Home support is practical, non-medical help around the house for seniors who want to keep living at home. First Class Home Care’s caregivers take care of housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, grocery shopping and everyday errands, so your loved one’s home stays safe, comfortable and run the way they like it.
Key takeaways
- Home support covers housekeeping, laundry, meals, groceries, errands and organizing.
- It does not include hands on help like bathing or dressing, which is our Personal Care service, and the two are often combined.
- It is often a good first step, well before more hands on care is needed.
- 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 your first consultation is FREE.
- No doctor’s referral is needed, and care often begins within a few days.
What Does Home Support Include?
Home support covers the household tasks that keep a home clean, stocked and running smoothly. Everyone’s home is their place of comfort and refuge, so every plan is built around your loved one’s routines and the way they like things done.
Around the home
- Light housekeeping
- Laundry and linen changes
- Menu planning, meal preparation and cooking
- Grocery shopping
- Organizing and decluttering
Errands and special requests
- Picking up dry cleaning
- Mailing letters and post office errands
- Making appointments and booking reservations
- Grocery shopping
- Coordinating referrals for household maintenance and repairs
How Is Home Support Different From Personal Care and Companionship?
Home support looks after the house, personal care looks after the person, and companionship looks after connection. Many families combine them in a single care plan.
Home Support
Main focus
Housekeeping, laundry, meals, groceries, errands
Hands on help? No
Often a good fit when
Household tasks are slipping, but your loved one manages their own personal care
Companionship
Main focus
Conversation, outings, hobbies, safety visits
Hands on help? No
Often a good fit when
Your loved one is lonely, isolated or would benefit from regular visits
Personal Care
Main focus
Bathing, dressing, grooming, mobility
Hands on help? Yes
Often a good fit when
Daily personal tasks have become difficult or unsafe
Who Is Home Support For?
Home support suits seniors who manage their own personal care but are finding a home harder to keep up with. It is often a good fit for someone who:
- Lives alone, with family who live far away or work full time
- Is recovering after a hospital stay or surgery
- Has a spouse who has been carrying the household and needs a break
- Is starting to notice memory changes, where routines like laundry, meals or mail begin to slip
Signs it may be time
- Laundry or dishes piling up
- Expired food in the fridge, or not much food at all
- Unopened mail or missed bills
- Clutter on floors, walkways or stairs, which can become a trip hazard
How Is Home Support Different From a Cleaning Service?
A cleaning service cleans the house. Home support is delivered by a trained, screened caregiver who also pays attention to the person living there.
Every First Class caregiver has a Vulnerable Sector Police Record Check and current First Aid and CPR certification. Because they visit regularly, they are often the first to notice a change in appetite, mood or mobility, and they can prepare meals, run errands and help in ways a cleaning company cannot. As needs change, companionship or personal care can be added with the same team.
How Often, and for How Long?
As often as your family needs, from a few hours a week to daily visits. It is common to start with one or two visits a week and adjust from there, and care plans can scale up to 24/7 care if needs change.
Is Home Support Covered by OHIP?
No. OHIP does not pay for privately arranged home support. Ontario Health atHome may fund certain homemaking tasks, such as light cleaning, laundry or meal preparation, when those services are directly connected to an existing care plan for personal support or specialized medical care. Home support on its own is not generally provided as a stand-alone publicly funded service. Families who need additional help at home can arrange private home support based on their loved one’s needs.
Pricing is provided at your FREE consultation, with no hidden fees, and is based on the tasks and hours your loved one needs.
Who Provides Home Support at First Class Home Care?
Our Personal Care Managers are PSWs, Social Service Workers and Nursing Certified personnel, providing non-medical support for their clients. We assign the same caregiver wherever possible, so your loved one sees a familiar face, and if a match is not right, we will change it.
First Class Home Care has been family owned and operated since 2009, not a franchise. Assessments are always conducted by one of our owners. That kind of direct, hands on involvement from ownership is rare in this industry, and it is exactly why families come back to us.
How Do We Get Started?
Call us at 905-636-9995 or toll-free at 1-855-636-9995. No doctor’s referral is needed. A FREE consultation can usually be arranged within 24 to 48 hours, one of our owners will visit to understand your loved one’s home and routines, and care often begins within a few days.
Areas We Serve
First Class Home Care provides home support across Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Etobicoke West and Burlington, Brampton, Georgetown, along with Guelph, Elora and Fergus, where we expanded last year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in home support for seniors?
Home support covers light housekeeping, laundry and linen changes, menu planning and meal preparation, grocery shopping, organizing and decluttering, and errands such as picking up dry cleaning, post office trips and booking appointments.
Does home support include personal care like bathing?
No. Home support covers household tasks. Hands on help with bathing, dressing and grooming is part of our Personal Care service, and many families combine the two in one care plan.
Is home support covered by OHIP?
No. OHIP does not pay for privately arranged home support. Ontario Health atHome may fund certain homemaking tasks when they are directly connected to an existing care plan for personal support or specialized medical care. Home support is not generally provided as a stand-alone publicly funded service.
How quickly can home support start?
A FREE consultation can usually be arranged within 24 to 48 hours of your call, and care often begins within a few days. No doctor’s referral is needed.
Will it be the same caregiver each visit?
We assign the same caregiver wherever possible so your loved one sees a familiar face. If the match is not right, we will arrange a different caregiver.
Book a FREE Consultation
The best way to know whether home support is right for your family is a conversation. Reach out for a FREE consultation with one of our owners, and we will help you work out what kind of support actually fits.
Phone: 905-636-9995
Toll-Free: 1-855-636-9995
Email: info@firstclasshomecareinc.com
