From choosing a home care company to understanding PSWs, dementia support, costs and publicly funded services, this video guide helps Ontario families find the answers they need.

If you’re looking into home care for yourself, a parent or loved one, you’ve probably got a lot of questions.

What can a personal support worker (PSW) actually help with? How do you know if a home care company is reputable? Can someone with dementia continue living at home? And how does publicly funded home care work in Ontario?

These are questions I hear regularly from families using Elderado.

I sat down with Bethel and Yasmeen from INTEGRAcare, an Ontario home care provider, to get answers to some of the most common questions about home care.

I organized our conversations into 26 short videos covering everything from choosing a caregiver to understanding how home care services work.

Think of this as your home care question-and-answer guide. You don’t need to watch every video. Find the topic you’re interested in, watch a quick explanation, and bookmark this page to answer more of your questions when you’re ready.

Understanding Home Care

Home care can mean different things to different people.

For some older adults, it’s having someone help with bathing and getting dressed. For others, it’s assistance preparing meals, going for walks or getting to appointments.

Home care can include personal support, nursing and other services, depending on the person’s needs and the provider.

What Is Home Care? Here’s What Families Should Know

Home care provides support to people where they live. That might be a house, apartment or another residential setting.

The goal is to help people receive appropriate care while maintaining as much independence and quality of life as possible.

In this video, Bethel explains what home care is and the different types of support it can include.

What Does a Personal Support Worker (PSW) Do?

Personal support workers play an important role in helping older adults with everyday activities.

Depending on the care plan, their responsibilities may include assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, mobility, toileting and other daily routines.

Bethel explains what a PSW does and how their responsibilities can vary depending on the person receiving care.

What Can a PSW Do During a 4-Hour Home Care Visit?

What can you actually accomplish during a four-hour home care visit?

Quite a bit, depending on the person’s needs.

A visit might include personal care, meal preparation, companionship, exercise, a walk or assistance getting to an appointment.

Bethel discusses how a four-hour visit can be organized around the things that matter most to the person receiving care.

When Should You Consider Home Care?

There’s no universal age or event that tells you it’s time to arrange home care.

Sometimes the need becomes obvious after an illness, injury or hospital stay. Other times, family members notice smaller changes over several months.

The important thing is recognizing when additional support might make everyday life safer or easier.

When Is It Time to Consider Home Care?

Families reach out to home care companies for many reasons.

Maybe a parent is having difficulty getting dressed, preparing meals or moving around safely. Perhaps a spouse is becoming overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities.

Bethel discusses common reasons families begin exploring home care and how providers can help identify the support someone needs.

When Should You Start Looking for Home Care?

One of Bethel’s recommendations is simple: start learning about home care before you urgently need it.

You don’t have to arrange services immediately. Understanding what’s available, how providers operate and what questions to ask can make future decisions easier.

How Quickly Can Home Care Start in Ontario?

Sometimes families need help quickly, particularly following a hospital discharge or unexpected change in health.

The time required to arrange family funded home care depends on the provider, caregiver availability and the type of support required.

Bethel discusses how INTEGRAcare responds when families need to arrange services on short notice.

Can Someone With Dementia Continue Living at Home?

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia doesn’t automatically mean someone needs to move into a retirement home or long-term care home.

Many people living with dementia can remain at home with appropriate support, depending on their individual needs and circumstances.

Bethel explains how families can evaluate whether home care is a suitable option.

How Can Home Care Help Someone With Dementia?

Supporting someone living with dementia often requires a personalized approach.

Familiar routines, consistency and caregivers who understand cognitive impairment can be important.

Bethel discusses how home care can be adapted to support people living with dementia and why the level of assistance may change over time.

Is Your Parent’s Home a Fall Risk?

Falls are a significant safety concern for older adults.

Potential hazards include loose rugs, cluttered walkways, poor lighting and difficult transitions between surfaces. Changes in strength, balance and mobility can also increase risk.

Bethel discusses common fall hazards and how families can make their loved one’s home safer.

How to Choose a Home Care Company in Ontario

Inviting someone into your home to provide personal care requires trust.

But not all home care companies operate the same way.

Caregiver qualifications, screening, insurance, training, supervision and company policies can differ. Understanding these differences can help families make more informed decisions.

Hiring Home Care? Ask These Questions First

Before choosing a home care company, it’s worth asking about the people who will actually provide the care.

How are caregivers screened? What qualifications do they have? Who supervises them? What happens if someone calls in sick?

Bethel shares important questions families should ask when comparing providers.

What does ISO 9001 Accreditation mean for home care?

For home care companies, accreditation can involve reviewing policies, procedures, training and quality-improvement practices.

Yasmeen explains what accreditation means for INTEGRAcare and why families may want to ask about it.

What Qualifications Should a PSW Have in Ontario?

PSWs may be responsible for helping someone with intimate personal care, mobility and other important daily activities.

Families should understand what education and training their caregiver has completed, whether their credentials have been verified and whether they are qualified for the tasks they’ll be performing.

Yasmeen discusses PSW qualifications and what families should know when hiring home care.

How Do You Know a Home Caregiver Is Properly Trained?

Caregiver training shouldn’t necessarily end after someone finishes their initial education.

Additional training may be needed to support clients with dementia, complex care needs or specific health conditions.

Yasmeen explains how INTEGRAcare approaches caregiver education and ongoing professional development.

Does Your Home Caregiver Have a Vulnerable Sector Check?

Background screening is an important consideration when hiring someone to provide care to a vulnerable person.

Ontario has different types of police record checks, and a vulnerable sector check is intended for eligible positions involving trust or authority over vulnerable individuals.

Yasmeen explains why families should ask about caregiver screening and how INTEGRAcare approaches this responsibility.

The Hidden Risks of Hiring Home Care Privately

Some families hire caregivers directly rather than through a home care company.

While this can be an option, it’s important to understand who is responsible for screening, insurance, training, supervision and finding replacement caregivers when someone is unavailable.

Yasmeen discusses considerations families should understand when hiring an independent caregiver compared with using a home care company.

Looking for home care?

Elderado lets you search and compare home care companies in Ontario, explore their services, and learn more about their standards and how they operate.

Find Home Care Companies on Elderado

Arranging and Managing Home Care

Once you’ve decided to explore home care, what happens next?

Families often want to understand how care is arranged, who decides what services are needed and whether they’ll have a say in which caregiver comes into their home.

What Happens When You Contact a Home Care Company?

Making an initial inquiry doesn’t mean you have to commit to services.

It’s an opportunity to explain your situation, discuss your loved one’s needs and learn about the provider’s approach.

Bethel walks through what happens when someone contacts INTEGRAcare to explore home care.

What Is a Personalized Home Care Plan?

A care plan is a document that outlines someone’s needs and the support they’ll receive.

It may include personal care requirements, daily routines, mobility assistance, safety considerations and other important information.

Bethel explains how INTEGRAcare develops care plans and why they should be updated as someone’s needs change.

How Do Home Care Companies Match Caregivers?

Qualifications matter, but so does finding someone who’s a good fit.

Experience, communication, personality and individual preferences can all play a role in caregiver matching.

Bethel explains how INTEGRAcare matches caregivers with clients and considers the preferences of the person receiving care.

Will You Have the Same Home Caregiver Every Visit?

For many families, caregiver consistency is a priority.

Having familiar caregivers can help build trust and make daily routines more comfortable, especially for people living with dementia.

Bethel discusses INTEGRAcare’s approach to continuity of care and why some clients may need support from more than one caregiver.

Can You Cancel or Change a Home Care Visit?

Schedules change.

A family member might be visiting, a medical appointment may be rescheduled or someone may temporarily need more or less support.

Before arranging care, ask about scheduling flexibility, cancellation requirements and potential fees.

Bethel explains how INTEGRAcare handles requests to change or cancel visits.

Publicly Funded vs. Family Funded Home Care in Ontario

One of the most common questions families have is whether home care is covered by the government.

In Ontario, there are two main ways to access home care support.

Publicly funded home care is coordinated through Ontario Health atHome for eligible individuals. The services provided depend on an assessment of care needs and applicable program requirements.

Family funded home care is paid for by the individual or their family. Families arrange services directly with a home care provider.

It’s possible to receive both types of care.

How Does Publicly Funded Home Care Work in Ontario?

Ontario Health atHome coordinates publicly funded home and community care services for eligible Ontarians.

A care coordinator assesses the person’s needs and determines what services may be available.

Bethel explains how the system works and why the amount of publicly funded care can differ from person to person.

Can You Combine Public and Family Funded Home Care?

Yes. Some families arrange additional home care services to supplement the support they receive through Ontario Health atHome.

For example, someone may receive publicly funded personal support but want additional assistance with daily routines, companionship or other needs.

Bethel discusses how publicly funded and family funded services can work together.

Can Public and Family Funded Caregivers Work Together?

When multiple providers support the same person, coordination can help everyone understand their responsibilities.

Good communication is particularly important when care needs change.

Bethel explains how INTEGRAcare works with Ontario Health atHome and other care providers to coordinate support.

Home Care Costs and HST in Ontario

Family funded home care costs vary depending on the provider, the type of care and the number of hours required.

One question families may not think to ask is whether HST applies to their services.

Certain home care services may qualify for an HST exemption under specific conditions. However, not all family funded home care is automatically exempt.

Is Home Care Exempt From HST in Ontario?

Some qualifying home care services may be exempt from HST when the relevant requirements are met.

Bethel discusses circumstances in which receiving publicly funded home care may be relevant to the tax treatment of additional family funded services.

How Do You Qualify for HST Relief on Home Care?

If you think your home care services may qualify for an HST exemption, ask your provider how eligibility is determined and what documentation is required.

Bethel explains how INTEGRAcare handles HST exemption paperwork and why changes to someone’s publicly funded services can matter.

Note: HST exemptions depend on the services provided and the applicable tax rules. Confirm eligibility with your home care provider, the Canada Revenue Agency or a qualified tax professional.

Getting to Know INTEGRAcare

Throughout this guide, Bethel and Yasmeen have shared practical information to help families better understand home care in Ontario.

But who is INTEGRAcare?

What Makes INTEGRAcare Different?

When choosing a home care provider, it’s important to understand the organization behind the caregivers.

Bethel introduces INTEGRAcare and shares the company’s approach to supporting individuals and their families with home care services.

Learn More About INTEGRAcare on Elderado

INTEGRAcare provides family funded home care services in Ontario.

On Elderado, you can learn more about INTEGRAcare, explore its services and contact the company directly.

Explore INTEGRAcare on Elderado

Finding Home Care in Ontario Doesn’t Have to Be Overwhelming

Whether you’re researching home care for the first time or trying to arrange support quickly, knowing what questions to ask can make a difference.

You don’t need to become an expert overnight. Start by understanding your options, identifying what matters most to your loved one and comparing providers.

Elderado is a free website built to make it easier for you to navigate your elder care options.

You can use Elderado to search, filter and compare home care companies in Ontario, learn about the services they offer, and connect with Executive Verified and Self-Serve providers that may be a good fit.

Search and Compare Home Care Companies in Ontario

With Elderado you spend less time looking for information, and more time with your loved ones.