Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
FAQ: OUR MISSION
At Guardian Home Care Toronto, our mission is to deliver high-level compassionate in-home care to your loved one when you cannot be there yourself. We want families of our clients to have respite and peace of mind while we are delivering our home care services.
I’M FEARFUL ABOUT COVID-19, BUT WE NEED CARE
You are not alone. Our clients and caregivers are also fearful of COVID-19 and we are doing everything we can to prevent spread of the virus, yet still deliver care. As the pandemic has progressed, we have added many guidelines to prevent our caregivers and clients from getting ill. Thankfully, as vaccines are widely available, our caregivers are also now vaccinated.
Our caregivers must assess themselves for COVID symptoms before the start of every shift. If the caregiver has symptoms, or has been in close contact with someone who is suspected to have COVID, they do not go to work, instead the caregiver self-isolates until they can get tested again and receive a negative result. Then, at the beginning of the shift, our caregivers assess the client for COVID symptoms.
To try and catch asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19, our caregivers are getting tested for COVID-19 every week.
In accordance with Toronto Public Health guidelines, our caregivers wear face masks for the entirety of the shift and wear face shields while performing close-up personal care.
WHERE ARE WE LOCATED?
We are located near the Yonge and St. Clair intersection, and we service Toronto, Scarborough, Etobicoke, and North York. Our specific address is:
Guardian Home Care
2 St. Clair Ave W, Suite 1800
Toronto, ON
M4V 1L5
Phone: (416)-613-8570
HOW DO YOU GET STARTED WITH SENIOR HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICES?
Call us or fill out our enquiry form. We can then correspond through email or over the phone to get a feel for your needs and to answer any questions you might have. If you are in a hurry, or living outside of Toronto, paperwork can be completed online to confirm the service. We then set a time for a free in-home senior care consultation, at your convenience. During the consultation we will take a health history and discuss details of the home care assistance you would like us to deliver. Our managers have a wealth of knowledge and experience in caring for elderly loved ones, and if wanted, we would be happy to provide you with short-term and long-term care option advice so you can plan for the future. We will then schedule the service and match the correct caregiver to your loved one.
Call 416-613-8570 or email to speak with a Care Manager now.
WHAT DO HOME CARE SERVICES PROVIDE?
Our Toronto home care assistance is customized to care for your exact needs and desires. Through co-ordination and consultation with the client, the client’s family, our nurses, and any health professionals involved, we will produce an initial care plan that includes, but is not limited to:
- Bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming and incontinence care performed by a home health aide
- Meal preparation according to your needs
- Walks, exercise and/or physiotherapy
- Nursing care
- Light housekeeping, laundry, and changing of bed linens
- Medication reminders
- Escorting to medical appointments
- Companionship and social interaction
“Thank you for the caregivers you sent to look after mom. They were gems and we could not have gotten through those last few days without their help.”
HOW MUCH IS HOME CARE IN TORONTO AND ONTARIO? WHAT DOES SENIOR HOME CARE COST PER HOUR?
Home care in Toronto is most often billed on an hourly rate. That hourly rate depends on the senior home care service provided and how many hours per shift you require. Often the hourly rate is higher for a short shift, and lower for long shifts or 24-hour care. Home care services usually range from $30 to $35 per hour for a personal support worker (PSW) and $45 to $60 per hour for registered nursing care.
DOES OHIP COVER SENIOR HOME CARE COSTS IN TORONTO?
Yes, OHIP may cover a couple of hours per week of home care services for the purposes of bathing and showering, however, you must first qualify for the service. OHIP covered services will not involve meal preparation, companionship or light housekeeping. The LHIN will send out a case manager to conduct an assessment of your needs and tell you whether or not you qualify for OHIP covered care services.
ARE THERE CONTRACTS WITH HOME CARE SERVICES?
At Guardian Home Care Toronto, there are no service contracts. We simply have a 24-hour cancellation policy, meaning that we need notice of 24 hours or more to cancel care. Unlike other Toronto home care companies, Guardian Home Care Toronto requires no contracts (short or long-term) or upfront deposits, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
HOW DO WE CHOOSE OUR CAREGIVERS?
Carefully! Each of our caregivers is thoroughly screened and must pass background and reference checks. For everyone’s protection, our caregivers are bonded and insured as well as covered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Our caregivers are interviewed and carefully screened, then receive a thorough introduction to our company’s policies and approach to care.
We understand that hiring a caregiver is an unfamiliar experience for many seniors, and that this may be the first time you introduce a caregiver to the home. To help alleviate any anxieties that arise, a senior care manager will accompany the staff member to introduce them to your loved one at the beginning of service. This care manager will also check in at regular intervals to ensure that the caregiver-client relationship is positive and comfortable.
WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY SENIOR HOME CARE SERVICES?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE PRIVATE CARE IN LONG TERM CARE (LTC)?
Even during COVID we are providing one-on-one elderly care in nursing homes and long term care. Currently, our caregivers who are working in long term care are getting tested for COVID on a weekly basis. Some of them have received vaccines already. Families prefer to have a caregiver with their loved one in long term care to help them eat, change incontinence briefs, help with bathing, and provide companionship and company. We will communicate with the long term care managers and fill out any paperwork necessary to begin care. Each long term care facility has their own policies and preferences for private caregivers and we will communicate with the managers to ensure that requirements of our caregivers can be met.
As a nursing agency in Toronto, we also provide nursing care in hospitals and long term care homes.
DO YOU PROVIDE OVERNIGHT SENIOR CARE?
DO YOU PROVIDE DEMENTIA CARE?
Yes, we provide care for people with dementia. Most of our clients have some degree of cognitive decline and our caregivers are provided training for increased understanding and better care strategies.
DO WE SERVICE THE FAMILY-MANAGED HOME CARE PROGRAM BY THE LHIN?
Yes, we are one of the senior home care agencies that can help. Please visit our family-managed home care page here.
DO YOU PROVIDE NURSING OR PERSONAL CARE THROUGH THE IFHP?
Yes, we provide both types of care through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). For personal care, a social worker, discharge nurse, or doctor needs to write a referral for the care. The referral should be faxed to us at 416-494-3978. We will then assess the exact care needs of the individual and send all information to Blue Cross for pre-approval of the care hours. For nursing care, the referral needs to be written by a physician. More information can be found on our Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) page.