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Helping Companions is an international community of clients and companions who want to connect and spend meaningful time together through conversation, shared interests and everyday social activities. Clients receive companionship; companions provide it. We vet both clients and companions through profile review and an individual video interview to assess community fit before an introduction. We provide companionship only, with no medical services.

It is for older adults who would enjoy more social connection, whether they live alone, with family or in a residence. You do not have to feel lonely all the time. The arrangement must fit a companionship-only role; any medical or personal-care needs must be met separately.

No. Helping Companions arranges friendly, non-romantic companionship. Visits are about connection, conversation and enjoyable time together.

Talk over tea, read, play cards or chess, do puzzles, garden, enjoy music, make family photo albums, cook a favourite recipe together or take a social outing. Choose activities that both people are comfortable with and can participate in safely. Companionship does not include hands-on care or clinical supervision.

Helping Companions is an international companionship service. In-person visits depend on your location and the availability of a suitable companion. Include your location in the request form so we can discuss local options or video companionship. Submitting a request does not guarantee a local match.

Yes. Visits can be in person, by video or a combination, depending on the arrangement. Tell us your preference and whether you would like someone you trust to help with the first call.

No. Helping Companions provides no medical services at all. Companions do not assess symptoms, diagnose, treat, provide nursing care, monitor health conditions or offer medical advice. They are not engaged or trained by Helping Companions to perform medical duties. Medical needs belong with qualified healthcare providers.

No. Medication reminders, administration, dosage decisions, pill sorting and medication management are outside our service. Arrange all medication-related support separately with an appropriate qualified provider.

No. We do not provide bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding assistance, lifting, transfers or other hands-on personal care. A social walk or shared meal must not depend on the companion providing physical care. Arrange that support with a suitable personal-care provider.

Our companions are not trained to assess or manage medical situations. If a medical problem or suspected medical emergency arises during a visit, the companion calls 911 (or the local emergency number) immediately and follows the dispatcher’s instructions. Contacting family or Helping Companions must not delay the call. Our website and forms are not emergency services.

A diagnosis does not turn companionship into care. Discuss the requested social activities and practical boundaries with us before arranging a visit. We do not offer dementia care, wandering supervision, medical monitoring or a substitute for required professional care. If a person needs those services to be safe, companionship alone is not suitable.

Tell Helping Companions when the arrangement no longer fits companionship only. Companions must not take on medical or personal-care duties. Qualified home-care and healthcare companies offer those services separately. A routine need for professional care should be arranged with those providers; a medical problem during a visit follows our immediate call to 911 or the local emergency number.

The current options are Comfort Check-in (20 minutes), Meaningful Connection (3 hours), and Extended Companionship (hourly, with a minimum of 3 hours). A Comfort Check-in is a social visit, not a health assessment. Discuss the timing and purpose of your visit before confirming an arrangement.

No. Companionship is available from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. All visits must end by 9 p.m. We do not offer overnight companionship.

Yes. An evening visit can start at 6 p.m. and must finish by 9 p.m. Every visit must take place within our companionship hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., subject to a suitable match and availability.

You can share your preferred days, times and frequency in the form, including evenings and weekends, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. All visits must end by 9 p.m. Regular visits depend on a compatible companion’s availability. We cannot guarantee a particular schedule or an immediate start.

All visits are paid by credit card. You can pay for a one-time visit or buy blocks of time at a discounted rate. We explain the applicable rates before you confirm. For your first visit, we pre-authorize your card but only take payment once you are satisfied with that visit. Companions do not handle your money or payment cards.

Tell Helping Companions and your companion as early as possible. Ask for the cancellation, rescheduling and payment terms that apply to your arrangement before you confirm it. Do not assume that every change is free or that a replacement visit or companion is guaranteed.

Complete an intake form, then meet us individually by video. We compare interests, language, personality, location, availability and screening preferences before suggesting an introduction. Both people decide whether they want to continue. An application is not a guaranteed match.

Yes. A family member or trusted person can help complete the form or submit it on someone’s behalf with their involvement and permission. Tell us who is submitting it. A trusted person can also join the in-person or video introduction.

Yes. Every client and companion is vetted for fit with our community through profile review and an individual video interview before an introduction. We discuss interests, expectations, availability and respect for boundaries. Applying does not guarantee acceptance or a match. This community-fit review is separate from a police or background check. Check requirements vary by country; companions tell us their status and clients can state their preferences. Ask what checks have been completed for a particular match. Vetting is not a guarantee of safety or compatibility.

Yes. The forms ask about languages, interests and optional preferences that may help someone feel comfortable. We consider these alongside practical availability and personality, without promising that every preference can be met.

If any visit does not meet your expectations, notify Helping Companions within 24 hours of the visit. We will make it right, and you will not be charged for that visit. Tell us what did not work so we can discuss next steps. Neither person should feel pressured to continue an uncomfortable arrangement; a different match depends on availability. For an immediate emergency, call 911 or the local emergency number rather than waiting for a website response.

Our authorized team reviews your location, interests and availability to consider a match. When a profile-sharing link is enabled, anyone holding the link can see the profile introduction and media; recipients can forward it. Private contact fields and the full intake form are not displayed on the shared profile. See Privacy & your information for details and to request access, corrections, deletion or an end to sharing. Avoid putting medical or financial information in your profile.

No. Companions never use their own vehicles to transport clients. For an outing, we arrange public transit, a taxi or a ride service such as Uber instead, with the arrangements and costs agreed in advance. Clients or their families pay for fares and other outing expenses directly. Companions do not handle clients’ money, cash, payment cards, banking, PINs, account access, loans or financial decisions.

Sharing a recipe, preparing food together or tidying up after a shared activity can be part of social time when agreed. We are not a housekeeping, meal-service or personal-care provider. Do not rely on a companion for feeding assistance, a prescribed diet or essential daily care.

Yes. Both intake forms offer a guest option or the option to create an account. Choose the one you prefer. An account lets you return to your profile; it is not required to submit the initial request.

Use the Become a companion form to share your interests, experience, languages and availability. We review the application and meet you by video before considering an introduction. Reliability, patience and respect for boundaries matter. Applying does not guarantee paid work, a match or a set number of hours.

Companions are engaged for a social role, not as healthcare professionals. Do not assume medical qualifications, first-aid certification or a particular insurance policy from a profile or an interview. Ask Helping Companions to clarify any coverage or qualifications relevant to your arrangement before proceeding. A companion’s background does not expand our non-medical service.

Discuss activities, location, timing, rates, payment and cancellation terms, accessibility, transport, household expectations and who to contact with concerns. Confirm a start time no earlier than 6 a.m. and an end time no later than 9 p.m.; overnight companionship is not offered. Confirm that medical and personal-care needs are handled separately. Use the notes field in your intake form for questions you want to discuss with us.