Vancouver Island Home Care Cost Reference
Updated May 2026 · 38 providers surveyed
Private home care on Vancouver Island is billed per hour for daily visits, with separate flat rates for overnight shifts and live-in days. These are the average rates we see across every provider we track, so you can set a realistic budget before you run the calculator below.
Skilled (nurse-supervised)
$54/hr
Companion
$51/hr
Overnight shift
$400
Live-in day
$596
24-hour vigilant
$748
Monthly cost / daily hour
~$1,600
Frequently asked questions about home care cost
What drives the hourly rate up or down?
Three things. Visit length — shorter visits (under 2 hours) carry a short-visit premium because providers still dispatch a caregiver for a full booked window. Weekends and stat holidays carry a modest premium with most providers. Complex care (vigilant overnights, aggressive-behaviour support, high medical acuity) adds a complex-care hourly surcharge.
Is companion care always cheaper than skilled care?
Usually, but the gap is smaller than most families expect. The current Vancouver Island average is $54/hr for skilled versus $51/hr for companion at a 2-hour visit. Skilled care includes nurse supervision and staff who can do personal care, transfers, and medication assistance. If you need any of that, skilled is the only option; the small rate premium is usually justified by scope.
When does live-in become cheaper than hourly care?
Around the 10–12 hours of daily support mark. Below that, scheduled visits cost less. Above that, the live-in daily rate ($596 median) works out to under $46/hr of billed time, which is cheaper than piecing together long hourly shifts with weekend premiums. Live-in also means a single caregiver relationship instead of rotating shift workers.
Are these rates for CommunityPlus specifically, or island-wide?
The averages shown here are island-wide — every home care provider we track on Vancouver Island is surveyed annually for rates and service terms. CommunityPlus rates are included in those averages. For our specific current rates, use the interactive calculator below or call 250-658-6508.
Rates reflect the May 2026 survey across 38 Vancouver Island home care providers. Use the interactive calculator below for a live estimate tailored to your schedule.