The providers
Ten places to find company for an older relative
Paid providers first, then the free charity services. The order is not a ranking. Each entry links the provider's own companionship page.
1.Home Instead
Managed agency with local franchised offices
- What it publishes
- A companionship care page aimed at preventing social isolation. Its visits last at least an hour, and each office is independently owned and operated. Its companionship page
- Published price
- No hourly rate published. Its visiting care cost page gives one example: 7 hours of visits a week costing £231 (no date shown; seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Regular, longer visits from a local office, often alongside help with meals or appointments.
2.Helping Hands
CQC-registered managed agency
- What it publishes
- A companionship services page for people at risk of loneliness or social isolation. It says it directly employs its carers. Its companionship page
- Published price
- Visiting care from £32.40 an hour plus £4.50 a visit, on its companionship page and its companionship costs page reviewed 2 June 2026.
- Suits
- Families who want an employing agency with local branches and a published hourly price.
3.Bluebird Care
Managed agency with local franchised offices
- What it publishes
- A companionship care page, from weekly catch-ups to daily visits. It has more than 220 independently owned franchise offices, and some publish their own prices. Its companionship page
- Published price
- No national price. Local offices publish their own: for example a weekday hour is £31.50 in Nottingham and £38.55 in Exeter (no date shown; seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families who want a local office and can check that office's own prices.
4.Right at Home
Managed agency with local franchised offices
- What it publishes
- A companionship support page, from a weekly visit for a chat to daily help getting out and about. Its FAQ says every carer is directly employed by Right at Home. Its companionship page
- Published price
- No price published on the pages we checked.
- Suits
- Families who want employed carers from a local office.
5.Visiting Angels
Managed agency with local franchised offices
- What it publishes
- A companionship care page about finding a like-minded carer for a cup of tea at home or a day trip. It is a franchise network of visiting care offices. Its companionship page
- Published price
- No price published on the pages we checked.
- Suits
- Someone who would enjoy outings as much as visits at home.
6.Trinity Homecare
CQC-registered managed agency
- What it publishes
- A companionship care page: a chat over a cup of tea, a meal, a walk or company at an appointment. Visiting care is through its local branches. Its companionship page
- Published price
- Visiting care from £41 an hour; a 30-minute visit is £30. On the same page (no date shown; seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families near one of its branches who want a CQC Outstanding-rated provider.
7.Match with Care
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- A guide to companion care costs. It is an introductory marketplace of self-employed carers and says it is not a CQC-registered care provider. Its companion care page
- Published price
- Companion care "typically around £20-£25 per hour". Its FAQ says a 15% platform fee is added to your invoice (seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families happy to choose a self-employed companion through a newer marketplace.
8.PrimeCarers
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- This site. You search by postcode, read what each self-employed companion says about their interests and experience, and arrange visits with the one you choose. Before a carer appears we check their ID, their right to work and an enhanced DBS (or PVG in Scotland, Access NI in Northern Ireland) issued within the last 2 years, and we interview them online. We do not verify references, qualifications or training, so ask the carer about those yourself. Finding the right companion
- Published price
- Companionship visits from £15 to £20 an hour, typically £18 (PrimeCarers rates, October 2026). The hourly price already includes our standard fee (20% on visits under 6 hours); the carer keeps the rest.
- Suits
- Families who want to choose the person and keep the same companion each week.
- Worth knowing
- We are weaker if you want someone else to manage the visits and cover holidays. Each companion is self-employed, and we cannot guarantee cover if they are away.
9.Age UK befriending and the Silver Line
Charity
- What it publishes
- A free weekly telephone friendship call for over-60s (it says the wait is about 8 to 10 weeks), home-visit befriending through many local Age UKs, and the Silver Line Helpline, free on 0800 4 70 80 90, 24 hours a day, for people aged 55 and over. Its befriending page
- Published price
- Free.
- Suits
- Someone who would like a regular friendly voice. Age UK says the phone service may not suit people with dementia who need more support.
10.Royal Voluntary Service
Charity
- What it publishes
- Volunteer Community Companions who give practical help and company, in person or by phone, and telephone companion calls of 30 minutes once a week. Its support page
- Published price
- No price published.
- Suits
- Someone who needs company and small practical jobs rather than personal care.
Each provider’s own page was checked on 19 October 2026. Prices and services change, so confirm them with the provider before you rely on them.
How to choose
Paid companion, agency or volunteer
A volunteer befriender is free but usually visits or calls once a week. A paid companion can come as often as you like and help with outings, meals and appointments.
If loneliness is the main worry and your relative is otherwise managing, start with Age UK or the Royal Voluntary Service. If you want visits several times a week, or help getting out, compare an agency's hourly rate with a self-employed companion's. Published agency rates we found start at £31.50 for a weekday hour (Bluebird Care in Nottingham) and £32.40 an hour plus £4.50 a visit (Helping Hands). On PrimeCarers companionship visits run from £15 to £20 an hour, our fee included.
Ask every provider
- Whether the same person will come each time
- The minimum visit length and any per-visit charge
- Whether the companion can drive your relative out, and what mileage costs
Do not assume
- That a befriending service can start straight away; Age UK quotes a wait of 8 to 10 weeks for phone friendship
- That a companion can help with personal care; ask first
How do you find the right companion for your relative? covers what to look for in the person.
Questions
Questions about companionship care providers
It depends on what your relative wants. For a weekly chat, a free befriending service such as Age UK or the Royal Voluntary Service may be enough. For regular visits and outings, a home care agency or a self-employed companion found through an introductory service will come as often as you book them.
Published agency rates we found in October 2026 include £31.50 for a weekday hour at Bluebird Care in Nottingham (each office sets its own), £32.40 an hour plus £4.50 a visit at Helping Hands, and £41 an hour at Trinity Homecare. On PrimeCarers companionship visits run from £15 to £20 an hour, typically £18, with our fee included.
Yes. Age UK offers a free weekly telephone friendship call for over-60s and home befriending through many local Age UKs, and its Silver Line Helpline is free on 0800 4 70 80 90, 24 hours a day. The Royal Voluntary Service runs volunteer companions and weekly calls.