The call usually comes at a hard moment. A parent is being discharged from hospital and cannot manage the stairs alone. A spouse living with dementia needs more help than family can safely give. Or the house, the meals and the medications are simply becoming too much. The question is the same every time: how do we get real help at home, from people we can trust?

Founded in 1990, INTEGRAcare is one of Toronto’s longest-standing private home health care providers, serving families at home, in retirement residences and in hospital across Toronto, Mississauga and Ottawa. Our advice after 35 years: before you hire anyone, including us, ask five questions.

1. Who supervises the care?

Many companies assign a scheduler or coordinator and stop there. Ask who designs the care plan and who checks that it is working. At INTEGRAcare, a nurse designs and supervises every care plan, and is on call 24/7 for our clients and families. Behind every caregiver stands a nurse.

2. Who will actually be in my home?

Ask how caregivers are vetted, educated and certified before they meet you. Our caregivers are screened, reference-checked and matched to each client’s needs and personality before they begin working with the care receiver. Most day-to-day personal care is provided by trained Personal Support Workers. When needs go beyond personal support, we also provide nursing care for wound care, post-surgical recovery and palliative support, and can arrange physiotherapy and massage therapy at home. Dementia is the most common reason families call us, so our caregivers receive continuing education from the Alzheimer Society of Toronto to support informed and compassionate care. We are the only private home health care provider in Toronto committed to training every caregiver in Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

3. What happens when needs change?

Care needs rarely stand still. Ask how often the plan is reviewed, and by whom. A nurse visits our clients regularly to check the quality of care, confirm the caregiver is still the right fit, and adjust the plan. Hours can go up or down as needs change.

4. What proof is there beyond the brochure?

Every provider says it is compassionate and trusted. Ask for evidence a third party stands behind. Families rate INTEGRAcare 4.8 stars across more than 100 Google reviews. We are ISO 9001 certified, an independent quality audit. And our own caregivers have certified us a Great Place to Work™, through its independent survey, every year since 2021. Caregivers who stay with us are caregivers who stay with you.

5. Can we try it before we commit?

A trustworthy provider will not ask you to take anything on faith. There are no long-term contracts. Care begins with a free assessment: a nurse meets you and your family, at home or in hospital, to understand what you need and build a plan around it. Start with a few hours and change or stop at any time.

CARP members receive 20% off their first 20 hours of personal support, a low-risk way to experience nurse-supervised care before making a larger commitment. Mention your CARP membership when you call.

Whichever provider you choose, ask the five questions. If the answers are vague, keep looking. To hear our answers in person, call INTEGRAcare at (416) 421-4243 (Toronto) or (800) 891-4197 (toll-free), or visit integracarehomecare.ca.