Does OHIP Cover Home Care in Ontario?

What Families Need to Know in 2026

OHIP does not pay for private home care. Ontario does fund home care, through Ontario Health atHome, for people who qualify after an assessment. That care is free, but hours are based on assessed need and are often limited, so many families combine publicly funded hours with private home care to fill the gaps.

Does OHIP Pay for Home Care?

Not directly. OHIP covers doctor and hospital services, but it does not pay for home care that a family arranges privately with an agency. The province funds home care separately, through Ontario Health atHome, and only for people who are assessed as needing it.

That distinction matters, because it means there are two very different routes to getting help at home: publicly funded care, which is free but limited, and private care, which the family pays for but controls.

What Is Ontario Health atHome?

Ontario Health atHome is the provincial organization that assesses people for publicly funded home and community care, arranges that care, and manages applications to long term care homes. If you remember the names CCAC, LHIN or Home and Community Care, this is the same service under its current name.

What Does Publicly Funded Home Care Include?

Depending on the assessment, publicly funded home care can include nursing, personal support, medication management and rehabilitation. A care coordinator sets the care plan, and the visits are delivered by provider agencies contracted by Ontario Health atHome.

Core home care services are provided at no cost. Some community support services that care coordinators may refer you to, such as meal delivery or adult day programs, can carry a fee.

How Do You Qualify, and How Do You Apply?

Eligibility is based on an assessment of need, not on income. Any Ontario resident with valid OHIP coverage can ask to be assessed. There are three common ways to start:

• Call Ontario Health atHome directly at 1-833-515-1234. The line is open seven days a week and connects you to the nearest office.
• Ask your parent’s family doctor or nurse practitioner for a referral.
• If your parent is in hospital, ask the care team to arrange an assessment before discharge.

A care coordinator will then assess your parent’s needs, either at home or virtually, and put a care plan in place if they qualify. It helps to have your parent’s OHIP number, a list of their medications and a short summary of what daily life has become difficult ready before that call. How quickly services begin varies by region and by need.

Why Publicly Funded Hours Are Often Not Enough

Publicly funded home care is designed to support families, not to replace them. The number of hours is set by the assessment, and for many families it falls short of what is actually needed.

The gaps tend to show up in the same places: overnight, on weekends, in the first weeks after a hospital discharge, and in the long stretches of the day when a parent living with dementia should not be alone. Families may also have limited say over when visits happen or which caregiver arrives.

If your parent is in hospital and waiting for a long term care bed, or coming home after a hospital stay, our guides on waiting in hospital for long term care and bringing a parent home from hospital explain what to expect in each situation.

How Private Home Care Fills the Gaps

Private home care is paid for by the family, has no eligibility test, and can start quickly. It is most often used to add to publicly funded care, not to replace it.

• More hours. Anything from a few hours a week up to 24/7 care.
• The times public care does not reach. Evenings, overnights and weekends.
• Consistency. The same caregiver wherever possible, which matters most for people living with dementia.
• Support beyond the care plan. Companionship, home support such as meals and housekeeping, errands, and respite for family caregivers.
• A faster start. No referral is needed, and care can often begin within a few days.

Our Personal Care Managers are PSWs, Social Service Workers and Nursing Certified personnel, providing non-medical support for their clients. Assessments are always conducted by one of our owners, and we can plan private care around any publicly funded hours your parent already receives, so the two work together rather than overlap.

Ontario Health atHome and Private Home Care, Side by Side

	Ontario Health atHome	Private home care
Who pays	The province. No cost to you if eligible.	The family, sometimes with private insurance or employee benefits
Who qualifies	Based on an assessment of need	No eligibility test
How to start	Call 1-833-515-1234, or a referral from a doctor or hospital	Call the agency directly. No referral needed.
How soon	Varies by region and need	Often within a few days
How many hours	Set by the assessment and often limited	As many as the family chooses, up to 24/7 care
Choice of caregiver	Assigned by the contracted provider	Consistent caregiver wherever possible, and changed if the fit is wrong
Services	Nursing, personal support, medication management, rehabilitation	Non-medical support such as personal care, home support, companionship, dementia care and respite

Which Tax Credits Help With the Cost of Private Care?

OHIP does not cover private home care, but some of the cost may come back at tax time.

Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit

A refundable credit worth up to 25 percent of claimable medical expenses, to a maximum of $6,000 in expenses, so up to $1,500 a year. You or your spouse must have turned 70 or older during the tax year and live in Ontario at year end. The credit is reduced by 5 percent of family net income over $35,000 and is fully phased out by $65,000. Because it is refundable, you can receive it even if you owe no income tax.

Attendant care can count as an eligible expense, but it requires certification, for example from a medical practitioner. Keep every receipt.

Medical expense tax credits

The same eligible expenses can also be claimed under the federal and Ontario medical expense tax credits, on top of the Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit.

Private insurance and employee benefits

Some private health plans and employee benefit plans include home care. It is worth checking the policy wording, or calling the insurer, before care starts.

Every family’s situation is different, so it is worth confirming eligibility with an accountant before you file.

What About Long Term Care?

If a parent needs nursing care around the clock, applications for long term care homes also go through Ontario Health atHome. Waitlists can be long, and many families care for a parent at home, with a mix of public and private support, while they wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does OHIP cover home care in Ontario?

OHIP does not pay for home care that a family arranges privately. Publicly funded home care is available at no cost through Ontario Health atHome for people who qualify after an assessment of need.

How do I get publicly funded home care for a parent?

Call Ontario Health atHome at 1-833-515-1234, ask your parent’s family doctor or nurse practitioner for a referral, or ask the hospital care team before discharge. A care coordinator will assess your parent’s needs and create a care plan if they qualify.

How many hours of home care does Ontario Health atHome provide?

There is no set number. Hours are based on each person’s assessed needs and are often limited, which is why many families add private home care for evenings, weekends or extra support.

Can you use private home care and Ontario Health atHome at the same time?

Yes. Private home care can add hours or services on top of what is publicly funded, and the two can be scheduled to work together.

Is there a tax credit for home care in Ontario?

Ontario seniors aged 70 and over may qualify for the Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit, a refundable credit of up to $1,500 a year on eligible medical expenses. It is reduced as family net income rises above $35,000, and attendant care expenses require certification. An accountant can confirm eligibility.

Do I need a referral for private home care?

No. You can call First Class Home Care directly. A FREE consultation can usually be arranged within 24 to 48 hours, and assessments are always conducted by one of our owners.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit: ontario.ca/page/ontario-seniors-care-home-tax-credit
• Ontario Health atHome, Contact: ontariohealthathome.ca/contact/