When winter means more time at home, having someone around can make the season feel quite different.
Shorter days and colder weather tend to quietly reduce the everyday encounters many of us take for granted, like a chat with a neighbour or a few words with someone at the shops. When you live alone, those changes can build over the months. You might miss having someone to talk to over supper, or simply feel more settled knowing someone else is home overnight.
Homeshare offers a way to bring companionship for older people, and practical support, into the home, while helping someone else find an affordable place to live.
Someone to share the everyday with
At Two Generations, we match an older person with a spare room, known as a Householder, with a carefully vetted adult looking for affordable accommodation, known as a Sharer.
In exchange for their accommodation, the Sharer offers companionship, an overnight presence and around 10 hours of agreed light practical help each week. That might mean help with shopping, cooking, a lift to an appointment or getting to grips with a phone or computer.
In winter, when you are likely to be spending more evenings indoors, it can be good to have someone to catch up with at the end of the day, whether that’s over a supper you’ve cooked together or a programme you both enjoy. Company becomes part of ordinary life at home rather than something that always has to be arranged.
Both people pay a monthly fee to Two Generations for matching and ongoing support, and our team can talk you through current costs when you get in touch.
Your home, with room for company
Deciding to share your home is a personal choice, and it starts with what you would enjoy and the routines you want to keep. You might like conversation over dinner but value time to yourself during the day, or perhaps a little help with meals would make the week easier.
Your Sharer will have their own interests and commitments too. Expectations are agreed together at the start, so both of you have space for your own lives. We take time to understand what matters to you, because a good match depends on far more than a spare room.
Thinking about a parent or relative this winter?
Perhaps they are going out less, or have mentioned how quiet the evenings feel. Everyday tasks may be getting more tiring, or they might welcome knowing someone else is home overnight. You keep in touch and visit when you can, but with work and distance you cannot always be there.
A good place to start is asking them what would help. Would they enjoy more company, and how would they feel about sharing their home? Their answers should guide what happens next. Exploring Homeshare can be something you look into together, with plenty of time to ask questions before deciding whether it feels right. Our guide on how to spot when an older loved one is becoming isolated, and how to talk to them about it may help with that first conversation.
A careful match, with support along the way
Welcoming someone into your home is a big step, and we’re here to talk it through with you.
Two Generations manages suitability assessments, vetting, matching, written agreements and ongoing support. Every Sharer has an enhanced DBS check, references and an interview. You both meet before anything is agreed, there’s a trial period before the match begins, and we stay in regular contact throughout. You can read more in How safe is Homeshare? A guide to vetting, matching and safeguarding.
Sharers have their own work and studies, so an overnight presence does not mean continuous supervision or on-call night care. Homeshare does not provide personal or medical care, although it can sit alongside existing care and family support where suitable.
Could Homeshare be right for you?
For some people, regular visits and phone calls give them all the connection they want. For others, sharing their home could bring welcome company and a hand with everyday tasks.
If you have a spare room, or are exploring the idea with a relative, we’d be happy to answer your questions. You don’t need to have made a decision before getting in touch, and we can explain how Homeshare works and talk through costs and matching in your area. Our Homeshare FAQs are also a good place to start.
Call us on 03333 44 77 38, email contact@twogenerations.co.uk or visit our Householder page to find out more.
