Everything you need to know about joining

Anyone with a good heart, a verified identity, and the genuine capacity to show up. You do not need a degree. You need:

• To be 18 years or older

• To live in Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar (currently)

• To have a clean police record

• To be willing to undergo our verification process

• To genuinely care about helping people

Homemakers, retired professionals, nurses, students, young people with vehicles, retired bank officers — all are welcome. The barrier to entry is character, not credentials.

Homemakers with free mornings who want meaningful income. Retired bank officers, teachers, and government employees who want to stay active and contribute. Nurses finishing hospital shifts who want additional income with their clinical skills. Young people with vehicles and empathy who want flexible work with purpose. Self-help group members looking for organised income opportunities.

No. NearDear is a platform, not an agency. You are an independent verified companion — not our employee. You set your own availability. You choose which requests to accept. You build your own client relationships through the platform. We provide the infrastructure, the matching, the payments, and the safety framework.

Yes, for now. We are Phase 1 and serving only these two cities. If you are in another city, please join our waitlist — we are expanding soon.

Three stages:

Stage 1 — Identity (X): Aadhaar verification. Live selfie captured in-app. Address proof. Police Clearance Certificate. This takes 3–7 days to review.

Stage 2 — Character (Y): We call two personal references you provide. We then schedule a 20–30 minute video interview with our team. We look for warmth, empathy, communication, and clear understanding of scope and boundaries.

Stage 3 — Orientation: Six self-paced online modules covering what NearDear is, the people you will serve, the session protocol, our hard rules, how to flag concerns, and your earnings and growth path. A quiz and digital signature to complete.

Because our companions enter people's homes and sit with vulnerable individuals. A PCC confirms you have no criminal record. It is how families trust you before they know you. It is your professional credential — like a driver's licence for this work.

Typically 5–10 days from start to approval. The PCC is the longest step — if you do not have one yet, you can submit your application and upload the PCC when it is ready.

A 20–30 minute conversation with our team over Google Meet. We will ask why you want to do this work, how you would handle some simple scenarios, what you would do if offered a cash gift, and how you think about the people you will be serving. There are no trick questions. We are looking for genuine warmth and clear thinking.

Starting out (Level 0–1): 3–5 sessions per week → ₹3,000–8,000/month working 5–10 hours per week.

Established (Level 2): 8–12 sessions per week → ₹12,000–20,000/month working 15–20 hours per week.

Senior companion (Level 3): Day shifts + recurring care → ₹25,000–40,000/month full-time or near full-time.

80% of every session fee. Always. The platform retains 20%.

Example:

Family pays ₹700 → You receive ₹560

Family pays ₹1,500 → You receive ₹1,200

Family pays ₹2,000 → You receive ₹1,600

This split is fixed. It will not change without 60 days written notice and your right to exit.

Within 48 hours of every completed session. Always.

Timeline: Session completed → you submit note → family confirms (or auto-confirms in 24h) → your earning is released → admin processes transfer within 48 hours → money in your bank account.

You add your bank account details in your profile. After each session is confirmed, your earnings accumulate in your wallet. You can request a withdrawal at any time. Transfers are processed within 48 hours via IMPS/NEFT directly to your bank.

Yes — in two ways.

Trust Level progression: Higher trust level = higher-value services = more earning potential.

Performance recognition: Companions who consistently deliver excellent service may receive individual rate upgrades (from 80% to 82% or 85%), milestone bonuses (₹500 for your 50th session), and occasion bonuses (like Women's Day credits).

When a family submits a request matching your city, services, availability, and trust level — you receive a push notification and SMS: "New request near you — Ready to serve?" You have 3 hours to accept or decline.

Turn on "Available Now" in your app. Families with urgent needs will see you immediately and requests will come through with a shorter response window. This is your way of saying: I am here, right now, if someone needs me.

Open the NearDear app and tap CHECK IN. This logs your GPS location and time, and immediately notifies the family. Do not skip this — it is how the family knows you have arrived and is the foundation of trust.

After every session, before you close the check-out, you submit a brief structured note:

• What you helped with today

• How the person seemed

• Any observation for the family

• Any concern to flag

This note goes to the family immediately. It is the most important thing you do after the session itself. It is how the family knows what happened when they were not there.

For medical emergencies: call 112 immediately. Then notify the platform through the emergency flag in the app. For other concerns: use the flag button in the app. Never handle a serious situation alone.

These seven rules are non-negotiable:

1. No cash. Never accept cash payment. All payments through NearDear only. Cash acceptance = immediate suspension.

2. No gifts. Politely decline any gift. Persistent gift-giving should be reported to admin.

3. No financial information. Never ask for or accept bank details, passwords, or PINs from anyone.

4. No outside contact. Never share your personal WhatsApp or phone number. All contact through NearDear platform only.

5. Scope only. You provide presence, companionship, and errands. Not medical treatment. Not legal advice. Not financial guidance.

6. Report, do not act. If you observe something concerning about the elder's health, report it through the platform. Do not act independently.

7. No decisions. Never sign documents, give consent, or make decisions on behalf of the elder.

Because you are sitting with someone's parent. Their family trusts you. The elder trusts you. These rules exist to protect the elder, to protect you, and to protect the integrity of every companion on this platform.

Yes. You can pause for 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, or until you manually resume. While paused, no new requests will come to you. Your existing sessions, trust level, and earnings are unaffected.

Yes. During your application, you select the services you can genuinely provide. You can update this from your profile at any time. Offer only what you can truly deliver — it is better to do fewer things well.

Trust levels reflect your verified experience and track record:

Level 0 → Level 1: 5 completed sessions + positive feedback

Level 1 → Level 2: 10 sessions + admin review

Level 2 → Level 3: 25 sessions + 6 months + senior review

Higher levels unlock higher-value services — home visits, personal care, day shifts, live-in care. Your earnings grow significantly with each level.

Only for a conduct violation or significant performance issues. Your trust level is yours — earned honestly and protected firmly. We do not reduce it for small issues. Warnings are issued first. Demotion is a last step.

You can close your account at any time. Your pending earnings are paid within 7 days. Your session history and trust level are retained for 6 months in case you want to return. After 6 months, your data is anonymised.

NearDear was designed with you in mind. Your clinical skills are exactly what many families desperately need — and are currently not getting reliably from agencies.

You can offer: personal care assistance (bed bath, dressing), medication management, bedridden elder care, day shift or night shift home care, and hospital guidance help.

Depending on your shift at your hospital, you could take 2–4 assignments per week in your own neighbourhood and earn ₹8,000–15,000 additional income per month.

Yes — and it benefits you. Companions with healthcare qualifications are matched first for healthcare requests. Families specifically looking for a trained nurse will see you at the top of their results. Your qualification is your advantage.

You are acting as a NearDear companion with healthcare skills. You are not prescribing, diagnosing, or providing clinical treatment. You are assisting with care tasks as directed by the family and treating doctor. The scope is defined and clear.