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How can I apply for a job as Elderly Companion?

When you are a warm-hearted, responsible person with good housekeeping abilities and experience with Elderly people, then you should apply for becoming an Elderly Companion in England. Becoming an Elderly Companion can also be an excellent possibility to combine your fluent English skills, to experience the English culture and family live and to get to know new people. Positions are usually offered for 12 months.

Qualification of an Elderly Companion

Elderly Companion must be responsible, caring, and flexible individuals with experience in household duties or management for non-medical, in-home support services, including home management (light housekeeping, laundry, bed making, trash removal), meal planning and preparation, grocery shopping, medication reminders, and client transportation (errands, appointments, shopping trips).

  • Good experience working directly with the elderly, either professionally or personally
  • First Aid Training or other live saving trainings would be very useful
  • Ability to read, write, understand and communicate written instructions in English. As many of the elderly people don’t hear so well, realistically the candidate needs to have good or a minimum of satisfactory English.
  • Work experience with at least 3 recent work-related references
  • Minimum 3 personal references
  • Basic computer skills and access to email
  • Physical ability to complete tasks as outlined in job descriptions
  • Clean nationwide background check
  • Smokers are not acceptable
  • Driver’s license and safe driving history
  • Reliable, honest, and trustworthy
  • Physical ability to care for an elderly person

Duties of an Elderly Companion

This person will not provide hands-on care for the client (such as feeding and dressing) but will provide companionship, provide respite for the main caregiver, offer encouragement and perform light housekeeping tasks.

Duties may include:

  • Bathing, hair washing and shaving
  • If you are more qualified you can serve the same functions as a companion, but also may provide hands-on care of the client. Duties may include:
  • Administration of medicationAttendant Care Services (optional and not required)
  • Performing miscellaneous errands
  • Taking the client to appointments, accompanying to and from appointments, transport to shopping, including doctor appointments, travel abroad and family visits etc.
  • Organizing doctors/hospital appointments as well as dealing with doctors or nurses
  • Taking care of pets, organizing vet appointments
  • Looking after petty cash, paying bills and banking
  • Managing the diary, dealing with contractors
  • Recreational activities such as taking walks, playing games and reading
  • Grocery shopping
  • Preparing meals
  • Watering plants
  • Changing bed linens
  • Mopping and vacuuming
  • Light cleaning
  • Laundry and ironing
  • Washing dishes
  • Cooking
  • Dressing assistance
  • Medication reminders and assisting giving the correct tablets
  • Support with mobility and lifting (into the bath)
  • Assistance with toileting
  • Other personal care needs

Elderly Companions should stay minimum 6 months, better 12 months and more. Working hours are around 50 hours a week. Sometimes the job is shared with a 2nd employee, and then you both work part time.

It depends on you how many hours you want to work and how much you will earn. Sometimes you might need to be on duty for 60 hours but of course that does not mean working hard/being on your feet for 60 hours.

Benefits and payment of an Elderly Companion

Elderly Companions are mostly live-in positions.

Live-in Companion would work 5 to 6 days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day, with 2 to 3 hours off per day taken at a convenient time for the client.

Salaries generally start at £350 net per week, but are dependent on experience. Should the Companion be required to be on call during the night or other out of hours times, then they get an additional payment per night or per each call out.

Live-out/ Daily Companion would work 8 to 10 hours a day with a salary of £80+ net per day and should be entitled to have at least 1 full day off during the week.

Elderly Companions are entitled to a minimum of 4-weeks paid holiday. National Bank holidays are given (which is a total of 8 days plus) or additional payment is made. Holiday time is taken at a mutually agreed time.

If the elderly person requires the companion to come on holiday with him/ her, then this must be discussed and agreed prior to employment commencement. All travels expenses, food and weekly wage will also need to be covered by the employer.

Salaries will depend upon age, experience, and the duties involved and will range from £8.30 - £12.00 per hour (net) or £500 - £6000 per week. Please note those are only guide minimums. Each position is individually negotiated and more experienced Elderly Companions may command higher salaries.

Please note each job is unique and varies according to the personal requirements. Some jobs offer travel, some offer a car for own use, some have their own bathroom. However, please note that none of these things can be guaranteed. We do our best to match the elderly person and the applicant as closely as possible.

Please contact us for further information and the application forms!