Sitters for the elderly, so your parent isn't home alone
A trained caregiver who stays with your mom or dad while you're at work, out for the evening or away for a few days, by the hour or overnight.
What an elderly sitter is for
A sitter for the elderly stays with an older person who shouldn't be left alone, so the rest of the family can be somewhere else. Sitter is the word most families use. What we send is a trained caregiver, employed by us, who keeps your parent company and safe and can help with meals, the bathroom and getting around.
Families call for a sitter in a handful of familiar situations: an adult child who cares for a parent at home but works during the day, a spouse who needs to get to their own doctor, a wedding or a weekend away, or a parent with dementia who has started wandering when no one is watching.
Always Responsive Home Care is a private-pay, non-medical home care agency with offices in New Jersey, Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley and Florida. Our sitters are the same caregivers who give the rest of our care, background-checked, bonded and insured, and they work from a written plan we make with you before the first shift.
What a sitter does while you're out
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Stays close and keeps watch
Knows where your parent is, keeps them away from the stove and the front door if that's a risk, and steadies them when they get up.
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Keeps them company
Conversation, a game of cards, a favorite show, a short walk. Time passes more easily with someone there.
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Meals, snacks and drinks
Heats up or cooks a meal, sits with your parent while they eat, and keeps a drink within reach.
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The bathroom and getting around
Help to the toilet, changing if there's an accident, and a steady arm between rooms.
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Medication reminders on time
Reminders at the right times from a filled pill organizer, so a dose isn't missed while you're away.
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Bedtime and the night
Help getting ready for bed. Booked overnight, the sitter stays awake and helps with whatever the night brings.
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A note for when you get home
What your parent ate, how they slept, and anything that seemed different.
When families book a sitter
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While you're at work
Weekday hours for a parent who lives with you and can't be alone all day.
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For an evening or a weekend away
A wedding, a reunion, a trip. Booked ahead, a sitter can cover the time you're gone. When the family member who usually gives care needs a real break, that's respite care.
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Through the night
For a parent who gets up at night, so the family can sleep. See overnight care.
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After a hospital stay
The first days home, when nobody wants your parent alone yet. See hospital to home care.
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When memory loss makes being alone unsafe
Supervision for someone who might wander or forget the stove. See Alzheimer's and dementia care.
Sitter, companion or respite care
The names overlap, and in practice the same caregiver often does all three. The difference is mostly why you're calling.
| Elderly sitter | Companion care | Respite care | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Someone there so your parent isn't alone | Regular company and outings for someone who's lonely | A break for the family member who usually gives care |
| Typical schedule | Whenever the family is away: workdays, evenings, overnight | Set visits a few times a week | Anything from an afternoon to several days |
| Hands-on help | Yes, as needed | Light help only | Whatever the family caregiver usually does |
Read more about companion care and respite care.
How to book a sitter
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Call with the days and times
A regular weekly schedule or a few dates you need covered. The more notice, the easier it is to send someone your parent already knows.
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We visit before the first shift
We meet your parent, learn the routine and the risks, and write it all down so the sitter knows what to expect.
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We send the same sitter whenever we can
A familiar face makes it easier for your parent to let you go.
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Book more when you need it
Add hours, nights or extra days as plans change, with no long-term contract.
Leaving your parent with someone you can trust
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Our own employees
Every sitter is employed by us, background-checked, bonded and insured.
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Trained caregivers
In New Jersey, hands-on care comes from Certified Homemaker-Home Health Aides, certified by the state Board of Nursing.
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Cover if a sitter is sick
We send someone else who has read the care plan, so your plans don't fall apart.
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No deposit
You pay for the hours that are worked.
What families are saying
The level of communication and professionalism from Always Responsive is outstanding. They keep our family updated, handle schedule changes smoothly, and their caregivers treat my grandmother with such dignity and respect.
Questions about sitters for the elderly
Still have a question? Call us. Someone is here to talk, any time of day.
(609) 208-1111 What is a sitter for the elderly?
A sitter for the elderly is someone who stays with an older person who shouldn't be left alone, while the family is at work, out or away. Through a home care agency like Always Responsive Home Care, the sitter is a trained caregiver who keeps the person safe and company and helps with meals, the bathroom, getting around and medication reminders.
What does an elderly sitter do?
An elderly sitter supervises and keeps an older adult company: watching for falls and wandering, making meals and snacks, helping to the bathroom, giving medication reminders, helping with bedtime and staying through the night if booked. A good sitter also leaves a note for the family about how the time went.
Can a sitter stay overnight with an elderly parent?
Yes. An overnight sitter stays awake through the night to help with trips to the bathroom, settle your parent if they wake up confused, and call for help if something goes wrong, so the rest of the family can sleep or travel.
How much does a sitter for the elderly cost?
Sitters through a home care agency are billed by the hour like other home care. A typical range for a caregiver is $32 to $55 per hour, depending on where you live, because the cost of home care varies from state to state and even town to town, largely with caregiver availability and the local cost of living. Always Responsive Home Care gives you a written quote after a free home visit, with no deposit and no long-term contract.
What is the difference between a sitter and a companion?
A sitter is booked so that an older adult isn't alone while the family is away, and helps with whatever comes up, including the bathroom and meals. A companion visits on a regular schedule mainly for company and outings, for someone who manages their own personal care. With an agency, the same caregiver can often do both.
Does Medicare or insurance pay for an elderly sitter?
Original Medicare doesn't pay for sitter care, because it's non-medical supervision. Long-term care insurance may pay if the policy covers home care and the person qualifies, and some veterans use VA benefits. Most families pay privately. Always Responsive Home Care accepts long-term care insurance and handles the claim paperwork.
Let's talk about care for your family
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