Free Caregiver Matching Service in Philadelphia

This page walks through the short care form, what you receive in 48 hours, and how you stay in control of who comes into the home. It is written for relatives arranging in-home dementia care in Philadelphia, not as medical advice.

How the Free 48-Hour Matching Service Works

Philadelphia families complete a short care form, receive 3 to 5 video profiles of caregivers screened for dementia care experience within 48 hours, and watch each caregiver's video interview before deciding whom to meet. Matching itself does not have a fee. You decide whether a meeting happens at all.

The sequence is meant to be fast enough for a household that cannot spend weeks on phone tag, and visual enough that siblings can review the same interviews. Nothing about this process replaces a physician, a memory clinic, or the questions you should ask any caregiver or agency on your own.

Submit a Short Care Form

You start matching by filling out a short care form that describes who needs help, where they live in Philadelphia, and what a typical day looks like. The form is built to be finished quickly, even when you are already managing appointments, work, and family calls.

Include the kind of help you want, preferred days and hours, language or cultural notes, pets, stairs, and whether one person or several relatives will review profiles. A clear snapshot of the household makes it easier to send 3 to 5 profiles that actually fit, instead of a long list of people you would never invite over.

Caregivers Screened for Dementia Care Experience

Caregivers whose profiles we send have been screened for dementia care experience. That screen is how we choose who appears in your set of video profiles. It is not a substitute for your own judgment after you watch the interviews.

We describe our caregivers only this way: they are screened for dementia care experience, you receive 3 to 5 video profiles within 48 hours, and you watch each caregiver's video interview before deciding whom to meet. When you talk with any caregiver or home-care agency, you can still ask about background checks, licensing, and training. Those questions are ordinary due diligence for any hire, and you should ask them yourself.

3 to 5 Video Profiles Sent Within 48 Hours

You receive 3 to 5 caregiver video profiles within 48 hours of submitting the form. Each profile includes a video interview so you can see how the person speaks, not only a written bio.

A small set is intentional. Three to five people is enough to compare communication style, availability, and comfort with memory loss, without flooding a tired family. You can share the same videos with a brother, sister, or spouse, then agree on whom, if anyone, to meet.

Watch Each Caregiver's Video Interview Before You Meet

Families watch each caregiver's video interview before deciding whom to meet. The video interview is the proof. You hear the caregiver talk about dementia care experience, notice tone and pacing, and decide whether that person would put your parent or partner at ease.

Only after those interviews do you choose a meeting. You are not obligated to meet every person in the set, and you are not obligated to hire anyone. If the first batch is not the right fit, say so. The point of matching is a shortlist you can actually evaluate, not a pressure to say yes.

Why Philadelphia Families Seek In-Home Support

Philadelphia has 227,129 residents aged 65 and over, including 25,511 aged 85 and over, and 80,889 senior households where someone 65 or older lives alone, according to U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates. The city's median household income is $60,698.

Dementia can affect memory, thinking, and the ability to carry out everyday activities, as explained in the CDC overview of dementia. Those changes often show up first at home: missed bills, uneaten meals, confusion at night, or a spouse who is exhausted from providing all of the help.

Long-term care includes services that help people with health or personal needs over an extended period, which the National Institute on Aging describes as long-term care. Many Philadelphia households look for that help in the house they already live in, especially when an older relative lives alone or a family caregiver still works.

Match the Right Type of In-Home Care

Matching can connect Philadelphia families with companion visits, personal care, live-in coverage, respite, memory-focused help at home, or support after a hospital stay, depending on what the household actually needs. You still watch each caregiver's video interview before deciding whom to meet for any of these arrangements.

• Daytime presence, meals, conversation, and a steadier routine through companion care.
• Hands-on help with bathing, dressing, toileting, and mobility through personal care.
• Overnight or around-the-clock coverage through 24-hour live-in care when someone cannot be left alone safely.
• A short-term break for a spouse or adult child through respite care.
• Home-based support focused on memory loss through memory care at home.
• Extra help in the first days back from a hospital stay through hospital discharge care.

Tell the form which of these you think you need. If you are unsure, describe a recent hard day. The profiles you receive should reflect that picture, not a generic shift that ignores wandering, sundowning, or a two-story rowhouse.

Local Organizations Families Often Contact

Philadelphia families often add education, benefits research, and professional advice from groups that are separate from this matching service. Listing a resource is not a claim that the group endorses matching, and none of the organizations below should be treated as a referral partner unless they tell you that themselves.

Families supporting someone with Alzheimer's disease can find local education and support through the Alzheimer's Association Delaware Valley Chapter. For payment questions, the National Institute on Aging guide to paying for long-term care outlines common ways households cover help over time. Medicare describes its rules for home health services coverage on Medicare.gov. Those Medicare rules are not the same as private-duty companion or live-in help, so read them on the source page rather than assuming a home-health benefit will replace a caregiver you hire.

Pennsylvania Medicaid long-term services are described on the state's Community HealthChoices page. Confirm current eligibility, costs, and covered services with the office that administers the program. Veterans and surviving spouses can review VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits on VA.gov.

If you need legal or care-planning help, look for an elder law attorney or a geriatric care manager. Directories such as the NAELA find a lawyer tool and the Aging Life Care Association expert directory can help you locate that kind of professional. For medical follow-up, ask the clinicians already involved in your relative's care, or look for a memory clinic, neurologist, or geriatric specialist. Do not treat any hospital, clinic, or specialist as an endorser of this service.

Start Matching in Philadelphia

To start, submit the short care form. You should receive 3 to 5 video profiles of caregivers screened for dementia care experience within 48 hours. Watch each caregiver's video interview before deciding whom to meet. The video interview is the proof you use to choose a first meeting, or to decide that you need a different set of profiles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the free caregiver matching service work in Philadelphia?

You complete a short care form about the person who needs help and the schedule you want. Caregivers are screened for dementia care experience. You then receive 3 to 5 video profiles within 48 hours and watch each caregiver's video interview before deciding whom to meet.

Is caregiver matching free for families in Philadelphia?

Yes. Matching is free. You are not charged to submit the form, to receive profiles, or to watch the video interviews. Hiring a caregiver for ongoing hours is a separate decision you make after you have watched the interviews and chosen whom to meet.

Can matching help if my parent lives alone in Philadelphia?

Yes. Philadelphia has 80,889 senior households where someone 65 or older lives alone, according to U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates. Living alone does not mean a person has dementia, but many families in that situation want another trusted adult in the house for meals, medication reminders they already use, or simply not spending every hour without company. Describe the empty stretches of the day on the care form so the profiles you receive match those hours.

What if we need overnight or live-in help instead of a few visits a week?

Say so on the form. Families who cannot leave someone unattended often look at 24-hour live-in care or overnight coverage, and they still watch each caregiver's video interview before deciding whom to meet. If you only need a few hours of company, start with companion or personal care and change the request if needs grow.

Does this service diagnose dementia or replace a memory clinic?

No. Matching is a way to review caregivers, not a medical evaluation. Dementia is a condition that can affect memory, thinking, and daily function, which you can read about in the CDC overview of dementia. Questions about diagnosis, medication, or treatment belong with a qualified clinician, such as a neurologist, geriatrician, or memory clinic your family already trusts.