A 28-year-old moved in with an 83-year-old as part of a 'homeshare.' It's been a win-win for both.

• Christine Rahman is a 28-year-old woman who signed up to be part of a Homeshare in London.
• She rents a room in Margaret Smith's home for about $180 a month.

Christine Rahman had just left her job in London in the summer of 2022 and was dipping into her savings to stay afloat. She needed an affordable place to rent to avoid moving back into her family home but wasn't sure how she was going to find something within her price range in the city.

When flicking through advertisements of rooms for rent, she noticed a homeshare opportunity that caught her eye.

"It was super cheap, and the picture of the room was very nice," Rahman told Insider. "I read more and discovered that the woman who was looking for a sharer used to work as a psychologist in the prison service. With my own interest in psychology, I thought this person sounded interesting. The advert also stated she spoke fluent French, and as I come from a French-speaking background, I was excited at the idea of being able to practice my language skills. I was sold!"

Homeshare involves bringing two people, often from different generations, together under the same roof. It addresses the needs of a vulnerable, older, or disabled person, the "householder" and helps the volunteers or "sharers," who often need a low-cost place to live.

Rent is low for the sharer, and they have to help the householder with tasks

For a rent of a little over $6 a day, a sharer agrees to give 15 hours each week to practically help and support the householder with tasks like cooking a warm meal, keeping on top of the garden, or simply being available to chat.

The advertisement Rahman had read was put up by Share and Care Homeshare, which she would end up using to be matched up with Margaret Smith, an 83-year-old woman who lives with Parkinson's disease and is registered blind.

"My daughter heard of homeshare, and she thought it would be useful to have someone else in the house," Smith told Insider. "I was intrigued by the idea of having someone to come and live with me because being in the house on your own is quite difficult."

When Rahman met Smith for the first time, she immediately noticed all the books, artwork, and ornaments in the house.

"She was very articulate and friendly," Rahman said. "I also met her daughter — she reminded me of my mom."

Rahman moved in, excited for the new adventure that would also save her a fortune on expensive rent costs.

They've become family

While Rahman helps Smith around the house with tasks like cooking or finding lost items like her phone in the house, she isn't a paid carer — Smith has a number of carers come in throughout the day to support her. Instead, Rahman has become another member of the family.

"Margaret and her family have made me feel like part of their family," Rahman said. "She has invited my Mom over for dinner, and we organized a 'French evening' where we only speak French. My little sister can visit me as often as she wants. Margaret's daughter even had a spare ticket for the theatre once and took my sister."

Each morning, Rahman makes herself and Smith tea and breakfast before beginning work. If she works from home, she will often take breaks to say hello to Smith or make lunch for them both to eat together.

In the evenings, Rahman often cooks adventurous foods for herself and Smith. "I have introduced her to roasted butternut squash, oxtail, and okra," Rahman said, noting how they both love food and have connected over different recipes. Rahman's also taken to reading poetry to Smith.

Instead of sitting at home alone morning, noon, and night, Smith has enjoyed intermittent chats with Rahman about relationships, politics, and psychology.

"It keeps me thinking," Smith said. "We have great fun together too. She introduced me to television programs I would have never seen on my own. Sometimes we even watch French news together."

It's a win-win situation

Even though friends of Rahman's are jealous of the amount of money she is saving, they worry about trying it themselves due to the time commitment.

"You have to be organized to be involved in a homeshare," Rahman said. "If I plan to go out, I will meal prep so there is dinner waiting for Margaret whenever she is ready to eat."

Since living with Smith, Rahman has loved developing her own routines as she assists Smith with hers. Taking care of Smith isn't a burden for Rahman, but a chance to experience what it would have been like to know her grandparents.

Rahman has particularly benefitted from the perspective Smith offers as having lived so much life. "Speaking with her puts things into perspective about what really matters," Rahman said.