Damini Pal lives in central London for just £150 a month rent – and in exchange for the cheap living costs, she offers her time to help the 90-year-old homeowner.
While Damini and flatmate Niyati enjoy the two-floor split-level home in Belsize Park, north London, they also give a much-needed hand to the property owner, who is living with Alzheimer’s.
The arrangement was made by Share and Care Homeshare, a London-based provider that matches older people who require extra support to live independently, with those looking for affordable housing who can offer practical help.
“I live in Belsize Park. It’s beautiful, spacious and very artistic as the owner used to be an artist,” says Damini, 29.
She is studying postgraduate graphic design at the University of Hertfordshire and her rent, inclusive of bills, is incredibly student-friendly.
She previously lived in London in 2021, but found rents had increased substantially when she returned from India last year. “In one year, there was a big change in rents, so I dug out an email [from Share and Care Homeshare] I’d received in 2021 and applied for a position I’d seen advertised.”
While the homeowner has carers who come in to support him three times a day, both students must provide 15 hours of practical help, support and companionship in exchange for their low rent.
“It usually goes beyond 15 hours,” says Damini, who does not mind this. “We accompany him for lunch and dinner, and cook for him. I take care of all his GP appointments and, if there is an emergency, one of us is always around. One night, he felt sick, and we had to call out the ambulance. We stayed with him in hospital, and I never counted those hours.”
The application process is thorough. All homesharers undergo a stringent vetting process including an enhanced DBS check, which is renewed every three years, plus an ID and credit check. In addition, potential homesharers must provide at least two character and professional references.
“As homesharers do not provide personal or nursing care, there is no CQC [Care Quality Commission] requirement; however reputable organisations like us ensure that homesharers are checked to the same level as CQC-regulated carers,” Caroline Cooke, founder of Share and Care Homeshare
“During the next stage, we undertake very detailed interviews with potential sharers including finding out about their life and background to ensure they are a suitable match for our householders.
“We match people carefully, thinking about culture, language, personal preference, diet, interests, and much more, to ensure a good match.”
Damini was matched with her current householder because of their similar interests in art and India. The final stage was a phone interview with his brother: “I told him everything about me: I don’t smoke and drink and I’m vegetarian. His father was in the military, and the homeowner was born in India, so we had that in common. It went well.”
Damini has her own bedroom and shares a kitchen, living room, two toilets and a bathroom, and she is extremely happy with the set-up.
“It’s a very good environment. Student accommodation I’ve heard is not good. It’s also not very hard on my pocket and it means I’m able to save for a visa, which costs £3,000 to £4,000 to renew, and expenses, and I can travel.
“It’s a very posh area and I would have to pay £1,000 a month for a room like mine, but I am able to save up to £600 to £700 per month while homesharing.”
While there is a financial incentive, Damini enjoys spending time with the householder. “I get on well with him and he loves having people around to chat with…. We celebrated his birthday recently.”
A recent report by Share and Care Homeshare that found 90 per cent of their sharers reported a close relationship and friendship with their householder, with 87 per cent saying it gave them a feelgood factor for helping someone.
Damini pays £150 a month to the company, and the family of the homeowner also pays the company £150 a month. It has around 100 matches at any one time, mostly concentrated in London and south-east England, although there are some set-ups elsewhere.
Life is different to that in typical student accommodation in the UK. “When you’re living with an elderly person, you have to be home early and not out too late. This doesn’t bother me as, in India, we always had a set time when we had to be home. Personally, I prefer not to go out when it’s dark,” Damini says.
While her house involves two sharers and a householder, the arrangement can be one sharer and a householder or one sharer and two householders living as a couple.
The needs of householders differ significantly: many want companionship, others have mobility issues, while some have more complex needs and suffer from dementia and Parkinson’s.
Caroline Cooke is a Dementia Friends Ambassador and runs sessions about how to manage the condition, as well as offering ongoing support for homesharers who are living with someone with the disease.
“I’ve never dealt with anyone with dementia before. It was a new experience. He forgets everything every 10 minutes and you have to be patient. You have to be mentally prepared for this. You have to be very sensitive too,” says Damini.
The householder’s family have noticed a positive change. His brother, who wished to keep the identity of the homeowner and himself anonymous, said: “My brother is so different since Damini and Niyati moved in – his quality of life has improved.
“The sharers are really lovely and they understand my brother’s circumstances – we are lucky to have them. They keep me informed on how my brother is, and, as well as providing companionship, they always act in my brother’s best interests.”