In this guide
Choosing a home care agency is choosing who walks into your parent's home. The right questions, asked early, tell you more than any website. Here are the twelve we would ask in your place, and what a good answer sounds like.
About the caregivers
- How do you screen caregivers? A good answer names specific steps: a vulnerable-sector police check, an in-person interview, reference checks and a skills assessment.
- How do you match a caregiver to my parent? Listen for more than availability: skills, temperament, language, culture and the kind of help needed.
- Will it be the same caregiver each time? Consistency matters, especially for someone living with dementia.
- What training do caregivers have? Ask about safe transfers, dementia care and emergency response.
When something goes wrong
- Who do I call, and when can I reach them? You want a named coordinator, not a general inbox.
- What happens when the caregiver is sick or on vacation? The agency should arrange backup coverage, not leave the gap to you.
- How do you check on the care? Ask how often a coordinator follows up and how the family hears about visits.
- How do we raise a concern or ask for a different caregiver? It should be easy and without awkwardness.
Cost and practicalities
- How do you price care? Ask for a written, itemized quote after an assessment. Ask about minimum visit lengths, overnight rates and holiday rates.
- Is there a contract or minimum commitment? Know how much notice you need to change or stop care.
- How fast can care start? After a hospital discharge, days matter.
- Do you work alongside Ontario Health atHome? Private care should fit around any public visits, not duplicate them. Our guide to private care and Ontario Health atHome explains the difference.
How RightKind Care answers these
We would rather you ask us these questions than take our word for it. In short: every caregiver completes a vulnerable-sector police background check, an in-person interview, reference verification and a skills assessment before joining our roster. Each family has a dedicated care coordinator (what our coordinators do), we arrange backup coverage when a caregiver is unavailable, and after a free in-home assessment you get a clear, itemized quote. Most families are matched within 24 hours of their assessment. See what happens at the free assessment, or request a callback.
Questions families ask
Is it better to hire a caregiver directly or through an agency?
Hiring directly can cost less per hour, but you take on the screening, scheduling, backup and employer responsibilities yourself. An agency handles those for you.
How much does a home care agency cost in Toronto?
It depends on the type of care, hours and schedule. Woodgreen Community Services estimated private agencies in Toronto at about $30 to $45 an hour in its 2024 guide. Always ask for a written quote.
Sources
New swelling noticed and passed on, creams tracked, appointments handled, and a short summary for the doctor, with your OK.
See how care coordination works →
Moshe started RightKind Care after his own family needed extra help at home. He writes these guides so other families have the plain answers he wished he had. Read his story →
