Lucas & Friends — Companionship for a life well lived

Who this is for

It usually starts with one of these.

She has stopped going out.
He is eating whatever is nearest, and not much of it.
Nobody has opened the post in a fortnight.
You live four hours away, or four thousand miles, and you are worried about them.
You ring every evening, and you can hear that the day has been empty.

You manage perfectly well on your own. You would just, perhaps, enjoy a bit more company.
The house has been quieter than you would like.
Friends have moved away, or are no longer here.
You would still go to a gallery or the seaside, if somebody came too.
You would like to talk to someone who is not a family member.
You are healthy, independent, and you do not need looking after.

One Tuesday afternoon

What three hours looks like

2.00Arrive. Kettle on. The post from the hall table, opened and read together.
2.35Down to the corner shop for bread, milk and the paper. Slowly, with an arm.
3.15Tea in the garden while it is warm. The bird feeder gets topped up.
3.50The crossword. Four across has been unsolved since Sunday.
4.30Supper laid out for later. Curtains, lamps, the news on.
5.00Leave. A note goes to her daughter, who is seven hours ahead.

Three hours. Nobody was washed, dressed or nursed. Simply quality time together, and company at the dining table.

Said plainly, because it matters

What a companion does, and does not do.

What a companion does

Company at home: conversation, tea, cards, music, photographs, letters.
Out and about: shops, market, hairdresser, church, restaurants, parks, galleries.
Appointments: to the GP, dentist or optician and safely home, with a written note of what was said.
Practical things: the shopping list, the post, the forms, the phone that has stopped working.
Meals prepared and, better still, eaten together.
Gentle reminders about medication, and a word to you if something is being missed.
Travel together, including trips to visit a family member living abroad.

What a companion does not do

Personal care: washing, bathing, dressing, toileting. We are not registered for it.
Nursing: wounds, injections, or administering medicines.
Cleaning as a service. We tidy as any guest would.
Money: no bank cards, no PINs, no wills. Shopping is done on receipts, reconciled with you.

If your mother or father comes to need hands-on care, we will tell you plainly and help you find a registered care provider. Our focus is their wellbeing and safety.

You decide, we come along

A few of the afternoons people ask for.

It does not need to be anything in particular. Some of the best afternoons are spent at the kitchen table, and that is a perfectly good use of two hours.

Who we are

It started with a therapist who lives a long way from her grandparents.

Lucas & Friends is led by an integrative therapist who has lived in London for about seven years. She grew up close to her grandparents, and has spent those years a long way from them.

In the therapy room, the same thing comes up again and again, in different words each time: how lonely growing older can be. Not illness, not incapacity. The quiet of a day with nobody in it. That is where this began.

It is also why the first families will be looked after by her personally, and why every companion is interviewed and trained by her.

How it begins

A quick video chat before our first house visit. Let’s confirm we have what you need.

FIRST

A video meeting

Twenty minutes, no cost. You tell us about yourself, or about your family member, your expectations and what you need, so we can confirm we are a good fit.

THEN

A visit to the house

An hour, free of charge, with your parent present. They are the one who has to want this.

AND THEN

We start

We aim to start within a week of a first enquiry. Once you are registered with us, we aim to arrange requests within 24 hours, subject to availability. Regular clients receive a discount and priority in the diary.

Nights

So the house is not empty.

For the ten days you are abroad. Or simply because they would feel more confident knowing someone kind is in the bedroom next door.

Nights are companionship and reassurance. They are not nursing cover; they are peace of mind that everything is fine, for someone who loves their house and prefers to stay there.

Night companion, 10pm to 7am Sleeping, with a bed provided	£190
Waking night, awake throughout	£350

Different hours can be arranged.

What it costs

No joining fee, no contract, no notice period.

Billed monthly in arrears. Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice are charged at half. Outings are charged at 45p a mile if we drive; tickets, lunches and coffees are your own.

Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and may be put towards these visits. We are happy to explain how, at no charge, whether or not you use us.

Weekdays, 8am to 8pm Minimum two hours	£32 / hour
Evenings and weekends	£36 / hour
Half day, four hours	£120
Full day, eight hours	£232
Bank holidays	£42 / hour

Questions people ask first

Before you get in touch.

Are you a care agency?

No. We provide companionship and social support only. Because we do not provide personal care, we are not required to register with the Care Quality Commission for the services described here. If hands-on care is what is needed, we will say so and point you to a registered care provider.

Will it be the same person each week?

We intend to be as consistent as possible, though for last-minute requests we cannot guarantee the same companion. Likewise, if after a few visits you would like to try somebody else, we are happy to arrange it. What we can assure you is that you will know who is coming beforehand. No strangers knocking at your door.

My mother says she does not want anybody. What then?

That is absolutely normal, and we understand their resistance. Let us try small steps. We come for an hour, or even half an hour, free of charge, so she can feel more confident with us. If she does not want us afterwards, we will respect her choice, and we are here in case she changes her mind.

What areas do you cover?

Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill, Blackheath, Greenwich, Dulwich, Chislehurst, Bromley, Beckenham and the surrounding postcodes. Other areas, or outside London, by arrangement for half or full days.

How quickly can somebody start?

Usually within a week of the home visit. Nights and hospital discharges are often quicker; let us know if it is urgent and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Are your companions checked?

Yes. This project is close to our founder’s heart, and she will look after the first families herself. Every companion is interviewed and trained personally by her. All of them have an Enhanced DBS check and are trained in safeguarding and first aid. We carry full public liability and professional indemnity insurance.

We will book your online meeting within two working days.

Leave your details and we will arrange your video call with us, a short conversation at no cost. Nothing is committed at this stage.

We decided to start with a small number of families, so we can tailor our service as well as possible, because we truly care about the people we connect with.

It takes about a minute to tell us a little about who you are enquiring for.

We will use your details only to contact you about this enquiry. We do not share them with anybody, and you can ask us to delete them at any time. Or message us on WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday, nine until six.

Someone to go along with them.