As joint families become smaller and more people work full-time or live abroad, many households in Kathmandu are thinking seriously about how to support an aging parent or relative at home. This guide walks through what elderly care actually involves, the different types of support available, and how to evaluate a care provider before you hire one.
What Is Old Age Care?
Old age care is support provided to an elderly person so they can continue living safely and comfortably, usually at home, with help with daily activities, companionship, and monitoring. It ranges from light companionship for an independent senior to full supervision for someone living with a condition like dementia.
In practice, elderly care is not one fixed service — it is a spectrum. Some families need a companion for a few hours a day. Others need round-the-clock support for a bedridden parent. Understanding where your situation sits on that spectrum is the first step.
Why Do Older Adults Need Care and Support?
As people age, everyday tasks that once felt effortless — walking safely, remembering medication times, eating regular meals, maintaining hygiene — can become harder to manage alone. This isn’t necessarily about illness; it’s often simply about needing a reliable second pair of hands and someone present for company and safety. Families in Kathmandu commonly consider support when an elderly parent lives alone, when family members are working long hours, or when a parent’s mobility or memory has started to decline.
What Does Elderly Care Usually Involve?
Across the elderly care industry generally, support can include personal care, household help, mobility assistance, companionship, and in some cases medical or nursing support. It’s important to note that not every provider offers every type of support, and some categories — like nursing care or medical treatment — require licensed medical professionals rather than general caregivers.
What Namaste Nepal actually provides: companionship support, feeding assistance, medicine reminders, hygiene assistance, mobility support, diaper assistance, and patient supervision, organized under four service categories. Caregivers are trained, experienced, verified, and certified for elderly care — but they do not perform medical treatment, diagnosis, or nursing procedures.
Types of Old Age Care Support
Basic Elderly Care — Companionship and Daily Support
Suited to seniors who are largely independent but benefit from company, a medicine reminder, and help walking around the home. This is often the right starting point for families who mainly want peace of mind and someone present during the day.
Senior Citizen Care — Feeding, Hygiene, and Mobility
A step up for elderly individuals who need more hands-on help — support with feeding, hygiene, and getting around safely.
Bedridden Patient Care
For patients who cannot move independently, this includes diaper support, sponge baths, lifting assistance, and ongoing monitoring throughout the day.
Dementia / Alzheimer’s Care
Focused on full supervision, emotional support, and safety monitoring for elderly individuals living with memory-related conditions, where consistent presence and patience matter as much as physical assistance.
Household Assistance — What’s Included and What Isn’t
It’s worth knowing that most dedicated elderly care services, including Namaste Nepal’s, keep caregiver duties focused strictly on the person being cared for. General house cleaning, laundry for the whole family, or cooking for everyone in the household typically falls outside the scope of an elderly care arrangement and would need to be arranged as a separate service, such as a maid or housekeeping service.
Medication-Related Support
Caregivers can provide medicine reminders — prompting the patient at the right time — but this is not the same as medical administration, prescribing, or nursing. Families needing clinical medical care should involve a doctor or licensed nurse.
How to Choose an Old Age Care Service in Kathmandu
- Check whether caregivers are trained, verified, and certified.
- Ask exactly which duties are included in each care category.
- Confirm the monthly rate and whether it changes with working hours.
- Ask about the booking fee and whether it is refundable.
- Find out if a trial period is offered before you commit long-term.
- Understand the replacement policy if the arrangement isn’t a good fit.
- Clarify the leave policy and how additional hours are handled.
- Confirm what happens in a medical emergency.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Elderly Caregiver
- What exactly does this care category include, and what is excluded?
- What are the working hours, and how is overtime handled?
- Is there a trial period, and what happens if we’re not satisfied?
- How many replacements are allowed, and how much notice is required?
- What is the leave policy for the caregiver?
- How is the monthly salary paid, and when is it due?
- Is the booking fee refundable under any circumstances?
- Who do we contact in a medical emergency?
Home-Based Elderly Care vs Other Care Options
Home-based elderly care allows an elderly parent to remain in a familiar environment, surrounded by family and routine, while a trained caregiver provides daily support. This is different from residential care facilities, which centralize care but require the person to relocate. Neither option is inherently better — the right choice depends on the level of medical need, family availability, and the elderly person’s own preference. Many families in Kathmandu prefer home-based care specifically because it keeps the elderly person within their own household and community.
What Families Should Discuss Before Starting Care
Before signing a service agreement, it helps to have a clear conversation — either within the family or with the provider — covering:
- Exact duties the caregiver will and will not perform
- Working hours and how flexibility is handled
- Leave entitlement — Namaste Nepal provides one weekly leave unless otherwise agreed
- Payment timing — the client pays the monthly salary directly to the Company at the end of each month
- Replacement and notice requirements
- Confidentiality expectations around household matters
- What counts as an emergency and how it will be communicated
Elderly Care in Kathmandu — What Does It Cost?
Costs vary by care category and daily working hours. Below are Namaste Nepal’s official monthly rates for reference — these are not generic industry estimates.
| S.N | Service Type | Duties Included | Working Hours | Monthly Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic Elderly Care | Companionship, medicine reminder, walking assistance | 8 Hours | Rs 24,000 |
| 2 | Basic Elderly Care | Companionship, medicine reminder, walking assistance | 10 Hours | Rs 26,000 |
| 3 | Basic Elderly Care | Companionship, medicine reminder, walking assistance | 12 Hours | Rs 28,000 |
| 4 | Senior Citizen Care | Feeding support, hygiene support, mobility assistance | 8 Hours | Rs 25,000 |
| 5 | Senior Citizen Care | Feeding support, hygiene support, mobility assistance | 10 Hours | Rs 28,000 |
| 6 | Senior Citizen Care | Feeding support, hygiene support, mobility assistance | 12 Hours | Rs 30,000 |
| 7 | Bedridden Patient Care | Diaper support, sponge bath, lifting support, patient monitoring | 8 Hours | Rs 28,000 |
| 8 | Bedridden Patient Care | Diaper support, sponge bath, lifting support, patient monitoring | 10 Hours | Rs 31,000 |
| 9 | Bedridden Patient Care | Diaper support, sponge bath, lifting support, patient monitoring | 12 Hours | Rs 35,000 |
| 10 | Dementia / Alzheimer’s Care | Full supervision, emotional support, safety monitoring | 8 Hours | Rs 32,000 |
| 11 | Dementia / Alzheimer’s Care | Full supervision, emotional support, safety monitoring | 10 Hours | Rs 35,000 |
| 12 | Dementia / Alzheimer’s Care | Full supervision, emotional support, safety monitoring | 12 Hours | Rs 40,000 |
A booking fee also applies: Rs 3,000 for a 6-month service period, or Rs 5,000 for a 1-year service period, payable once and non-refundable after service begins.
Why Families May Consider Professional Care Support
A structured caregiving arrangement gives families a defined set of duties, a transparent monthly cost, and a trial period to confirm the fit — rather than relying on informal or ad-hoc help. It also means an elderly parent has consistent companionship and support even when family members are at work or unavailable during the day.
Namaste Nepal Old Age Care Service
Namaste Nepal Cleaning Service runs a dedicated Elderly Care Department offering old age care service across Kathmandu, based at Jorpati Chowk. Caregivers are trained, verified, and certified, and the service is structured into the four categories outlined above, each with published monthly rates. If you’re ready to look at pricing and start the enquiry process, visit our old age care service in Kathmandu page for full details, rates, and terms.
Namaste Nepal also offers a baby sitter service in Kathmandu, maid service, and housekeeping service for households that need broader support beyond elderly care.
Conclusion
Choosing elderly care for a parent or relative is a significant decision, and it deserves clear information rather than guesswork. Whether your family needs light companionship or full supervision for a bedridden or dementia patient, understanding the categories, duties, and terms in advance makes the process far less stressful. When you’re ready to move forward, Namaste Nepal’s old age care service in Kathmandu page has full pricing, terms, and contact details, or you can reach the team directly through our Contact Us page.