Resources & advice for families
Thinking about a little more company for an older relative? These short, honest guides explain what companionship is, how to know when someone might need it, and the practical ways we can help, from a weekly cuppa and chat to getting safely home after a hospital stay. No jargon, and no pressure.
News and policy
Free personal care: what it will cover, and what it leaves out
Personal care is set to be free for older people in the next Parliament. What that covers, what it leaves out, and what families can do this winter.
A National Care Service has been promised: what changes for families now
A free National Care Service has been promised, but nothing changes yet. What it means for older people at home in East Herts, and practical steps families can take now.
Care costs are 'broken': what it means for your family
New research calls England's care charging system broken, and the Casey Commission wants families' views. What it means for older people at home in East Herts, and what to do now.
Support for a parent living alone: the full picture
The whole map of help available to an older person living alone, from free community services and NHS routes to benefits, telecare, companionship and regulated care, and how to tell which level fits.
When your parent refuses help
What to do when Mum or Dad keeps saying no: why, what you can and cannot do, and how to make the offer small enough to accept.
Working while caring for a parent
Your rights, a weekly pattern that holds, working from their house, and who covers the days you are in the office.
When a parent stops driving
The DVLA legal duty, the warning signs worth acting on, and what actually replaces the car, from volunteer car schemes to a companion for the outing.
Winter loneliness and Christmas alone
Why winter and Christmas are harder, the real cold weather health risks, the Cold-Health Alert system, and the money that helps automatically.
Day centres and lunch clubs
Two different things share the name day centre: Hertfordshire County Council's assessed day services, and drop-in lunch clubs and social groups you can just turn up to.
Digital skills for older parents
Getting online is not one problem, it is three: confidence with a screen, staying safe from scams, and the safety technology, alarms, location sharing and photo frames, that sits alongside it.
Falls prevention for older parents
What actually reduces fall risk: the home hazards worth fixing this week, strength and balance classes in Hertfordshire, and the NHS falls pathway.
Nutrition for older parents
One in ten over-65s are malnourished or at risk: the warning signs, food-first advice, the MUST GP screening tool, and local meal support in Hertfordshire.
Respite care for family carers
5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK: what a break looks like, the free Carer's Assessment, and how to arrange one at short notice.
Help Before Care (cornerstone)
The evidence case for help before a crisis: NHS prevention, deconditioning, loneliness and Tier 0 explained for families.
Coming home after a hospital stay
A practical two-week guide: what to check before they're discharged, home safety and hot/cold weather prep, warning signs like delirium, and when to call the GP, 111 or 999.
Keeping an older parent safe in a heatwave
NHS and UKHSA-sourced advice on keeping a home cool, staying comfortable in hot weather, and spotting the difference between heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
A complete guide to preventing loneliness
Our fullest reference guide: why loneliness rises with age, what the evidence says about health, and what individuals, families and communities can each do.
First visit checklist
What to prepare, what to share and what to expect when a companion visits for the first time, with a printable PDF checklist.
Wellbeing planner
A simple weekly grid for tracking visits, mood and wellbeing, so patterns are easier to spot early. Includes a printable PDF planner.
Signs of loneliness
The quiet signs that an older parent is becoming lonely or isolated, why it matters for their health, and the simple things that help.
How to help a lonely parent
Five practical steps for families, from starting the conversation to rebuilding one fixed point in the week that your parent can look forward to.
How to find a companion for an elderly person
A practical guide to what a companion does, what to ask any provider, and what it should cost, before you choose.
Companionship vs home care
Not sure whether your parent needs companionship or home care? A clear, honest guide to the difference and how to tell which one fits.
Companionship vs Age UK befriending
Age UK's befriending service is free and well regarded. An honest look at its current waiting lists in Hertfordshire, and where a paid companion helps while you wait.
Companionship for someone with dementia
What good visits look like for someone living with dementia, what we can and cannot offer, and the memory cafes running near you.
Companionship vs befriending
Free volunteer befriending or paid companionship? An honest guide to waiting lists, choice of visitor and consistency.
Companionship vs a personal assistant (PA)
Thinking about hiring a PA directly? How it compares on cost, employment admin and scope of support.
How to talk to your parent about companionship
A gentle, practical guide to raising companionship with an older parent who insists they are fine, including what to say and the objections you will hear.
Days out near you
Days out in Ware
Easy, gentle day-out ideas in Ware, Hertfordshire for time with an older parent, with honest accessibility notes for each one.
Days out in Hertford
Easy, gentle day-out ideas in Hertford, Hertfordshire for time with an older parent, with honest accessibility notes for each one.
Days out in Hoddesdon
Easy, gentle day-out ideas in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire for time with an older parent, with honest accessibility notes for each one.
Days out in Broxbourne
Easy, gentle day-out ideas in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire for time with an older parent, with honest accessibility notes for each one.
Days out in Bishop's Stortford
Easy, gentle day-out ideas in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire for time with an older parent, with honest accessibility notes for each one.
Days out in Sawbridgeworth
Easy, gentle day-out ideas in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire for time with an older parent, with honest accessibility notes for each one.
What is companionship care?
In plain English: what it is, and what it isn't.
When does someone need companionship?
The quiet signs families often miss.
Hospital discharge support
A friendly face and a stocked fridge for coming home.
The cost of companionship
How pricing works when companions set their own rate.
Areas we cover
Where AirCarers companions are available now.
FAQ
Quick answers to the questions families ask most.
Download the free family guide
A short PDF guide for families considering companionship.