Caregivers

How to find a caregiver for an elderly or bedridden person

Updated 21 October 2026

First decide what kind of care is needed

A caregiver for a grandmother who lives alone and needs supervision and help around the house is a different person, with different skills, from a caregiver for someone bedridden after a stroke. In the first case what matters is reliability, cooking, shopping and medicines on time. In the second it is turning the patient, skin care, feeding, using diapers and lifting aids.

Describe the person's condition honestly: mobility, whether there is dementia, whether they can walk on their own. If medical help is needed (injections, drips, dressings), write that separately: that is a nurse, and qualifications are the key question. A doctor can tell you what level of help is really needed.

How to search through BlaBlaPrice

You don't browse dozens of profiles. You write one request. Caregivers in your area reply themselves: they tell you about their experience, schedule, what they can do and the pay they expect. The request is checked before it is shown, and you are told which details are missing. Your phone number and address stay hidden until you decide to share your contacts with the person you choose. It is free for the client.

What to put in your request

• Condition — bedridden, walks with support, dementia, after-effects of a stroke.
• Age — for example, 82.
• Schedule — a few hours a day, round the clock, live-in, night shifts, weekends.
• Duties — hygiene, feeding, medicines on time, cooking, cleaning, walks.
• Experience — nursing training, references, experience with bedridden patients.
• Area — city and locality.
• Start and length — from what date and for how long.
• Pay — how much the family can pay per hour, day or month.

Example: “Tampines. I need a caregiver for my mother, 82, bedridden after a stroke. Live-in, 24/7, duties: hygiene, feeding, medicines. Nursing training and references preferred. Starting Monday, first for 2 months, pay up to S$380 a month.”

How to choose among several replies

Don't look at price alone. See what the candidate says about similar cases, and whether she answers your actual request rather than sending a template. Ask for contacts of people she has worked for and phone them. Agree on a trial period so you can see how the person in your care responds.

Settle the terms separately: days off and cover, who provides her meals, where she will sleep if she lives in, and how holidays and night duty are paid. The more specific the terms, the fewer arguments later.

Common mistakes and alternatives

• Not discussing duties: a caregiver and a housemaid are different roles.
• Hiring with no trial period and no check of references.
• Leaving valuables and documents in plain sight.

If care at home is not enough, consider care homes for the elderly. For children there is a nanny. To see how the service works, read How it works.