Everything You Need to Know About Senior Home Care

Home care services for seniors in Toronto Central and the GTA are usually provided through one, or a combination of the following:

1. Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS)
2. Private-Pay Home Care Companies
3. Direct hire caregivers

Home care services for seniors through Home and Community Care Support Services – previously known as the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) or Community Care Access Centres (CCAC)

In Ontario, the Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS), formerly the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and prior to that the Community Care Access Centres (CCAC) – bringing government paid for services to people at home, in institutions and in schools.

The HCCSS contracts out the provision of home care – they do not provide services themselves. The HCCSS arranges community based care for the public – seniors, children, teens and adults. Anyone can contact the HCCSS for information or to make a referral.

Pros:

Care is paid for by the Ontario Government.

Cons:

Not everyone is eligible. The amount of care you are eligible for is determined by a HCCSS Care Coordinators and may be different from what you feel is needed. Staff may not always show up or show up on time due to major, well documented labour shortages, which can result in significant lack of consistency – multiple caregivers.

Privately funded Home Care Services from Eldercare Home Health

Eldercare Home Health is a quality home care provider that exclusively services privately funded Clients and their families.

We assign one of our Registered Nurse Care Managers or Registered Practical Nurse Care Managers for each of our clients. The Nurses manage and supervise all Client care. Hands on care is provided by caregivers trained as certified Personal Support Workers (PSWs) who are supervised by the Care Managers at no additional charge.

Care management with Eldercare Home Health includes:

• Free in-home Assessment by a Registered Nurse or Registered Practical Nurse
• Liaising with other healthcare professionals on a professional level
• Medication review and consulting with Pharmacist
• Creating and implementing the customized client-centered care plan
• Selecting and coordinating PSW caregivers
• Scheduling of consistent caregivers
• Advocating for our client
• Personalized care
• Family meetings
• Regular client visits
• Reviewing and monitoring client status
• A Registered Nurse or Registered Practical Nurse is on call 24/7, at no extra cost

Eldercare Home Health has been providing home care services for seniors in Toronto since 1995. We provide home care in a variety of settings – in private homes, Retirement Homes, Nursing Home and Hospitals. Having personalized care means remaining independent and experiencing joyful living for as long as possible. Learn more about the Home care services we provide

Because we are hired directly, you can access the level of home care services you need – from 4 to 24 hours per day. We value consistency as much as you do, and work to make it a reality. We answer to you – read what our clients say about our home care.

Learn more about the Registered Nurse Care Manager difference

Care must be paid for privately.

Direct hire caregivers

These are arrangements where the caregiver is contracted directly by the client or by the client’s family or power of attorney to provide care. Often this arrangement is seen as a more affordable alternative to hiring a reputable Home Care company to provide care.

There are a number of rules that apply to how caregivers must be paid, hours they are allowed to work etc. It is important that anyone considering hiring a caregiver privately be aware of and follow these rules.

Direct hire caregivers usually must be set up as employees and payroll remittances must be remitted to the government. They should be covered by WSIB, and they should have a Vulnerable Sector Screening Program – Police Reference Check

It is very important that applicants be interviewed and screened, and that references are contacted. Credentials need to be reviewed. Many caregivers may be foreign trained Nurses but their credentials may not be recognized here in Ontario. Nursing standards are not consistent throughout the world.

Often, unfortunately, direct hire arrangements are “under-the-table” – where no record keeping is done and payments are made in cash. This type of arrangement leaves both the caregiver and the senior they are caring for at significant risk.

Done properly direct hire arrangements can result in some cost savings.

Caregivers are generally not supervised. Often caregivers may be nice, well meaning people but do not have the training or skills to deal with chronic illnesses like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s or recognize the need for pro-active intervention.

Both caregivers and clients can be at risk if the working relationship is not “above board” – legal. Live-in caregivers are not a good solution for seniors who are up day and night.

The administrative responsibilities for setting up the caregiver as an employee, paying the caregiver and government remittances etc. can be onerous.