Interim Federal Health Plan (IFHP) home care coverage
Guardian Home Care provides home care assistance to people who are covered under the Interim Federal Health Plan (IFHP). Blue Cross administers this program. We are a registered provider with Blue Cross Medavie to deliver home care, including personal care attendant services, to people living in Toronto, North York, and Scarborough who are covered under the IFHP.
The following personal care services can be provided under the IFHP:
- Bathing and showering
- Meal preparation
- Light housekeeping
- Laundry
- Accompanying to appointment
How many personal care hours can be supplied by the Interim Federal Health Plan?
In order to determine the number of personal care hours that Blue Cross will cover, we will first complete a comprehensive assessment and fax it to Blue Cross for prior approval. Our minimum shift length is 4 hours, so whatever allocation of hours we are given to serve you, it must be in at least 4-hour segments (that is, 4-hour shifts or longer). There is an absolute maximum of 140 hours personal care hours per month. Although the bulk of our clients are seniors, and therefore receive elder care services, we serve younger adults as well.
Preapproval from Blue Cross will be needed before service can begin
Under the IFHP, a preapproval from Blue Cross is needed before home care services can begin. In order to apply for preapproval, a referral from a health care provider (physician, nurse, social worker, nurse practitioner) must be written and sent to us. We, Guardian Home Care, will then complete a comprehensive assessment and fax the referral and the assessment to Blue Cross Medavie for approval. It usually takes Blue Cross a week or two to process a preapproval for homecare under the IFHP.
If you are needing to write a referral letter for personal care under the IFHP, please contact us at 416-613-8570 and we can guide you.
Guardian Home Care is a registered provider with Medavie Blue Cross under the IFHP program. Up to 140 hours of home care service per month can be preapproved from Blue Cross.
Does the IFHP cover nursing at home?
Yes, Guardian Home Care can supply in-home nursing services through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). In order for nursing services to be approved, Guardian Home Care needs to receive a referral from a physician describing the exact number of nursing hours per day requested and why nursing hours are needed. We can provide guidance regarding the referral letter.
What is the Interim Federal Health Plan (IFHP)?
The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides limited, temporary coverage of health-care benefits for specific groups of people in Canada who don’t have provincial, territorial, or private health-care coverage.
Who is eligible for the IFHP?
1. Refugees, until they are eligible for provincial or territorial health care insurance.
2. Individuals who have received a positive decision as a protected person
3. Refugee Claimants
What is covered under the IFHP?
Basic coverage (similar to health-care coverage from provincial or territorial health insurance plans)
- in-patient and out-patient hospital services
- services from medical doctors, registered nurses and other health-care professionals licensed in Canada, including pre- and post-natal care
- laboratory, diagnostic and ambulance s0ervices
Frequently Asked Questions
OUR MISSION
At Guardian Home Care Toronto, our mission is to deliver high-level compassionate in-home care assistance 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.
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 bi-weekly (every two weeks) and report their results to our managers.
In accordance with Toronto Public Health guidelines, our caregivers wear face masks for the entirety of the shift and wear face shields while performing closeup personal care.
WHERE ARE WE LOCATED?
Guardian Home Care
2 St. Clair Ave W, Suite 1800
Toronto, ON
M4V 1L5
Phone: (416)-613-8570
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.
WHAT DO IFHP HOME CARE SERVICES PROVIDE?
Our IFHP 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
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 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 HOME CARE SERVICES?
Toronto homecare services are usually personal care of a patient/client and some domestic help around the house. Personal care includes bathing, showering, help with oral care, changing of incontinence briefs, while the domestic services usually include laundry, bed linen change, meal preparation, dishes clean up, and light housekeeping.
DO YOU PROVIDE OVERNIGHT SENIOR CARE?
Yes, it is common for families to request in-home overnight care, especially when a spouse or family member is caregiving during the daytime and needing rest and peace of mind overnight. We can help with evening care and overnight care including toileting, help with oral care, changing of incontinence briefs, and companionship during wakeful hours in the night. Our caregivers will be attentive to your loved one overnight so that other family members can sleep.
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 higher up on this page. If you are not covered by the IFHP, we deliver care as a regular nursing agency in Toronto.
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 used to these challenges. If you are not covered by the IFHP and are looking for senior home care in Toronto, please visit our elder home health care services page.