How much does home care cost and what should I expect?

Seniors in Ontario can receive home care services that are publicly funded by the government. LHIN (Local Health Integration Network) will determine if they are qualified for government-fund services. However, seniors may not be able to receive the amount of care and support that matches their needs. Additionally, not everyone qualifies to receive public home care services from the government. Therefore, another available option is engage with private home care services from community agencies or through a private company. This article will provide you with a complete breakdown of private home care costs, which may help in the decision-making process.  

This home care cost breakdown may only act as a reference with general costs for private home care services available in Ontario. Therefore, you may need to contact the desired agency directly to learn more about their pricing and rates.  

Disclaimer: Below are the estimated costs, and they will be varied depending on the home care agencies.  

Personal Support Services 

With personal support services, home care is provided to enable safe and independent daily activities. A certified and trained Personal Support Worker (PSW) offers support of the following services, but not limited to: 

• Mouth care 
• Haircare
• ​Washing and bathing 
• Dressing and bathing​​
• Eating 

The hourly rate to hire a PSW in Ontario from a home care organization is between $28 to $35. Clients may be required to order a minimum number of hours per visit, and there may also be discounts if hiring a PSW for more than a determined number of hours, depending on the agencies.  

Home Support Services 

Homemaking services are available to support individuals with routine or daily household activities to enable safe and relaxing living conditions at home. These services provided by a Home Support Worker (HSW) include, but not limited to: 

• Laundry
• ​​Shopping 
• Banking 
• Preparing menus 
• House cleaning 

A Home Support Worker is not permitted to initiate physical contact with clients. The hourly rate of an HSW is generally lower than a PSW as it falls between $24 to $33. Similar to PSWs, some home care organizations may require a minimum number of requested visit hours.  
 
Nursing 

Nurses are trained to provide a diverse range of home care services, including changing bandages, cleaning wounds, post-acute care, assessing and monitoring health, medication intake, and creating a care plan.
 
Depending on the clients' needs and conditions, some home care agencies can provide either a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN). Registered nurses (RNs) have broad and extensive knowledge in their field to help patients with more complicated health issues. On the other hand, registered practical nurses (RPNs) support patients with more common and typical health conditions.  

The differences between an RPN and an RN determine the rate gap between them. If you receive services from an RPN, the hourly cost will fall between $45 to $60 while it costs between $55 to $80 per hour for an RN. Similar to a PSW and an HSW, some agencies may require their customers to request a minimum number of hours per visit.  

Physiotherapy 

Professionals provide help for back pain, blood circulation, mobility problems, pain relief, and relaxation. The standard treatment may consist of an initial assessment and multiple follow-up treatments. At every visit at the client's home, it is usually a Physiotherapist (PT) who provides care services. Generally, the costs fall between $90 to $150 for an initial assessment, which takes around one hour. 

Follow-up treatment may vary depending on the duration, and whether the care is provided by a physiotherapy assistant (PTA) or a physiotherapist. A follow-up costs typically $40 to $50, with the average length being 30 to 45 minutes, while it may cost the same as the initial assessment if the clients request an hour-long appointment with a physiotherapist.  

Speech-Language Pathology 

Speech-Language Pathologists usually support patients who have a limited speaking ability or understanding speech from all age ranges. People can visit Speech-Language Pathology if they would like to learn or get consulted about speech-language disorders.  

Depending on the client's need and their situation, each visit costs typically around $120 to $135, with the typical length of one hour or more.  

Occupational Therapy 

Occupational therapists offer support to make daily routines and physical tasks more comfortable. Typically, professional therapists will assess the reasons why a client cannot do what they want or need to do. These may include the physical abilities, mental abilities, physical setup of the surroundings. These professionals can provide clients with solutions depending on their problems so that they can live comfortably and independently.  

Typically, each visit with the occupational therapists lasts around one hour and costs between $110 to $150. Based on the situations, the clients may require follow-up treatments determined by the OT during the initial assessment. The rate of each follow-up can be similar to the initial one or be varied depending on the duration of the visit.  

Social Work 
​
Social workers' responsibilities includes helping caregivers deal with stress, and support families in enhancing their well-being or resolving problems. 
 
Based on the needs of the clients, each visit typically lasts around 1 to 1.5 hours. The social work costs in Ontario can range from $120 to $135 per visit.  

Services	Price
Personal Support	$28 - $35/hour ​
Home Support ​	$25 - $33/hour ​
Nursing (RN) ​	$55 - $80/hour ​
Nursing (RPN)	$45 - $60/hour ​
Physiotherapy* ​	$90 - $150/visit ​
Physiotherapy (Follow-Up) * ​	$90 - $100/visit (by a PT)  $40 - $50/visit (by a PTA)
Occupational Therapy* ​	$100 - $150/visit ​
Speech-Language Pathology* ​	$110 - $135/visit ​
Social Work* ​	$120 - $135/visit ​

* Please note that each visit lasts typically around 1 hour. Initial assessments can take around 1 hour, depending on the client's needs and situations, while follow-up treatments often last from 30 to 45 minutes. 

Reference:
https://www.closingthegap.ca/guides/home-care-costs-in-ontario-a-complete-breakdown
http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en17/2017AR_v2_en_web.pdf 
https://www.home careontario.ca/home-care-services/facts-figures/home-care
​https://www.closingthegap.ca/blog/nurses-do-you-know-the-difference-between-rn-rpn-and-np/ 

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Helpers Home Care On-Demand

Helpers is a service that helps you request on-demand home care with flexibility and convenience from qualified helpers. Our services are designed to make your life as easy as possible. Our team combines our passion for better healthcare with a depth of experience in senior care, home care, and technology. Helpers was formed around a mission to create a more sustainable approach to support Canada's aging population. We understand that great care starts with great people, and that is why we are committed to helping our clients and our workers get more of what they want! We must help seniors maintain their independence while ensuring families and loved ones get the trusted help they need. 

Through our app, our clients can select non-medical home care services they need and request them on-demand, paying only what they need and when they need it. Our services include personal care, mobility assist, medication reminder, and driving companion – all will be billed by the service instead of by the hour.  ​

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