When a parent starts struggling with daily tasks, or when a spouse comes home from the hospital needing more support than one person can provide, families often find themselves asking the same question: What are our options?
Home care gives families a way to provide support while helping a loved one remain at home. But the term covers a wide range of services, and it is not always clear what is included or how care is arranged. This guide answers ten common questions families ask when considering in-home care.
1. What is home care?
Home care is professional support provided to a person in their own home. Depending on the person’s needs, this can include companionship, personal care, meal preparation, transportation, or support after a hospital stay.
The difference is where care happens. The person remains in familiar surroundings and caregivers come to the home according to the schedule and level of support required.
At Merging Homecare, our relationship-based approach means getting to know the person receiving care and building support around their routines and preferences. You can learn more about our approach on our About page.
2. What services does Merging Homecare provide?
Merging Homecare provides in-home care services for older adults and families across different stages of aging. Depending on the care plan, support may include:
- Companionship and emotional support: Including regular visits and social connection. Visit our Companionship & Emotional Support page for details.
- Personal care: Including help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and hygiene. See our Personal Care service page for more.
- Cognitive decline support: For individuals living with dementia or memory loss. Learn more on our Cognitive Decline Support page.
- Post-hospital recovery: Including support with daily routines and personal care after discharge. Details on our Post-Hospital Recovery page.
- Additional support: Meal preparation, light household support, transportation and errands, care coordination, grooming, and 24/7 or overnight care are also available.
For a full overview, visit our main Services page.
3. What is the difference between home care and home healthcare?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they can refer to different types of support. Home healthcare refers to skilled clinical services delivered at home by regulated professionals, such as registered nurses, physiotherapists, or occupational therapists. These services are typically connected to a medical condition or treatment plan.
Home care covers a broader range of support. At Merging Homecare, caregivers assist with personal care, daily routines, medication reminders, and mobility. We work alongside community health services and healthcare providers when care needs to be coordinated.
For example, help with dressing or support during the day generally falls under home care. Wound care or IV therapy requires a qualified healthcare professional. Some people receive both types of support at home.
4. How does home care work in Canada?
In Canada, home care may be publicly funded, privately arranged, or a combination of both. The services available through provincial health systems depend on eligibility, assessed need, and local availability. Families may choose private care to add hours or services that are not covered through the public system.
Merging Homecare is a private senior home care provider serving Greater Vancouver and surrounding communities. Families contact us directly, and we arrange a discovery call to understand the situation. From there, we design a care plan, match a caregiver, and arrange a start date. Care can often begin within a few days.
If you want to understand what publicly funded home care covers in BC and how private care fits alongside it, our Resources section includes guidance for families navigating these decisions.
5. Who needs home care services?
People seek home care for many different reasons. Some of the families we work with include:
- Seniors living independently who need help with parts of their daily routine and want to remain at home. See our Seniors Living Independently service.
- Individuals living with cognitive decline, including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or memory loss, who benefit from consistent support at home.
- Adults managing chronic conditions who need help with daily routines between medical appointments.
- People recovering from a hospital stay or surgical procedure who need support during the transition home.
- Family caregivers who need respite or additional help sharing day-to-day care.
- Families who need support coordinating care as needs change over time.
Families also arrange home care for companionship, help with routines, transportation, or added support with safety at home.
Home Care vs. the Alternatives
6. Is home care better than moving to a care home?
There is no single answer. The right choice depends on the person’s care needs, home environment, preferences, and available support.
Home care allows older adults to remain in familiar surroundings and keep more of their established routines. It is often a good fit when the level of support required can be managed safely at home, whether through occasional visits or more regular care.
A care home or assisted living setting may be more appropriate when care becomes difficult to manage safely at home, continuous supervision is required, or the home environment no longer meets the person’s needs.
At Merging Homecare, we help families look at the level of support required and whether home care is a realistic fit. Our guide on home care vs. assisted living has more on how we approach this conversation.
7. How do I know if my loved one needs home care?
Some signs that additional support may be helpful include:
- Changes around the home: Skipped meals or household tasks that start to pile up as daily routines become harder to manage.
- Missed medications or confusion about dosage: Medication reminders can help support a more consistent routine.
- Weight loss or changes in eating habits: Difficulty shopping for or preparing food can affect how regularly someone eats.
- More falls or near-misses: A caregiver can provide mobility support and help a senior move around the home more safely.
- Social withdrawal or loneliness: Regular companion visits provide another source of social connection when getting out becomes harder.
- Family members feeling overwhelmed: If caregiving is becoming difficult to manage alongside work or other responsibilities, additional support can help share the load.
If you are noticing any of these signs, a free discovery call with our team can help you talk through the situation and possible next steps. Book a consultation here.
8. What are the benefits of receiving care at home?
Receiving care at home can offer several practical benefits:
- Familiar surroundings: Remaining at home allows seniors to stay in a space they know and continue familiar routines.
- One-on-one attention: During a scheduled visit, the caregiver’s time is focused on the person receiving care.
- Flexibility: The schedule and level of support can be adjusted as needs change.
- Family involvement: Home care keeps families involved in day-to-day care. At Merging Homecare, we provide regular updates and maintain open communication, supporting families navigating the aging journey.
- Cost: Private home care can be more affordable than full-time residential care when round-the-clock support is not required. Learn more in our guide on senior home care costs in Vancouver.
- Choice and independence: Receiving care at home gives older adults more control over their routines and how support fits into daily life.
9. Can seniors stay at home instead of moving into assisted living?
Yes. Many seniors are able to remain at home with the right level of support. Assisted living or long-term care may become necessary when needs can no longer be managed safely at home, but home care can support a wide range of needs before that point.
A care plan might begin with personal care or companionship, then add cognitive decline support, medication reminders, or overnight care as needs change. For many families, this makes aging at home possible for longer.
Families across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland have worked with Merging Homecare. We support seniors from occasional visits through more intensive daily care.
To find out whether home care is a realistic option for your family’s situation, book a free consultation. Our team can talk through the level of support that would make sense.
10. Why do families choose home care?
Families choose home care for different reasons. Common situations include:
- A parent wants to remain at home and needs support to do so safely.
- Family members have been managing care themselves and need additional help.
- A hospital discharge creates a need for support at home.
- The family wants more consistent caregiver support.
Across these situations, families are often looking for reassurance. They want to know their loved one has dependable support at home and that they will be kept informed if something changes.
Merging Homecare’s relationship-based approach is built around that consistency. Caregivers are matched with clients based on care needs and personal fit, then get to know the person’s routines and preferences over time.
Our four-step process, Discover, Design, Match, Begin, outlines how we move from the first conversation to starting care. Learn more about how we work.
Ready to Talk?
If you have questions about whether home care is right for your situation, the first step is a conversation. Our team is available 24/7, and the discovery call gives you a chance to explain what is happening and understand the options available. There is no obligation.
Book a free consultation or call us at 1-888-439-8585.
You can also explore our full services, read answers to common questions in our guide for families figuring this out, or browse our Learning & Resources blog for guidance on navigating care decisions.
We serve Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission, and Abbotsford. See our full service area.