Who's nearby is easy. Who's right takes more.
Empatha doesn't just ask "who's available near me?" It asks who's nearby, available, qualified, safe, affordable, and emotionally suitable — then shows its working.
Tell us about the person needing care
Living situation, mobility, daily routine, medical conditions, and — just as important — personality, hobbies and the kind of company they enjoy. The more we know, the better the match.
We apply hard filters first
Any carer outside your location radius, unavailable for your schedule, not offering the required care type, unverified, or missing a mandatory skill (like dementia experience) is removed before scoring even starts. Safety and suitability aren't optional extras.
Remaining carers are scored across 8 factors
Every qualifying carer is scored on expertise, availability, location, personality fit, language, budget, reviews and verification — weighted by what actually predicts a good long-term match.
You see match scores with a plain-English explanation
No black box. Every match tells you exactly why it scored the way it did, so you can make an informed choice — not just a fast one.
You message, shortlist, and book with confidence
Chat with any matched carer before committing, arrange an introductory call, then book — one-off, recurring, overnight, respite or live-in.
What the match score is actually made of
Eight factors, weighted by how much they matter to a good long-term care relationship.
Expertise match
25%
Does this carer have the specific experience your situation needs — dementia, mobility, palliative, or general personal care?
Location & travel distance
20%
How close is the carer, and does the visit fall within their stated travel radius?
Availability match
20%
Can they actually cover the days, times and recurrence you need — not just "in principle" availability.
Companionship & personality fit
15%
Shared interests, conversation style, and temperament — the human factor most platforms ignore entirely.
Language & cultural preferences
5%
Spoken language and, where you choose to share them, cultural or religious preferences.
Budget compatibility
5%
Whether the carer's rate fits comfortably within the budget range you set.
Reviews & reliability
5%
How previous families have rated this carer's reliability, communication and care quality.
Verification status
5%
How complete their verification checklist is — fully verified carers score highest.
Some carers simply won't appear — and that's deliberate
Before any score is calculated, a carer is removed from your results entirely if:
- They're outside your required location radius
- They're unavailable for the schedule you need
- They don't offer the type of care you've requested
- They haven't completed our verification process
- They're missing a mandatory requirement — for example, dementia experience when dementia support is required
- They've been blocked by you or suspended by our admin team
Every match comes with a plain-English explanation
Grace A.
Manchester · 8 years experience
Why Grace matches:
Within 4 miles of the requested location
7 years of dementia care experience
Available Monday to Friday mornings, as requested
Enjoys gardening and conversation — matching your stated companionship preferences
Offers both companionship and personal care
Enhanced DBS check and references fully verified
See your own matches
Create a free care request and get matched with verified carers in your area.