Frequently asked questions
The questions families ask us most, answered plainly.
What we do
What does AirCarers Companion do?
We provide friendly, vetted companions for older people and isolated adults across East Hertfordshire: regular visits, conversation, walks, outings, lifts to appointments and a little light help at home. It is companionship and help before care, not personal or clinical care. You choose who visits, and the same familiar face comes back each time.
Is this the same as home care?
No. Companionship is about connection: company, getting out, a friendly eye. Home care is about the body: washing, dressing, toileting and medication, which are regulated activities. We do not provide personal or clinical care. If your parent needs that, we will point you towards a regulated provider.
Do you provide personal care or nursing?
No. We provide companionship and practical help before care. Personal care, medication, nursing, manual handling, bathing, dressing, wound care and clinical tasks are regulated activities and are not offered through this platform. We are happy to help you find the right regulated provider if that is what your relative needs.
Is companionship only for older people?
No. Most people we support are older adults, but companions are here for any adult aged 18 or over living with loneliness or isolation, including people with sight loss, a disability, a long-term condition, low mood, or a learning disability. You do not need a diagnosis to ask.
Which areas do you cover?
Hertford, Ware, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth, and the surrounding SG11 to SG14 and EN10 to EN11 postcodes. Every companion lives locally, and you can see photos, profiles and availability before you book.
Cost and booking
How much does companionship cost?
Companionship starts from £25 an hour. Each companion sets their own rate, shown clearly on their profile before you book, typically £25 to £35 an hour. Visits start at one hour, with no contracts and no minimum commitment. Nothing is paid until you book a visit you are happy with, and payment is held until 48 hours after the visit.
Do I have to sign a contract?
No. Book one visit or a hundred. There are no contracts, no minimum spend and no lock-in. Use it when you need it and stop when you do not. A week of leave, a school holiday or a change of pattern is a message, not a renegotiation.
How quickly can a companion start?
Usually within days, and often within hours. There is no waiting list, no assessment and no forms to fill in. Browse companions, choose who you like, and book a first visit. Most families have a first visit in the diary well before a volunteer befriending place would come up.
Can a council direct payment or Attendance Allowance help pay for it?
Sometimes. Many people use a council direct payment under the Care Act 2014 for companionship, subject to a needs assessment. Attendance Allowance is not means tested and does not depend on anyone being paid to help, so it is worth checking. See our funding page, and we are happy to talk through the options.
I live far away or abroad, can you still help?
Yes. Many families who book are far away or busy caring for someone else. You arrange everything through the app, choose who visits, and get an update after every visit.
Companions and safety
Are your companions DBS checked and insured?
Yes. Every companion completes five checks before their first visit: an enhanced DBS check, identity verified against photo ID, two references contacted by phone, approval by a real person on our team, and GPS check-in on every visit. Every companion is insured and trained.
Can I choose who visits my mum or dad?
Yes, and it is the heart of how we work. You browse real local companion profiles and pick the person you think your parent will get on with, rather than being sent whoever is free. The same companion visits each time, and you can change if the fit is not right.
What if my parent does not like their companion?
You choose who visits, and you can change companion at any time. No charge, no contract, and no awkward conversation. If the first person is not quite right, we help you find someone who is.
What if a companion does not turn up?
Every visit has a check-in and a check-out, so you can see your companion arrived and how it went. Payment is only taken 48 hours after the visit, and if no one turns up you are not charged. If a visit is ever missed, tell us and we will arrange a replacement.
Will I know how the visit went?
Yes. Companions check in and out by GPS at the visit address, so you see when a visit starts and ends, and you get a short written update afterwards. That gives you peace of mind without hovering, and an early warning if something seems off.
How does AirCarers differ from a traditional agency?
You choose the companion, not a coordinator. Companions are self-employed, set their own rate and write their own profile, and most of what you pay goes to them, so good companions stay and your parent keeps the same familiar face rather than a rota of strangers.
Situations families ask about
What happens on a first visit?
Roughly an hour, with no set agenda. Conversation, a cup of tea and getting to know each other is a good first visit. The companion introduces themselves before coming in. It is fine for you to be there, and often better to leave after ten minutes so they can talk properly.
My parent says they are fine and does not want help. What can I do?
Do not call it care. Talk about company, a friendly face, someone to go for a coffee or walk with. Let them choose the person, and frame the first visit as a trial with no commitment. Pride talks first, so do not take the first no as final.
Can a companion help after a hospital stay?
Yes. A companion can travel home with your parent or be waiting when they arrive, get milk and provisions in, make sure the home is warm, and stay for company. Over the following weeks, regular visits encourage the movement and routine that help someone rebuild strength. It is not nursing or clinical discharge care.
Can a companion support someone with dementia?
Yes, for company. Familiarity and routine matter more with dementia, so having the same companion each time is most of the value. Our companions are not dementia specialists and do not provide personal care or behaviour management. Many families use us alongside specialist services and regulated care.
Do you offer overnight visits?
Yes. A DBS checked companion can stay through the night for company and reassurance, helping your relative settle for the night and get started in the morning. It is not live-in care and includes no personal or clinical care. It suits a settling-in period after a hospital stay.
Why pay for a companion when Age UK befriending is free?
Start with Age UK, and we say so. But volunteer befriending often has a waiting list, you do not choose the person, and the scheme sets the pattern. A paid companion starts within days, you choose who, and you set the days. Many families use both.
How do I become a companion?
See the Become a companion page (/become-a-companion) and register at /register/companion.
How do I get in touch?
Call 07455 750006 or email lucie@aircarers.co.uk.