It’s Homeshare Week 2025: 29 September – 5 October
Grace Eyre is using Homeshare Week 2025 to encourage families to explore how Homeshare can support ageing relatives to live well independently, while offering reassurance to loved ones.
For many Generation X adults – juggling careers, raising children, and caring for elderly parents – the pressures of providing care are increasing. Homeshare offers a practical and affordable solution, matching older people who want companionship and light household help with younger adults seeking affordable accommodation.
Why families are feeling the strain
Supporting older relatives has never been more challenging:
- Around 6 million people juggle jobs with unpaid caregiving, and over 40% report poor mental health[i].
- 1.4 million older people in the UK often feel lonely[ii], making it harder for families to balance practical and emotional support.
- Nearly 100,000 adults in England were denied state-funded social care last year due to government cutbacks.
- 131,000 vacancies remain unfilled in the adult social care workforce[iii].
Homeshare is a preventative well-being led service and can be used before someone is eligible for regulated social care to offer peace of mind by offering practical help and companionship, helping older people remain independent and connected whilst sharing their skills with another person, and can also sit alongside traditional domiciliary care. Homeshare also provides opportunity for older people to share their experience and skills with young people in their local community.
What is Homeshare?
Homeshare matches older householders with homesharers, usually younger adults, who provide around 10 hours of support per week. This includes companionship and help with household tasks such as shopping, cleaning, and preparing meals – delaying the need for costly formal care services.
Ewan King, CEO of Shared Lives Plus, said:
“Homeshare is a simple idea with a powerful impact. For older people, it offers companionship, practical support, a chance to share life experience and skills with another person, and the reassurance of having someone they can trust in the home. For the sharers who live with the older person, it offers companionship, a place to live and opportunities to give a little back. For families, it provides peace of mind and helps ease the pressure of balancing work, supporting a loved one, and everyday life. Homeshare Week is an opportunity to celebrate the difference these arrangements make across the country, and to encourage more families to see Homeshare as a safe, affordable, and positive option for their loved ones.”
Arthur’s story
Arthur, in his 90s, lived alone but wanted companionship and help with tasks like gardening and taking out the bins. His daughter, Sarah, who lived in London, found reassurance through Homeshare York, which matched Arthur with Bohdan and later Mandy.
The matching process was careful and supportive – Arthur and Sarah were shown several profiles, and both were involved in choosing who to meet. Bohdan, who had recently completed a placement through the Ukrainian hosting scheme and was looking for affordable accommodation as well as company, moved in first. He and Arthur built a friendship, sharing daily chats and laughter while Bohdan helped with practical tasks around the house and garden. Mandy, who was finishing her studies, visited regularly to get to know Arthur before moving in herself. When she joined the household, Bohdan was offered the opportunity to remain as a lodger. This arrangement worked well, as the house was large and both Mandy and Bohdan had their own space.
Sarah said: “We were thoroughly delighted with our homesharers, who became good friends. They really made all the difference, and we are very grateful.”
The arrangement allowed Arthur to remain independent, enjoy daily companionship, and reassure his family that someone was there to support him.
Homeshare: why families should consider it
- Reassurance and safety – The presence of a homesharer comforts families.
- Practical support – Around 10 hours per week, from shopping to household tasks.
- Companionship – Reduces loneliness and creates a livelier home.
- Affordable housing – Offers younger people a solution in the current rental crisis.
- Family relief – Eases the burden for those balancing multiple responsibilities.
- Skills sharing – opportunity for householders and homesharers to share skills, knowledge and hobbies with one another
The International Day of Older Persons (1 October 2025) and Silver Sunday (5 October 2025) take place during Homeshare Week, both of which encourage older people to build social connections and enjoy community activities. During the week, Homeshare UK will share stories online to show how Homeshare fosters social connection through shared activities – from a cup of tea at home to community outings.
FREE online webinar: Tuesday 30th September 10:30-11:30 am
Homeshare UK and the Homeshare UK network of Homeshare providers would like to invite you to attend a FREE online webinar to celebrate #HomeshareWeek2025 and learn more about Homeshare.
Tuesday 30th September 10:30-11:30am on zoom – register and join on this link here.
Hosted by Homeshare UK, the UK network of local Homeshare providers, the webinar will feature guest speakers Emma Harris from Leeds Homeshare and Audrey Heard from Homeshare West – two members of the Homeshare UK network as well as Professor Anne-Marie Bagnall from Leeds Beckett University.
The webinar will cover:
- How Homeshare works
- Key benefits for all involved
- Safety and reassurance
- Reciprocal relationships
It will also showcase videos of real Homeshare households.
Come along and find out how you, or someone you know could benefit from Homeshare.
Find out more about Homeshare Sussex
Notes:
[i] Learning and Work Institute & Carers UK (2023–2025). Learning and Work Institute (2023). Available at: https://learningandwork.org.uk/news-and-policy/nearly-6-million-people-are-balancing-employment-with-unpaid-care-targeted-support-is-required-to-help-them-pursue-fulfilling-careers-new-research-finds/ and Carers UK (2025), State of Caring: Mental Health and Social Care. Available at: https://www.carersuk.org/media/rjknz2jt/state-of-caring-mental-health-and-social-care-feb-2025.pdf
[ii] Age UK. (2024, December 2). You are not alone in feeling lonely. Retrieved from https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/age-uks-new-report-shows-you-are-not-alone-in-feeling-lonely/
[iii] Skills for Care. (2024). The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2024/25. Retrieved from https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-state-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx