What is a senior sitter?
Senior sitting is a form of respite care, where a caregiver gets some time away to themselves.
Everyone who cares for another person needs a break regularly, as caring for another person can be emotionally and physically draining. That’s where respite care comes in.
Seniors, or older people, are generally considered to be anyone over the age of 65 years, although circumstances differ widely, and many people of advancing years live totally independently without needing any extra support. For those who do though, knowing that caregivers can have some time away from their duties means that everyone involved can reduce the pressure on their shoulders and the person needing care can receive it consistently.
Support from the home care experts
Since 1989, we’ve been helping our customers retain their independence in their own homes.
Thanks to our more than three decades of experience caring for our customers in their own homes, we are experts in supporting a range of different circumstances, from age-related frailties, up to more complex conditions such as dementia, cancer, and much more. Our carers are compassionate and kind, and frequently go above and beyond to ensure that our customers get to live their best quality of life possible.
Find out more about the conditions we support
What is included with an elderly sitting service?
Our elderly sitters are able to support your loved one at home in a multitude of ways.
Our private carers can deliver care for our customers at home from just a few hours a week, several calls a day or even live-in, around the clock care. Our flexible home care packages are designed with you in mind, whether that’s by day, by night or even in an emergency situation.
All of our carers are experienced and well-trained, with many having years of expertise working with people living with dementia and other complex conditions.
Here are some of the ways a sitter can support you:
Housekeeping
An elderly carer can help you with housekeeping support by lending a hand with cleaning, laundry and more
Meal preparation
Your carer can prepare meals, snacks and drinks for you, allowing you to eat when and what you like
Personal care
Whether it’s helping you to bathe, get dressed, toilet, or manage a stoma, a carer can offer gentle personal care
Mobility support
Our carers are trained in mobility support, including assisting those living with various types of dementia
Medication assistance
Your carer can help you with medication – from picking it up for you, to helping you administer it
Companionship
Because we only recruit the kindest, most friendly people, Helping Hands carers can be great companions
Running errands
A carer can run errands on your behalf, such as picking up the shopping or handling your mail
Looking after pets
Home care lets you continue to enjoy the company of your pets while your carer helps to look after them
The benefits of home sitting for the elderly
There are numerous benefits to having support at home as you get a bit older.
Admitting you need extra help when you’ve always managed on your own can be difficult. However, saying you need some support needn’t be a negative thing. By choosing Helping Hands for your care at home you’ll still retain your independence, but you’ll have additional help within your home that will enable you to remain in the place you love.
There are many advantages to staying at home for extra care, rather than feeling you have to relocate to a care home. By staying at home you’ll have the reassurance of being in familiar and comforting surroundings, as well as getting to stay with the people you love and your precious pets.
One-to-one care
Care at home gives you the opportunity to receive personal one-to-one support from your own carer, meaning you’ll always have their full attention
Personalised support
Elderly care at home allows you to enjoy a personalised care plan that ensures you’re always getting the right support for your needs and wishes
Stay in a familiar environment
Many people relish the chance to remain in the comfortable, secure surroundings of home whilst receiving the additional support they need
Spend time with loved ones
You’ll be able to choose when your family and friends visit, and your carer can assist with hosting duties – including getting your home spick and span
A holistic approach
Our holistic approach means no stone is left unturned in your care plan, so you’ll get the emotional, practical and physical support you need
Maintain routines and hobbies
Domiciliary care allows you to continue living life on your own terms, which includes keeping up all your favourite hobbies, routines and activities
Why choose Helping Hands?
Over the past 30 years, tens of thousands of people have trusted us for expert home care.
Helping Hands can be trusted to deliver whatever levels of care you need, from companionship up to complex or nursing care, because we understand how best to support people at home. This is because we’ve been doing only that since we were founded in 1989, and we have grown steadily ever since to encompass around 150 local branches across England and Wales.
We were founded as a family company and, despite our development, we’ve never lost the values that we’ve always maintained – ensuring that we deliver the highest levels of care to every one of our customers, every single day.
How to arrange an elderly sitter
We aim to make it easy to arrange the support you want so that we can focus on what really matters: your care needs. Speak to our team today to begin your journey.
Speak to our team
Our friendly, knowledgeable team can answer your questions and talk you through your options. We are available 7 days a week.
Book a free care assessment
Your local Helping Hands care manager will visit you to understand your needs and preferences and discuss how we can help. We can visit you at home, in hospital or even a care home to carry out the care assessment.
Confirm your care package
We create a tailored care plan for you to review. Once you’ve agreed the plan, we can organise care in as little as 24 hours.
A fully regulated home care provider
Here at Helping Hands, our service is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
This means we need to consistently meet high standards and are monitored by our regulators.

