Who We Are & Why We Exist

A deeply personal story

The story behind Voluncare

My father was 82 years old. He had Alzheimer's disease — a condition that had, over time, made him rude, argumentative, and deeply difficult to care for. He needed help. We needed help.

The man we brought in to care for him was not a professional. He was an untrained foster-son with no desire to do this work — and, as we later discovered, a history of mental health issues from childhood. He was completely ill-equipped for the daily emotional demands of caring for someone with dementia.

During one of my father's increasingly difficult episodes, something broke. The carer picked up a screwdriver and plunged it into my father's heart. He died instantly.

This is not a story I tell lightly. But it is the reason Voluncare exists. It is the reason every volunteer on this platform is vetted, screened, and matched with care. Because I know what happens when care goes wrong.

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A second story. Just as urgent.

In March 2026, a 46-year-old man took an overdose. For ten years, he had been the sole primary carer for his severely ill older sister. He had no friends. No social life. He couldn't leave for a weekend. He turned to alcohol to cope with the suffocating isolation.

He eventually messaged his eldest sister, telling her he was considering self-harm. When she didn't respond, he took the overdose. He never woke up.

If he had had a relief care-giver — someone trained, vetted, and trustworthy — to step in even once a week, this would not have happened.