How can I work with seniors?

 

We know that a lot of our users would not only like to work with children but also assist seniors in their everyday life. Some of them are qualified nurses, others just want to travel and make the world a bit better with giving a helping help to someone who really needs it. And let us tell you: we hear you! This is why we introduce our new program, the Live-in help.

What is the difference between a Live-in help and a Senior Caregiver you might ask. Well, a Senior Caregiver is recognized as an employee with all rights but also with all duties. For many, it’s hard to find a job since the position requires a work permit and you need to pay taxes and so on. For a lot of people, this whole procedure is just too difficult and hard to manage. Sometimes the embassies reject you or the requirements for your country are not clear. It’s easy to give up quickly when it’s all too difficult to manage.

 

But here comes the solution: with the Homeshare/Live-in help program you won’t need a work permit! You will be recognized as a volunteer who comes to the country either without a visa (if you don’t need it) or with a tourist visa (watch the duration of the tourist visa, in most cases it’s up to three month but may vary in different countries). This means that you can just live with a senior, and enjoy your free time when not helping him or her in daily tasks. 

 

You’re wondering how much you need to assist? In most cases, this depend on the living space the host can offer you. So, if your room is 15m², the senior can require you to help him or her for 15 hours per month. Easy, right?

Pro: it’s easy to manage. A lot of seniors (or rather their children who have own families) are looking for a flexible solution. They might not even require five hours per week so you will have a whole lot of free time which is great to travel the country or look for a job while you’re there. Moreover you can meet a nice senior who can maybe teach you life lessons that no one in your age group ever even heard of. The best thing is that it’s super flexible. Everything is based upon agreement. 

Con: at the moment the program is only known in Germany. It’s often referred to as “live for help”. This also means that the tax situation is not super clear yet. As you’re not receiving any salary, you won’t be paying income tax but it could be that the host has to register you and to pay taxes for renting a room. And that leads us to the next point: the program is a volunteering project. So, usually you won’t get any payment from the host.

 

In the end, you need to have a look at your situation and decide if this program is right for you. You’re young and want to travel the world without paying too much for hotels or rent? You’re sociable and enjoy the company of someone who you can even help? Then the Live-in help program is ideal for you!

 

If you want to earn money while being abroad, are not afraid of doing some paperwork and are eager to work at least part to full time, then you should rather head into the Senior Caregiver direction. 

 

In any case, you can find more information in our Au Pair Wiki. Just click here to find more details about the Live-in help program and here to learn more about working as a Senior Caregiver. We hope that you find the best option for you!