When a parent begins spending their days alone, the quiet withdrawal is gradual — and easy to miss. Rundil Companions provides trusted, consistent social and emotional companionship service and digital support for elderly at home: real conversation, shared walks, cognitive engagement, and the steady presence that restores connection.
4.9 Rating from CHF 42 + VAT
✔ Same companion, every visit | ✔ Non-medical — social & emotional | ✔ First visit free | ✔ CHF 55/hr recurring
“My parent is fine physically. But I can see them disappearing.”
This is how most families describe the moment they start looking for support. Not a medical crisis. Not a fall. A gradual withdrawal — fewer phone calls, less interest in food, the same chair, the same television, day after day.
Social isolation among older adults is not simply an emotional inconvenience. Research consistently links loneliness to accelerated cognitive decline, depression, cardiovascular risk, and shorter life expectancy. Elderly loneliness support in Zurich and Zug is rarely considered until withdrawal has already become a pattern.
Rundil Companions exists specifically for this gap. Not nursing. Not housekeeping. A trusted, consistent companion who arrives on the same day every week, knows your parent by name, and genuinely looks forward to seeing them.
Social isolation, elderly withdrawal, and reduced social contact in German-speaking Switzerland are growing and underaddressed issues, rising steeply with age and with living alone.
Social isolation is linked to a 50% increased risk of dementia in older adults, according to CDC research.
University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Ageing, 2023: 34% of adults 50–80 felt a lack of regular companionship.
Rising sharply with age and isolation at home. Source: Pro Senectute Switzerland Age Monitor.
What this service actually is
Social and emotional companionship is a dedicated service within Rundil Companions. It is not a general care package. It is one thing, done with consistency and genuine investment: a trusted companion who becomes a meaningful, expected presence in your parent’s week. Families exploring broader non-medical support options can also learn more about senior companionship in Switzerland and how regular visits help older adults stay connected at home.
The service is entirely non-medical. No nursing, no medication management, no clinical assessment. The companion’s role is relational — conversation, shared activity, cognitive engagement, and the kind of presence that makes a Tuesday feel different from a Monday.
Social and emotional companionship for elderly is a non-medical, relationship-based service in which a trained, vetted, fully employed companion visits an older adult at home on a regular schedule. The companion’s purpose is to provide genuine social interaction, cognitive stimulation, emotional presence, and structured routine — restoring connection and a sense of being known. It combines conversation, shared activity, and cognitive stimulation elderly people need that is social rather than clinical. For families who also need practical support outside the home, errand accompaniment for elderly is a complementary non-medical service that can help with regular outings and everyday tasks. It is distinct from nursing care (Spitex), domestic help, and platform-matched caregiving.
Not task-completion dressed as conversation. Your companion listens, remembers, and engages with your parent as an individual — their history, opinions, humour, and daily life. This is the foundation of everything else.
Accompanied walks in familiar parks, along the lake, through local streets. Seasonal outings. The physical act of leaving the house — which many older adults stop doing when alone — restores energy and orientation.
Puzzles, card games, reading together, reminiscence conversations, music, crosswords. Cognitive stimulation for elderly at home in Zurich is one of the most overlooked elements of social companionship — stimulating and sociable, not clinical.
Eating alone at a table is one of the most quietly damaging daily experiences for older adults. A companion who prepares a simple meal and sits with your parent changes that experience entirely — for both of them.
The same companion on the same day each week. Regular companion visits for older adults restore a sense of purpose and forward-looking rhythm that living alone quietly erodes.
Help with video calls, smartphones, tablets, and email. Staying connected to family, news, and the world beyond the front door is part of remaining socially alive.
Why the same companion every visit matters
Trust between an older adult and a companion cannot be created in one visit. It accumulates — through shared jokes, remembered preferences, and the small rituals that form between two people who see each other regularly.
This is why Rundil Companions guarantees the same companion at every visit. Not a rota. Not whoever is available. One person, your person, every time. Regular companion visits for older adults in Zurich and Zug are only effective when the same individual arrives — familiarity is the mechanism, not an incidental benefit. A known substitute is introduced in advance for planned absences.
This single commitment is what separates Rundil from matching platforms, volunteer services, and general care agencies. It is only possible because Rundil directly employs all companions.
Older adults — particularly those resistant to help — open up only after several consistent visits. The first few are about presence, not activity.
Knowing that Wednesday means a walk with someone who knows them is itself mood-improving. The visit matters before it happens.
Families consistently report that within four to six weeks, their parent refers to the companion by name — not as ‘the person who visits.’
Conversation and stimulation once a month has minimal impact. Weekly or bi-weekly visits create sustained cognitive and emotional engagement.
Families who recognised the right moment
The moment families act is rarely a crisis. It is usually a pattern — dinners alone, shorter phone calls, a parent who says ‘I’m fine’ but sounds smaller than before. These scenarios reflect families in Zurich and Zug who acted on that recognition.
Elisabeth, 82 — living alone after her husband’s death
Elisabeth had always been independent. After her husband passed, her daughter in London noticed the phone calls becoming shorter and less frequent. Elisabeth insisted she was managing. She was — practically. But the evenings were very long. Her companion began with afternoon walks along the lake. By the fourth visit, Elisabeth was calling her daughter not to report problems, but to describe what they’d talked about.
“I didn’t realise how much she needed someone to talk to. Not someone to help her. Just someone to talk to.” — Elisabeth’s daughter
Rudolf, 77 — retired engineer, resistant to any support
Rudolf’s son arranged the introductory visit without telling his father it was a ‘companion service.’ He introduced it as meeting someone who shared his interest in engineering and local history. It worked. Rudolf dismissed the first visit as pleasant but unnecessary. He cancelled the second, then reinstated it. By the third month, he was suggesting they visit the local technical museum — an outing he had not made alone in over two years.
“He sounds like himself again. I don’t know how to explain it better than that.” — Rudolf’s son
Margaret, 84 — British, relocated to Zurich with family
Margaret had lived in Zurich for nine years but had no social circle of her own. When her daughter returned to full-time work, Margaret’s days became very empty. Her English-first companion arrived not as a helper but as company. Within six weeks, Margaret had been introduced to a reading group, started making weekly video calls with her grandchildren — coordinated by her companion — and was cooking lunches rather than skipping meals.
“She described the visits as the highlight of her week. That’s when I stopped worrying.” — Margaret’s daughter
Walter, 80 — post-operative, family abroad
Walter needed no nursing care after a minor procedure, but he was alone for six weeks during recovery. His family, based in Germany, could not be present. Occasional visits provided not medical support but social continuity. Someone to eat lunch with, to play cards with, to walk the garden with when energy permitted. His recovery proceeded without the depression that often accompanies isolated convalescence.
“He wasn’t alone when he was at his most vulnerable. That matters more than I can say.” — Walter’s daughter
The moment families stop worrying
It is always the same shift — from watching anxiously to trusting quietly. These are the words families use when they reach that point.
One published rate — no quote required
Every rate is fixed and published. No enquiry calls, no opaque agency fees, no placement charges. All rates exclude Swiss MwSt (VAT) at 8.1%, added at invoice.
| SERVICE TYPE | RATE (EXCL. VAT) |
|---|---|
| Recurring visits — weekly or bi-weekly | CHF 55 / hr |
| Occasional or one-off visits | CHF 68 / hr |
| Recurring — evenings & weekends | CHF 65 / hr |
| Occasional — evenings & weekends | CHF 78 / hr |
| Introductory first visit (30 min) | Free |
Minimum booking: 2 hours per visit on all rates. Flat national pricing — no surcharges between Swiss cantons. Family bundle: 5% off both Companions and Cleaning when booked together.
MONTHLY COST — EXAMPLE CALCULATION
|
Visit frequency
week |
2 visits per |
|---|---|
|
Hours per visit
hours |
2 |
|
Monthly hours
hours |
16 |
|
Rate (recurring)
55 / hr |
CHF |
|
Subtotal (excl. VAT)
880.00 |
CHF |
|
VAT at 8.1%
71.28 |
CHF |
| Monthly total (incl. VAT) | CHF 951.28 |
This is the most common arrangement for families seeking consistent social companionship for elderly. Recurring clients — weekly or bi-weekly — receive the most cost-effective rate and benefit most from the continuity that makes the service effective. For families comparing options, emotional companionship for seniors at home through a recurring arrangement is significantly more impactful than occasional visits.
Rundil Companions is privately funded. Swiss mandatory health insurance does not cover non-medical companionship services. The cognitive stimulation elderly residents receive through regular social visits is well-documented in research but sits outside the insurance-covered care system. Eligible clients may check Ergänzungsleistungen (EL) provisions for supplementary benefit eligibility.
The first visit is always free
30 minutes. No commitment. Your parent meets their companion at home before any decision is made.
Answered directly
These are the questions families in Zurich and Zug most commonly raise when exploring social companionship for elderly parents or seniors living alone. Each answer is written to be used directly — no jargon, no ambiguity.
Social companionship for elderly is a non-medical, relationship-based service focused on social interaction, emotional presence, and cognitive engagement. It is not nursing, not personal care, and not domestic help. Addressing social isolation elderly people experience is the core purpose of this service. Care (Spitex) is medically prescribed and insurance-covered. Companionship is privately funded and socially focused.
Rundil Companions charges CHF 55 per hour (excl. 8.1% VAT) for recurring weekly or bi-weekly visits. A typical arrangement of two two-hour visits per week costs CHF 951.28 per month including VAT. Occasional visits are CHF 68/hr. There is no registration fee, no placement fee, and no hidden charge. The introductory first visit is free.
Yes — guaranteed. Each client is assigned a dedicated companion who attends every visit. A known substitute is introduced in advance for planned absences. You will never receive an unknown person at the door. This is only possible because Rundil employs all companions directly — unlike platforms where continuity depends on freelancer availability.
This is the most common situation families face. Frame the visit as company, not care. Companions are trained to lead with shared interests, not service delivery. One meeting resolves most resistance. We provide families with guidance on how to introduce elderly loneliness support naturally, without it feeling imposed.
English-speaking companions are available as standard in Zurich and Zug — a specific focus given the large international community in both cantons. German and Swiss German companions are available Switzerland-wide. French and Italian are available on request. Language and cultural matching is part of every companion assignment.
Companion assignment typically takes 48–72 hours after enquiry. The free introductory visit can usually be arranged within one week of first contact. Regular visits begin within 10 days in most cases. Faster turnaround may be possible but is never promised in advance.
Yes. There is no long-term contract. Visits can be paused, reduced, or stopped with one month’s notice. Cancellation of individual visits is free up to 48 hours before the scheduled time. If the companion is not the right fit for your parent, Rundil will reassign at no cost and with no friction.
Rundil is the employer of all companions. Clients sign a service agreement with Rundil — not an employment contract with the companion. Rundil holds full liability insurance, UVG accident cover, and all social security contributions. Your family has zero employer obligation. This is a key differentiator from matching platforms where families unknowingly take on legal employer status.
One visit is usually enough to know — that is why the first is free
Emotional companionship for seniors at home works precisely because it begins with a meeting — not a contract. Your parent meets their companion at home, for thirty minutes, with no commitment required. In our experience, that first meeting is where hesitation ends on both sides. There is nothing to sign and nothing to lose.
E-Mail : info@rundil.com
✔ No long-term commitment ✔ First visit free ✔ Same companion every visit ✔ CHF 55/hr ✔ Non-medical service
