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Maids Hands For You lets you see who you're hiring. You take a subscription, open the nurse profiles, and read her qualification, her years of experience and the kind of cases she's handled. Then you call her yourself and ask the questions that matter to your family's situation.
No agency coordinator in between. No commission on the placement. We're based in Aluva, Ernakulam, and profiles cover all 14 Kerala districts.
The two kinds of home nurse, and which one you need
This is the first thing to get right, and most families get told about it too late.
A qualified nurse holds an ANM or GNM qualification. She's trained to handle clinical work: monitoring blood pressure and sugar, dressing wounds, managing a catheter or a feeding tube, giving prescribed medication, and knowing when something needs a doctor. If your family member has come home after surgery, is bedridden, or has a condition that needs monitoring, this is who you need.
A trained carer isn't a nurse. She's experienced in looking after people at home: bathing, feeding, moving someone safely, keeping them company, watching for changes. For an elderly parent who's mostly independent but shouldn't be alone, a carer is the right fit and costs less than a qualified nurse.
Hiring the wrong one of these two is the most common mistake in home care. Families hire a carer for a post-surgery case and find she can't change a dressing. Or they pay nurse rates for someone who's essentially providing company.
Each profile on the platform states which one she is. Filter for it before you start reading.
What a home nurse does
The work depends entirely on the patient, so treat this as the range rather than a fixed list.
A qualified nurse at home typically handles:
- Checking and recording blood pressure, sugar, temperature and pulse
- Giving medication on schedule, as prescribed by the doctor
- Wound dressing and post-surgical site care
- Catheter care and urine bag management
- Ryle's tube and feeding tube management
- Positioning a bedridden patient to prevent bed sores
- Recognising warning signs and alerting the family or doctor
A trained carer typically handles:
- Bathing, dressing and personal hygiene
- Feeding and help with meals
- Helping the person move, sit up or walk
- Company through the day, conversation, reading
- Housekeeping around the patient's room
- Reminding about medication, without administering it
Can a home nurse give injections? A qualified nurse can administer what the treating doctor has prescribed. She doesn't decide the treatment. Anything beyond the prescription goes back to the doctor.
Day shift, night shift or 24 hours
Three arrangements, and the cost difference between them is large.
Day duty runs roughly 8 to 12 hours and suits families where someone is home at night.
Night duty covers the overnight hours, which is often when families struggle most. An elderly patient who's restless at night, or a post-surgery patient who needs turning, makes it impossible for the family to sleep. More on night care nurses.
24-hour care means the nurse stays at the house. In practice most families running 24-hour care use two nurses in shifts, because one person cannot stay alert across a full day indefinitely. Ask about this before committing. An agency quoting a single nurse for 24 hours is quoting something that doesn't work for long.
Some families specifically need a male nurse, usually where the patient is a man who needs lifting or help with bathing. Filter for it directly.
What home nursing costs in Kerala
Two separate costs, and it's worth being clear.
The subscription is what you pay us for access to the nurse profiles.
The nurse's salary is paid directly to her, and we take nothing from it. As a guide for 2026:
| Arrangement | Trained carer | Qualified nurse (ANM/GNM) |
|---|---|---|
| Day duty (8 to 12 hrs) | ₹12,000 to ₹18,000 / month | ₹18,000 to ₹25,000 / month |
| Night duty | ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 / month | ₹20,000 to ₹28,000 / month |
| 24-hour (live-in) | ₹18,000 to ₹25,000 / month | ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 / month |
Kochi, Ernakulam and Trivandrum run at the higher end. Wayanad, Kasaragod and Idukki run lower. Live-in arrangements also assume you're providing room and food.
A commission agency will usually take a month's salary as a placement fee and charge it again on replacement. Nursing placements turn over more than maid placements, because the patient's condition changes and so does the requirement. That's where the fees add up.
How hiring works
- Take a subscription covering the period you need access for.
- Filter the profiles by district, by qualification, by day or night availability, and by gender if it matters for the patient.
- Read her experience properly. Years worked, the kinds of cases she's handled, her qualification.
- Call her yourself and describe the patient's actual condition. A good nurse will tell you honestly if the case is beyond what she handles.
- Agree the salary directly with her. We don't set it and don't take a share.
- If the arrangement doesn't hold, pick again. Your subscription is still running.
Where we cover
Nurse availability is deepest in Ernakulam, Trivandrum and Kozhikode, which is also where demand is highest.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 24-hour nurse at home cost in Kerala?
Roughly ₹18,000 to ₹25,000 a month for a trained carer and ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 for a qualified ANM or GNM nurse, paid directly to her. Rates run higher in Kochi and Trivandrum. Bear in mind that genuine round-the-clock cover usually needs two people in shifts rather than one.
What are the duties of a home nurse?
For a qualified nurse: monitoring vitals, giving prescribed medication, wound dressing, catheter and feeding tube care, repositioning bedridden patients, and flagging anything that needs a doctor. She works to the treating doctor's instructions and doesn't change the treatment herself.
What's the difference between a home nurse and a caregiver?
A home nurse holds a nursing qualification and handles clinical work. A caregiver is trained and experienced in personal care and company, but isn't qualified for clinical tasks. Pick based on whether the case is medical or supportive.
Is an ANM or a GNM nurse better?
GNM is the longer qualification and generally suits more complex cases. ANM is enough for routine monitoring, medication and basic wound care. For a post-ICU or complex case, ask for GNM.
Can I meet the nurse before hiring?
Yes, and you should. Her contact comes with the subscription, so you speak to her directly and arrange a meeting if you want one before she starts.
How do I choose a home nursing agency in Kerala?
Ask three things. Does the agency let you see the actual nurse before she arrives, or only after. Does it state the qualification, or just say "trained staff". And is the fee a one-time commission on each hire, or a fixed cost regardless of how many times the arrangement changes.
