Feeling connected to others is a basic human need. Companionship care is a service that allows you to have friendly, dependable company in your daily life, at home, in the community and on your own terms. At Tidal Living, we offer a flexible type of homecare which prioritises improving your mood, boosting your confidence and lowering your risk of loneliness, all while supporting you to maintain your routines and independence.
Companionship can best be described as regular, meaningful time with a carefully matched carer: someone to chat with, share your hobbies and interests, and facilitate gentle activity and social connection. At Tidal Living, we provide our companionship care service in this spirit.
What is companionship care?
Everyone has a different idea of what companionship care is. However, companionship typically includes:
- Having a cup of tea and talking, reading the news together or gently reminiscing over life stories
- Walks, outings in the surrounding local area, and trips outside the home, which build your confidence
- Keeping with clubs, faith or other community activities, and staying in touch by phone or video call.
- Engaging in light tasks together, such as making meals, cleaning up shared spaces, or planning the week
- Short respite visits, which give family members and carers that care for you the opportunity to have a break
Who benefits from companionship care?
Companionship is ideal for people who live alone, are new to the area, are trying to get their confidence back after an illness or tragic event, such as the death of a loved one, or just want to be around other people more often. At Tidal Living, we provide local companion home care which fits your interests and lifestyle.
Many people report feeling lonely, which can negatively affect their health, wellbeing and independence. Recent national data from the Office for National Statistics notes that around 7% of adults reported feeling lonely all the time or most of the time; Age UK also highlights that nearly a million older people report feeling lonely often. Regular, meaningful contact and light activity are two easy ways to change that.
Companionship Care
At Tidal Living, service users are at the centre of our approach and what we do. We take time to get to know your routines, likes and what matters to you most before pairing you with a consistent carer who is compatible with your preferences and lifestyle, making a simple, tailored companion care plan that can change over time, agreeing on a visit length and frequency which can range from short drop-in meetings to longer sessions.
In our matching process, we pair you with a carer who has similar interests and ways of talking with you.
Our approach is based on CQC best-practice guidance regarding quality and overall, what people expect from home care services – care should be based on your goals, strengths and lifestyle choices/needs, and be checked on a regular basis.
We can work together with the social prescribing link worker at your local GP practice to help you get out and about more, and do more things with friends, family or members of the community, as part of an NHS program that connects people with local activities and practical help.
Then, we provide you with regular, dependable companionship visits, with clear notes and easy ways for family to stay up-to-date.
Why is companionship care important?
Regular social interaction helps people stay healthy as they get older and improve their psychological and mental wellbeing by helping them feel good about themselves every day. NICE guidance for older people stresses the importance of one-on-one and small group activities, including walking, talking and creative sessions for keeping their independence and mental health.
Our visiting companion care gives you time and motivation to do these things at a pace that works for you.
What companionship care isn’t
Companionship is a type of support which is non-medical and is based on relationships, focusing on company, confidence and meaningful activities in the wider community.
We are registered with the CQC to provide personal care; if you ever need help with domestic errands or self-care tasks such as washing, dressing or taking your medication, we can safely include that in your care visits, and you do not have to change services to get the help you need.
Flexible Visits, Simple Options
At Tidal Living, we can work with you to make a plan that works for your lifestyle and schedule, whether you want an hour to talk and walk, a morning to run errands and attend local community events, or regular afternoon visits when the day feels longest.
We can allocate another home care companion if your needs change; all home care companions working at Tidal Living follow national, person-centred care standards.
