Types of Home Caregiving Provider

Types of Home Caregiving Provider

Family & Friends

are the primary providers of home care services in BC and provide roughly 4 out of every 5 hours of home care.

Any long-term home care situation with family as the primary caregivers are encouraged to have a backup agency home care provider to avoid caregiver burnout and provide a contingent solution for emergencies. Trying to find care, go through the onboarding process and start care once something has gone wrong is stressful and can be avoided. We are happy to complete the onboarding process ahead of time so you can start service with a phone call. 250-658-6508

Privately-hired Individual Caregivers

can be a great to start small services but they are limited to what that person can commit to. 

• A Privately-hired Individual Caregiver usually has a lack of flexibility to meet changing or increasing needs which is when a Private Agency or Government might supplement
• Ensure the caregiver being hired has the appropriate skills and experience for the care needs - Some are skilled and some are not
• Ensure they have Worksafe BC coverage or you may need a policy to cover them

Care Connection Websites are online services where potential care providers and potential care employers sign up to be matched.

• Care Connection Websites are not employers. Clients are the employers and work out scheduling with the care providers they contact.
• There is one Care Connection-like Website that does provide scheduling - they are acting as an employer, hiring care providers remotely across the province and then misclassifying their employees as contractors to avoid paying Canadian taxes. Additionally, they do not provide supervision, education or safety equipment like gloves and masks.

Government Care from the Health Authority

employs skilled caregivers and operates with high standards of practice as an organization.

• The normal maximum is up to 60 hours per month per person.
• For higher needs clients this can go up to 120 hours per month per person.
• In extenuating circumstances where a client cannot be left alone due to safety concerns government provides more than 120 hours of care per month but requires placement on the waitlist for AL or LTC Group Care.

Private Home Care without Nursing Supervision

often employ caregivers who may have no formal care education.

• Most private home care agencies do not provide nurse supervision, nurse education or nursing services.
• Uneducated Caregivers should not be providing complex medication administration, using overhead lifts, completing complicated transfers or providing complex or end-of-life care

Private Care Agencies with Nursing Supervision

usually employ mixed skill caregivers but a few provide consistently skilled caregivers.

• Nurse Supervised caregivers can provide complex medication admin, lifts & transfers and complex care or end-of-life support with ongoing education supporting best practice

CommunityPlus

provides Nursing Supervision with consistently skilled caregivers who are paid a Living Wage.

Immigration Programs

are renewed by the government each year allowing individuals and families to bring in temporary workers instead of hiring Canadians.

• In 2026 the Live-in Caregiver program to hire temporary foreign workers has not been continued and immigration requirements have been tightened up and made much less accessible.
• These programs have historically undercut Canadian workers and livable Canadian wages.

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