Emergency childcare provider Emergency Care has launched an online eldercare service.

The website, which can be found at www.emergencycare.co.uk, helps employees source emergency care for elderly dependants, so providing staff with a greater flexibility in managing their work and home lives. The website uses a database of experienced, trained and referenced carers who can help people with tasks such as getting out of bed, cooking meals, doing shopping or home-sitting during the day or night.

Employees must register to use the scheme and have an initial assessment of their relatives' needs, at a cost of £50, before they can use the service. Once this has been completed, they can then book, and pay for, care by telephone or online, giving up to two hours' notice.

The service does not require employees to take out a long-term contract, but instead can be used as and when it is needed.

Ben Black, director at Emergency Care, said: "Organisations will see that by helping employees with elderly and childcare arrangements they are easing the pressures of balancing work and home life."

Employers that already use Emergency Care's childcare service will only incur a small administration fee if they wish to extend their offering to include the new service.

New clients, however, will incur a cost of around £10,000 to launch the service to staff.