Students to help older people through homeshare scheme

Age UK Oxfordshire is surveying older people in the Oxford area to gather opinions about a homecare scheme which could see older people matched with younger students looking for accommodation.

The intergenerational scheme will identify older people willing to offer their spare room to a younger student in exchange for low levels of help around the home.

Hubert in Oxford has an informal homeshare arrangement. He is a recently widowed octogenarian and his wife’s former carer has become a homesharer, living with Hubert free of charge.

Hubert said: "In exchange for dealing with house-cleaning, laundry and ironing. We share the jobs of shopping and (in theory) cooking. Even if she is away for few days or on night-duty she always ensures that there is abundance of prepared food for me in the fridge!"

Similarly, nursing student Heather, 26, has been living with 92-year-old Marjory, as part of a homeshare programme since 2010.

Heather gives Marjory 10 hours’ help a week, including cooking and light cleaning, in return for free accommodation. Heather said: "You're not family and you're not just a lodger, and I think it can be difficult at first finding out where the lines are drawn and the boundaries are. But not for us – I think it's worked well, we've both got an affection for each other.”

Homesharing is beneficial to both parties. Older people can remain independent in their own homes with the help and companionship that a younger person can bring, and students can find accommodation near their university for little or no rent.

Typical roles carried out by the younger person include cooking, shopping, and simple home repairs, but personal care is not included in the tasks.

Paul Cann, chief executive of Age UK Oxfordshire, described the benefits of homesharing. Mr Cann said: "Homeshare helps an older person who feels less lonely and better able to stay in their own home. It helps a younger person who may be on low income to live and work in the city. It promotes inter-generational understanding. It provides a practical solution to housing problems."

Age UK Oxfordshire is now seeking responses from potential householders to find out if homesharing is appealing to older people.

Elizabeth Mills, honorary director of Homeshare International, said: "Homeshare is an extremely simple concept and often results in lifelong friendships; so many young people today have not had the chance to spend a lot of time with their grandparents’ generation and homeshare offers the opportunity for younger people to help older people, and vice versa."

Age UK Oxfordshire is working with Oxford Brookes University and Oxford City Council to explore the potential for Homeshare in the Oxford area.