Premium senior companionship in Greater Victoria
Life should not become smaller with age.
Elder & Sage thoughtfully matches older adults with exceptional companions for conversation, outings, everyday activities and meaningful connection.
Because living well is about more than managing the essentials. It is about continuing to feel connected, curious and fully part of life.
Non-medical companionship · Thoughtful matching · $49 per hour
There is no pressure and no obligation. The first step is simply a conversation.
Why families trust us
Someone you would choose yourself.
Inviting another person into the life of someone you love requires extraordinary trust.
That is why Elder & Sage does more than fill a schedule. We take the time to understand the person behind the request, select companions for character as carefully as experience, and make thoughtful introductions based on personality, interests and the kind of relationship each family hopes to find.
You are not choosing from a directory.
You are trusting our judgement.
We take that responsibility personally.
Carefully selected
We look for warmth, curiosity, emotional intelligence, professionalism and exceptional reliability.
Thoughtfully matched
We consider personality, interests, communication style, routines and the kind of time someone genuinely enjoys.
Personally supported
Families and companions receive attentive, local support before and after the first introduction.
The space we serve
The essentials can be covered while life quietly becomes smaller.
Meals may be prepared. Appointments may be attended. The house may be safe.
Yet the walks become less frequent. The weekly coffee stops happening. Friends move away. A spouse passes. Going out alone begins to feel like too much effort.
None of these changes announces itself as a crisis.
Together, they can gradually reduce connection, confidence and enjoyment.
Elder & Sage exists for the space between complete independence and traditional care: the place where someone may not need clinical support, but could benefit enormously from another trusted person in their life.
Safety matters. So do laughter, confidence, curiosity and something to look forward to.
What we offer
Companionship shaped around the person.
There is no standard Elder & Sage afternoon.
Some visits are lively and active. Others are quiet and familiar. The best companionship follows the interests, energy and preferences of the person receiving it.
Conversation and company
Sharing coffee, talking about current events, listening to stories, looking through photographs or simply enjoying time together.
Walks and local outings
Visiting a favourite park, waterfront, gallery, bookstore, garden, café or community event.
Hobbies and interests
Gardening, puzzles, games, music, baking, crafts, reading, writing, art or rediscovering an old interest.
Everyday activities
Shopping together, organizing photographs, preparing a simple meal or completing light household activities side by side.
Appointments and community connection
Providing companionship before, during or after appointments and helping someone feel more comfortable participating in community life.
Technology and staying connected
Helping with video calls, photographs, email, streaming services or everyday technology without making someone feel rushed or embarrassed.
An important boundary
Elder & Sage companions do not provide medical care, personal care, housekeeping, mobility transfers or emergency supervision. Companions do not transport clients in their personal vehicles. When an outing is planned, transportation may be arranged through a family member, taxi, accessible transportation service or another approved option.
A different starting point
Not another home care agency.
Home care providers perform essential work. Elder & Sage serves a different purpose.
We are not built around uniforms, rotating assignments or lists of care tasks.
We are built around thoughtfully matched relationships.
Our companions are selected because they are the kind of people others naturally trust and enjoy. They arrive as thoughtful guests, not clinical staff. They are there to connect, notice, listen and help make life feel more expansive.
Traditional home care often begins with:
- What assistance is required?
- Which tasks must be completed?
- Who is available for the shift?
Elder & Sage begins with:
- Tell us about the person.
- What makes a good day?
- What do they enjoy?
- Who would they genuinely connect with?
We match people, not schedules.
How it works
Thoughtful from the first conversation.
Tell us about the person
We begin with a relaxed conversation about the person you are supporting, what life looks like now and what you hope companionship could add.
This is not a sales call. It is an opportunity for us to listen and determine whether Elder & Sage is the right fit.
We select a companion
We consider interests, personality, communication style, energy, preferences, availability and any important family context.
We then recommend someone we believe could feel genuinely natural in the person’s life.
The first introduction
The companion arrives prepared, but without a script.
The first visit is designed to feel relaxed and comfortable. We follow up afterwards to hear how it felt and whether the connection should continue.
The relationship grows
As trust develops, visits can become a familiar and meaningful part of the week.
We remain available to support the family, companion and evolving relationship.
The Elder & Sage Standard
A higher standard of companionship.
The Elder & Sage Standard guides every person we hire and every family experience we create.
These are not decorative values. They are the minimum standard we expect from ourselves.
Character before credentials
Experience matters. Warmth, curiosity, emotional intelligence and reliability matter just as much.
Presence is the product
Phones away. Attention given freely. The person in front of us should feel like the most important person in the room.
Reliability is compassion
We arrive when we say we will. When something changes, we communicate early and clearly.
Dignity is non-negotiable
We never patronize, infantilize or assume inability. We ask, invite and collaborate.
Small things are never small
Remembering a favourite tea, a grandchild’s name or the story from last week is how people feel known.
Relationships before routines
The purpose of a visit is not efficiency. It is meaningful connection.
Every family should feel three things: we chose well, we can relax, and these people genuinely care.
Pricing
Simple, transparent pricing.
$49 per hour
Two-hour minimum per visit
Elder & Sage charges one straightforward hourly rate for thoughtfully matched, non-medical companionship.
The rate reflects far more than the time spent during a visit. It supports careful companion selection, matching, screening, preparation, ongoing local support and the reliability families should expect when inviting someone into the life of a person they love.
Two hours gives a relationship time to settle naturally and makes outings or activities more meaningful.
Included
- Initial family conversation
- Thoughtful companion matching
- Companion screening and preparation
- Ongoing scheduling and local support
- Follow-up after the first visit
- Rematching support when needed
- No membership fee
- No long-term contract
Start with a conversation. We will tell you honestly whether Elder & Sage appears to be the right fit.
Is this the right fit?
This may be a good fit when…
- A parent is living independently but spending more time alone
- Someone has lost a spouse or close friend
- Family members live far away or cannot visit as often as they would like
- An older adult would enjoy more outings, conversation or activity
- Someone has become less confident leaving home alone
- A family wants greater peace of mind without introducing clinical care
- An older adult is experiencing mild cognitive changes and benefits from familiar, engaging company
- A family caregiver needs another trusted person in the circle
When another service is better suited
Elder & Sage may not be appropriate when someone requires medical care, personal care, physical transfers, continuous supervision, crisis support or transportation in a companion’s personal vehicle. We will always be honest when another service is better suited to a family’s needs.
For families
Companionship does not replace family.
Many adult children contact us carrying a complicated mixture of love, worry and guilt.
They want to do more. They also have work, children, distance, health and the rest of life competing for their attention.
Bringing in a companion is not an admission that the family has failed.
It is a way of expanding the circle.
When another trusted person can share an outing, an afternoon or a weekly ritual, family members have more freedom to simply be daughters, sons, spouses and grandchildren again.
When we improve one person’s afternoon, we often improve another person’s sleep.
About Us
Built from a deeply personal standard.
Elder & Sage was founded by Andrew Faunt and Laura Sinclair Faunt, a husband-and-wife team born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia.
The company began with one uncompromising question:
Would we trust this person with someone we love?
As lifelong Victorians, we’ve watched our community change. Families are busier, adult children often live farther away, and many older adults spend more of the week alone than anyone intends. Much of what once came naturally — a dependable circle of people who show up for one another — now has to be built on purpose.
We also saw a gap. Many older adults don’t need another clinical service. They need meaningful company: someone to share a coffee with, walk Dallas Road, browse the market, sit alongside them at an appointment, or brighten an ordinary Tuesday with good conversation. And families are often left wondering who they can safely welcome into a parent’s life.
Elder & Sage is our answer.
Laura spent more than fifteen years in senior leadership at technology companies in Vancouver and Victoria, where she built the teams responsible for how thousands of customers were looked after — and why they stayed. Her whole career has been spent on one question: what makes someone feel cared for enough to stay? Elder & Sage is that question, brought home.
Andrew began his career in recruitment and human resources before moving into the skilled trades, and has spent years learning what makes a person dependable — and what it looks like when character is real rather than rehearsed.
Those instincts shape how we hire. Every companion is personally interviewed and selected for warmth, integrity, emotional intelligence and judgement — not experience alone.
We’re intentionally local, intentionally selective and intentionally personal. When you contact Elder & Sage, you’re speaking directly with the founders — two people who live here and are personally invested in every family we serve.
We’re not trying to become the biggest companionship company in Victoria. We’re trying to become the one families recommend because they know exactly who’s behind it.
We’d be honoured to earn your trust.
Become a companion
Meaningful work for remarkable people.
Elder & Sage is building a community of exceptional companions in Greater Victoria.
We are looking for people who are warm, curious, reliable, emotionally intelligent and genuinely interested in the lives of older adults.
You may be a retired teacher, a university student, a hospitality professional, a healthcare worker who misses having time to talk, a retired executive or someone whose greatest qualification is the way people feel in your presence.
Experience can be valuable.
Character is essential.
Elder & Sage is selective by design. Every companion represents our judgement and becomes part of a family’s life. Our application and interview process is therefore thoughtful and thorough.
What we look for
- Genuine enjoyment of older adults
- Exceptional reliability
- Warm, natural communication
- Curiosity and strong listening skills
- Good judgement
- Respect for privacy and boundaries
- Comfort with different personalities and family dynamics
- Professionalism without formality
- A calm and dependable presence
Apply to become a companion
A short first step. If there is a potential fit, we will invite you to a conversation.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions.
Is Elder & Sage a home care agency?
No. Elder & Sage provides non-medical companionship.
Our companions focus on conversation, outings, hobbies, everyday activities and meaningful connection. They do not provide nursing, medical care, personal care or physical assistance requiring healthcare training.
Who is the service for?
Elder & Sage is designed for older adults who could benefit from more connection, activity or trusted company.
Some live independently. Some are adjusting after a loss. Some have family members who live far away. Others would simply enjoy having another interesting and dependable person in their week.
How do you choose companions?
We look beyond résumés.
Companions are selected for warmth, curiosity, emotional intelligence, judgement, professionalism and reliability.
Every companion completes an application, a personal interview and reference checks, plus a vulnerable sector check, before ever visiting a family.
How does matching work?
We begin by learning about the older adult’s personality, interests, routines, preferences and family context.
We then select a companion based on the potential for a comfortable and meaningful relationship, not merely schedule availability.
What happens if the first match is not right?
Finding the right fit is our responsibility.
We welcome honest feedback and will work with the family to recommend another companion when needed.
What does companionship cost?
Companionship is $49 per hour, with a two-hour minimum per visit.
There are no membership fees or long-term contracts.
Do companions provide transportation?
Companions do not drive clients in their personal vehicles.
For outings, transportation can be provided by family, taxi, accessible transportation or another pre-approved option. A companion may accompany the client during the trip when appropriate.
Do companions provide personal care?
No.
Companions do not provide bathing, toileting, dressing, medication administration, lifting, transfers or medical procedures. Families requiring those services should use an appropriately licensed or qualified care provider.
Can a companion attend an appointment?
A companion may accompany someone to an appointment when transportation and access arrangements have been made.
The companion is there for company and general support, not to provide medical advice or act as a substitute decision-maker.
Do we need to commit to a regular schedule?
Regular visits are encouraged, because consistency helps relationships grow. We will discuss scheduling openly during the first conversation and be honest about what our current availability allows.
Where is Elder & Sage available?
Elder & Sage is initially serving Greater Victoria, British Columbia. If you’re unsure whether we reach your neighbourhood, ask — we’ll tell you honestly.
Take the first step
Begin with a conversation.
You do not need to know exactly what kind of support is required.
Tell us about the person you love, what life looks like now and what you hope could feel different.
We will listen, answer your questions and tell you honestly whether Elder & Sage is the right next step.
No pressure. No obligation. Just a thoughtful first conversation.