Companionship vs a Personal Assistant (PA)
A personal assistant is usually employed directly by an older person or their family, often funded through a council direct payment or personal budget, and the role can cover a broad scope including personal care, domestic tasks, medication support and outings. Being an employer brings real duties: PAYE payroll, tax and National Insurance, pension auto enrolment, holiday and sick pay, recruitment and DBS checks, and arranging cover when the PA is unavailable. Companionship through AirCarers Companion is not an employment relationship. Companions are self employed and booked visit by visit, there is no payroll or employer admin for the family, and visits can start quickly without a recruitment round, from 25 pounds an hour.
The trade off is scope, and we say so plainly: a PA can do more, including personal care, so this guide is about routing a family to the right option rather than arguing that companionship is always better. It compares the two on employment relationship, scope of support, admin for the family, funding route, cover if unavailable and typical time to start, and gives honest lists of when a PA fits (complex personalised needs, high hours per week, a direct payment already in place) and when companionship fits (company and connection rather than personal care, and no wish to become an employer). Related reading includes companionship vs home care, companionship vs befriending and Help Before Care.
AirCarers Companion serves Hertford, Ware, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne and the surrounding SG11 to SG14 and EN10 to EN11 areas. It is a companionship platform, not a CQC registered agency, and does not provide personal or clinical care. Every companion is enhanced DBS checked, ID verified, fully insured and trained. To talk it through, call 07455 750006 or email lucie@aircarers.co.uk.