Keeping up the things they love is most of what makes a day good. 1,295 vetted live-in carers could come to live in Portsmouth. This page shows what they enjoy, what Portsmouth offers for each interest, and how to find someone who shares your mother's or father's.
11 carers near Portsmouth 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: 1,295 are within about three hours of Portsmouth. These are the interests on the profiles of the nearest of them. Tap one to see what Portsmouth offers for it.
Listed by manyLess common, so a better matchFrom the profiles of the 19 nearest live-in carers within about three hours of Portsmouth, September 2026; 11 of them list interests.
Common ground is easy
Most carers list walking, music and watching TV. 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
Portsmouth is an island city, so most walking here is flat, coastal and within sight of the water.
10 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list walking
Somewhere to go
Southsea
A long paved promenade running beside the beach and common, used by the Ramblers as a short circular walk with views across to the Isle of Wight. A carer can drive or bus to a seafront car park, keep the distance short and use the many benches and cafes as rest points.
Getting around: The Ramblers describe this as a mud free route along the paved seafront.
Source: ramblers.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Southsea
A boating lake just off the seafront with paths around the water, swans and ducks, and a model village and rose garden nearby. A short circuit of the lake suits someone who wants a walk with a clear beginning and end, and a carer can bring bread alternatives for the birds and plan a tea stop.
Source: visitportsmouth.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 Portsmouth
Interest 2
Portsmouth has a strong civic and naval music tradition, from big hall concerts to long standing amateur choirs.
9 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list music
Somewhere to go
Portsmouth
The city's main concert hall, with a year round programme including orchestral nights, tribute acts and shows aimed at older audiences. A carer can book seats suited to mobility needs using the venue's access information and arrange drop off close to the doors.
Getting around: The Guildhall publishes an access guide for disabled visitors covering the venue and planning a visit.
Source: portsmouthguildhall.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to join
Portsmouth
A long established city choir that rehearses regularly and performs choral works locally, and it also runs come and sing days. A carer can provide transport to rehearsals or simply take someone to a concert if singing is no longer practical.
Source: makingmusic.org.uk. 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 Portsmouth
Vimbai P.£172 a day2 yrsAlso enjoys card games, puzzles, gardening, socialising
Mmabakaa M.£180 a day7 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, dancing, card games
Wael A.£165 a day9 yrsAlso enjoys walking, cooking & baking, gardening, socialising
Stefan H.£200 a day12 yrsAlso enjoys walking, card games, cooking & baking, puzzlesInterest 3
Salt wind and thin coastal soil shape gardening in the city, which is why seaside planting and shared community plots do better here than large private gardens.
7 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list gardening
Somewhere to go
Southsea
A council maintained seafront garden of rockeries, pools and coastal planting near Southsea Common. A carer can make it a regular short visit to see what is in flower, which suits someone who loved gardening but can no longer manage their own beds.
Source: portsmouth.gov.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to join
Southsea
A volunteer run community garden in Southsea with open sessions where people help with planting, watering and tidying. A carer can go along too, so an older gardener can do as much or as little sowing and potting as they feel up to.
Source: hiveportsmouth.org.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 Portsmouth
Melissa L.£142 a day13 yrsAlso enjoys walking, card games, cooking & baking, puzzles
Jaison M.£145 a day15 yrsAlso enjoys walking, dancing, puzzles, fishingVimbai P.£172 a day2 yrsAlso enjoys card games, puzzles, socialising, board gamesMmabakaa M.£180 a day7 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, dancing, card gamesInterest 4
Sport in Portsmouth ranges from a football city with deep loyalties to council leisure centres running gentler sessions for older residents.
7 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list sports
Somewhere to join
Mountbatten Leisure Centre, Portsmouth
A walking football club listed with the Walking Football Association, playing the slower no running version of the game for older players. A carer can drive someone to sessions, carry kit and wait nearby, which makes regular attendance realistic.
Source: thewfa.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Portsmouth
A council leisure centre in Hilsea with a pool, gym and pay as you go activity sessions. A carer can book a quiet swim time or a gentle class and stay for support in the changing rooms and getting home.
Source: portsmouth.gov.uk. 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 Portsmouth
Interest 5
Alongside the city's ballroom and social dance evenings, Portsmouth keeps an older English dance custom alive through its own morris side.
5 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list dancing
Local tradition
Portsmouth
Portsmouth's morris side, listed with the Morris Ring, dances out at pubs and local events through the spring and summer season. A carer can check where they are appearing and take someone along to watch from a seat, which is an easy outing for anyone who once danced themselves.
Source: themorrisring.org. 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 Portsmouth
Jaison M.£145 a day15 yrsAlso enjoys walking, puzzles, fishing, gardening
Omolabake B.£145 a day7 yrsAlso enjoys walking, card games, cooking & baking, puzzles
Riseua T.£159 a day6 yrsAlso enjoys walking, reading, watching TV, musicMmabakaa M.£180 a day7 yrsAlso enjoys painting, walking, card games, cooking & bakingInterest 6
Portsmouth has a strong literary claim as Dickens's birthplace, and its public library service supports readers across the city.
5 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list reading
Somewhere to join
Portsmouth
The city library service runs reading groups that meet regularly and supply sets of books to members. A carer can collect the monthly title, read aloud at home if eyesight is poor and provide transport to the meeting.
Source: librariesandarchives.portsmouth.gov.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Portsmouth
The main city library in Guildhall Square, with lending stock, large print and audio, plus local studies material. A carer can turn a visit into a short outing, ordering books in advance so the trip is not tiring.
Source: librariesandarchives.portsmouth.gov.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 Portsmouth
Interest 7
Harbour views, Victorian seafront architecture and constantly changing light over the Solent give the city plenty to photograph within a short distance.
3 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list photography
Somewhere to go
Portsmouth
A waterfront tower at Gunwharf Quays with high viewing decks looking over the harbour, dockyard and Solent. A carer can handle tickets and travel, leaving someone free to take pictures from a seated position by the windows.
Getting around: The tower's accessibility information sets out lift access to the viewing decks.
Source: spinnakertower.co.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 photographyInterest 8
Being surrounded by harbour, Solent and open sea, Portsmouth is a sea angling city rather than a riverbank one.
1 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list fishing
Somewhere to go
Southsea
Angling is run from the deck of Southsea's Victorian pier, giving deep water fishing without needing a boat. A carer can carry rods and tackle, set up a folding seat and stay for company during a short session.
Source: facebook.com. 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 fishingSome who could come in Portsmouth
Interest 9
With centuries of naval history to look after, Portsmouth relies heavily on volunteers in its heritage sites and community groups.
1 of 11live-in carers we looked at
list volunteering
Somewhere to join
Portsmouth
The dockyard advertises volunteer roles across its ships and museums, including visitor welcome and guiding work that suits people with local knowledge. A carer can help with the application, then provide transport and company on shift days.
Source: historicdockyard.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to join
Portsmouth
A volunteering listing for the organisation that looks after historic buildings and sites in Old Portsmouth, with roles including visitor stewarding. A carer can go through the available roles and choose something with short, seated duties.
Source: getvolunteering.co.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 Portsmouth
Closer 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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth
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 Portsmouth 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 (Southsea seafront promenade 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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth, 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 Southsea Rock 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, and their DBS stays under continuous monitoring. 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.
