Creating More Independence
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  • Quality compassionate care, where and when you need it.

    VHA’s team of caring and skilled health-care professionals is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide nursing, rehabilitation, personal and home support services*. Whether at home, in a long-term care facility,school or at the hospital, our goal is to help you or your loved one live as comfortably and independently as possible. Our client-centred focus also means that we’ll do our best to match a care professional with your specific health, care and cultural/language needs.

    VHA’s range of specialized programs includes:

    Most of our services are provided free of charge through your local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) in the Greater Toronto Area and in south western Ontario.

    Not eligible for government-funded care or need more service hours?

    Contact us directly for a price list of private services, program availability in your area and information on other funding available to those clients who qualify for United Way support.

    *Some services are available in designated communities only. Please contact us for a listing of services offered in your area.

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  • Help in the Home

    It’s difficult to be a caregiver and manage all the housework. You may need help with things like bathing the person you are caring for. Here are some tools that will assist you to find the help you need, and where it is available.

    What Help Do You Need?

    You may need help with:

    • Home cleaning: dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom
    • Laundry
    • Ironing
    • Shopping
    • Banking
    • Preparing meals
    • Bathing
    • Dressing
    • Hair care
    • Mouth care
    • Toileting
    • Medication supervision
    • Hand and foot care
    • Skin care
    • Transferring a loved one from a bed or chair
    • General care so you can have a break.
    • Doing activities with your loved one.
    • Heavy housework: moving furniture, cleaning walls, drapes
    • Yard work: grass cutting, snow clearing, cleaning out the garage

    Kinds of Help You Can Get

    Home helpers are trained to give help in the home. They have different job names depending on the work they are trained to do. Some typical support services include:

    • Homemaking: light housework and help with daily household needs, like vacuuming, dusting, laundry, shopping and cooking.
    • Personal Support Services: help with personal care, like bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding and reminding to take medication.
    • Caregiver Support/Respite Care: looking after someone so the caregiver can have a break. They can help with both homemaking and personal support services: like serving a meal or doing activities with the person needing care.
    • House Cleaning: cleaning services include: moving furniture, washing windows and drapes.
    • Outdoor Maintenance: like grass cutting, snow clearance and cleaning out a garage.

    The Cost of Help in the Home

    Costs will depend on services needed and whether you qualify for government or other program support or subsidies. Agencies may be not-for-profit or for-profit.

    • In Ontario, some services may be provided through the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC).
    • Private insurance may cover some services.
    • Subsidies may be available for some services.
    • There may be cost sharing. This means some help will be paid for and you will pay for extra hours.
    • Some services will always be at cost.
    • Some agencies link you with a worker and you pay the workers, like a student who clears your snow.

    Things to Remember

    • Agencies may send a supervisor to assess the help needed.
    • Ask the supervisor who will visit, how long the worker will stay and what the worker will do.
    • If you are not happy with the service, you should speak to the supervisor.
    • Having the same worker each time is usually easier for you and the person you are caring for.

    Where to Get Help in the Home

    You can get information from:

    • Community Care Access Centre (CCAC)
    • VHA Home HealthCare
    • Community Support Agencies
    • Public Health Department
    • Information Centre
    • Yellow Pages
    • Library
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  • Community Care Access Centre (CCAC)

    You may have heard of the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) and wonder what they do. This article will give you some information about what the CCAC in Ontario offers and how they can help you!

    What is CCAC?

    CCAC stands for Community Care Access Centre and is funded indirectly by the Ontario Government. It is a community health service that brings health care workers to your home and helps people stay in their homes.

    There are 14 CCACs in communities across Ontario. The CCAC links you to other people and services that can help you. It can also provide you with information about long-term care options if it becomes too difficult for your loved one to live at home.

    What CCACs Do

    The CCACs help people:

    • Who live at home and have health problems.
    • Get better if they are sick.
    • When they come home after surgery.
    • Who want to die at home with the support they need.
    • Who have mental health problems.
    • Who can’t manage on their own.
    • Who are caring for a friend or family members.

    Who Can Have CCAC Help?

    You or a loved one can receive help from the CCAC if:

    • You have an Ontario Health Card (service is free if you have an Ontario Health Card).
    • You have a health problem that can be treated at home.
    • The hospital arranges for you to get help from the CCAC.
    • Your family member’s doctor arranges for a referral to the CCAC for you.

    Who Will Come to Your Home?

    You can expect for a CCAC case manager to visit you and your family member at your home. They will determine what help you need and send the appropriate people to give you the help.

    These are some of the services you can get:

    • Nursing
    • Nutrition Counselling
    • Occupational Therapy
    • Personal Support
    • Physiotherapy
    • Social Work
    • Speech-Language Pathology
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  • Helpful Links

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