Sharing home, life, time and skills
Do you sometimes struggle to live on your own? Would you like some company at home?
If you have a spare room, and you don’t mind sharing your home, Homeshare could be perfect for you. Homeshare matches people who need companionship and practical support (householder) with people who need accommodation (homesharer).
There are many benefits to taking part in Homeshare such as:
- you’re able to stay in your home and feel safer with someone else in the house
- you keep your independence and control of your life
- it eases the pressure on family carers
- you get some support living at home (and is cheaper than domiciliary care)
- it’s fun and you make a new companion/friend, open up your social circle
- it’s a mutual arrangement that allows you to give back to your community.
How it works
A Homeshare organisation will carefully match you with a suitable homesharer based on your needs. It can take a few weeks to find the perfect homesharer for you. This is because the Homeshare organisation will conduct thorough background checks to find a caring, helpful and compatible homesharer to live in your home.
You’ll get to interview the homesharer to see if you are compatible. If you’re both happy with the match, together you’ll agree what support (at least 10 hours a week) the homesharer will give you. This agreement is flexible and can include a variety of tasks like shopping, gardening, cleaning, or accompanying visits to the doctor.
Cost
You may have to pay a monthly administration fee to the Homeshare organisation to cover the cost of the service – they will support you throughout the whole process and monitor the match. The average cost is £140 per month.
How to apply
If you think Homeshare is right for you, you can check if there is a provider in your local area by going to our find a Homeshare provider map. Or you can call our Homeshare UK team on 0151 227 3499 or email contact@homeshareuk.org