We set up the contract, handle invoicing and payment, and insure the care while the carer works. The rest of the week is theirs to fill.
Charlotte
Care manager for families in London
Someone to talk to first
Most families start with a call: what your relative needs, what it would cost, which carers share your parent's interests, and whether live-in care or companionship visits suit them better, and what to ask a carer when you speak to them. Charlotte has those conversations every day and can tell you which of the carers in London might suit, though the choice is always yours.
Questions
Yes. Getting out is a normal part of a live-in carer's week: a walk (Thames Path is a good one), a garden visit, a choir concert, the bowls club or a lunch with friends. Many carers drive, and the search shows who does. Mileage is only charged if you agree it in advance and in writing, and 55p a mile is the usual figure when a carer uses their own car. Entry tickets and cafe stops for the carer are worth agreeing up front too.
Use the link under the interest on this page: it opens a search of live-in carers in London with the ones who list that interest shown first, and the rest still there below them. Every profile shows the carer's interests alongside their experience, rates and reviews. Message the ones you like, and talk about the hobby when you meet them: it is the quickest way to tell whether the interest is real.
For live-in care it matters more than people expect. A live-in carer shares the house for weeks at a time, and the hours between the care tasks are most of the day. Somebody who likes the same programmes, games or garden fills those hours naturally. It is still second to experience and temperament, so treat it as a tie-breaker between good carers rather than the first thing you filter on.
Live-in care through PrimeCarers is typically about £1,120 a week, with our fee included, and each carer sets their own rate, shown on their profile. That covers somebody living in and helping through the day. If your parent needs company rather than round-the-clock help, hourly companionship visits start from about £15 an hour. Companionship care in London compares the two.
Then the interest comes to him. A carer can bring the garden to a table on the patio, put the old records on, set up the jigsaw, read the paper aloud or play cards most afternoons. The interests further down this page are mostly the ones done at home, and plenty of carers share them.
Each local suggestion was researched from published sources, and every one on the page has passed a check before appearing: either it was found on a map inside London, or its source page, which we link to, is live and names the area. Anything that failed was left out. Opening times, prices and access change, so check with the venue before you go, especially for gardens such as Chelsea Physic Garden, where it is worth asking ahead about wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
Yes. Before a carer appears on PrimeCarers they have passed an enhanced DBS check, an identity check and a right-to-work check, and had an online interview with our team, with renewal or rechecks depending on the accepted route. Carers write their own profiles, including their interests and skills, so ask about anything that matters to you when you meet them. How we vet carers sets out each step.
See live-in carers with their photos, interests, rates and reviews, and talk to your favourites for free. Nothing is booked until you say so.
