Care agency offers families chance to ‘matchmake’ their loved one with support worker

A care agency which claims to offer families the chance to match their loved ones with their perfect carer — even down to their hobbies — has been set up in Hong Kong.

Healthy Loved Ones provides an online database for people hunting for a carer, who they hope will best meet their family member’s needs.

Website users can filter their search according to location, experience, types of care services offered, religion, gender and even personal interests.

It also gives both professional and non-professional carers the opportunity to work in the city and set their own pay rates. Non-professionals are required to sign up for the agency’s training programme, with options to pay back the registration fee once they start work.

The agency is the brainchild of Hongkonger Richard Au, who was inspired to offer a bespoke service following years of caring for his autistic son and his 80-year-old mother, who has cancer.

“I am creating a brand new service that people do not even know they need,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in making sure we find the right caregiver for you. We want people to understand that when they go to a person’s house, then the impact can be life-changing. It is about tender loving care. Our business model is open and inclusive; we welcome everyone to use our service and we welcome anyone that wants to become a caregiver.”