Cooking
Hot meals made in the client's own kitchen, with extra portions packed away for later in the week.
Private home care · Ottawa
Additional Support Services in Ottawa
A personal support worker (PSW) can cook, do light housekeeping, pick up groceries and go along to medical appointments, following a care plan written by a Registered Nurse (RN).
Clients, families and caregivers in Ottawa can reach a nurse 24/7.
Free in-home assessment. No obligation.
When Chores Slip
Help With Running a Household
The first signs tend to be small: an empty fridge, dishes piling up, unopened mail, a specialist visit missed because the trip felt like too much. A parent may still wash and dress alone while the cooking and cleaning fall behind.
Integracare's additional support services cover those jobs. A PSW prepares meals, keeps up the light housekeeping, runs errands and gives reminders to take medication and drink water, all set out in a written care plan.
Before visits begin, an RN meets the client at home to write it, then keeps it current as health or routines change.
Integracare was founded in 1991. Kristine McGinn, who leads the company in Ottawa, has more than 25 years in health care and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN).
When the main need is company, our companionship and homemaking care pairs your parent with a regular caregiver for conversation and outings.
Talk through your optionsOn Each Visit
Tasks a PSW Can Take On
The family and the nurse agree on this list during the assessment, and the care plan records it for every caregiver who comes.
Light housekeeping
Washing up, tidy counters, a made bed and clear floors, so rooms stay pleasant and safe to walk through.
Groceries and errands
Shopping together or from a list, plus other stops the plan names.
Appointments and outings
Company at a medical visit or a community event, from getting ready at home to the trip back.
Reminders
A nudge to take medication at the right time and to keep sipping water all day.
Conversation
Time to talk over lunch or a cup of tea, which matters to someone who spends long days alone.
Safety aids
We can help the family arrange medical equipment and assistive devices, and suggest changes that make the house easier to get around.
Appointments in Winter
Getting to the Doctor Over Ice and Snow
A clinic visit can take most of a morning once boots, a heavy coat and a slippery front step are involved. A PSW can make the whole trip with the client: helping them dress for the weather, steadying the walk out, waiting with them and settling them back at home.
The appointment might be at The Ottawa Hospital, Queensway Carleton Hospital or Hôpital Montfort. Wherever it is, the PSW goes there and back with your parent.
The PSW's visit notes appear in the Family Room, Integracare's online portal, as soon as they are recorded, so relatives who stayed behind can read about the day.
Public Home Care
What Ontario Health atHome Covers
Ontario Health atHome, the province's home care agency, offers homemaking only to people who also receive personal support, or who need constant supervision because of a cognitive impairment or an acquired brain injury. During a caregiver's break, provincial respite adds housework only for a person who also needs hands-on personal care.
An Integracare PSW can cook, clean and run errands for anyone who needs the help, with no personal care required. Our visits can also take on the tasks or hours a public plan leaves out.
Before the Assessment
Notes to Have Ready for the Nurse
Jot these down before the RN's home visit.
Meals
Which ones get missed, favourite dishes, foods to avoid and who buys the groceries now.
Housework
Chores that have slipped, and any the client would still like to handle.
Appointments
Medical visits booked for the coming month, with addresses and times.
Mobility
Any cane, walker or wheelchair in use, and how the client gets to appointments now.
Relatives
Who should hear about changes, and who would like an invitation to the Family Room.
Language
Whether the family would rather plan care in English or French.
Getting Started
How Care Begins in Ottawa
Our Ottawa team serves families in Downtown Ottawa, Kanata, Nepean, Orleans, Barrhaven, Stittsville, Gloucester and nearby. The plan sets how often a PSW comes, and the nurse adjusts it as needs shift.
Call the Ottawa office
Phone (613) 212-7567 and describe the help you have in mind.
A nurse visits
An RN assesses the client at home, then writes the care plan with them and the family.
A matched PSW
We choose a caregiver to suit the client, and the plan lists the days, times and tasks.
Updates online
Invited relatives can check the schedule and read each caregiver's notes in the Family Room as they are recorded.
Support at any hour
A nurse takes calls from clients, families and caregivers day and night, and the RN keeps the plan current.
Talk With Our Ottawa Team
Call (613) 212-7567 or book a free in-home assessment with a Registered Nurse.
Local Resources
Other Household Help in Ottawa
Other organizations run these programs. Each sets its own rules, and Integracare is separate from all of them.
Scroll the table sideways to compare care options.
| Program | What it offers | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario Health atHome, Champlain area | Publicly funded home care for people who qualify. A care coordinator sets the services after an assessment, and Integracare visits can be added around them. | 1-800-538-0520 (toll-free) or 613-745-5525 |
| Ontario Caregiver Helpline | Free phone support for family caregivers, answered 24/7. Staff point callers to local support groups and programs for the person receiving care. It is not a crisis line. | 1-833-416-2273 |
| 211 Ontario | A directory of other community programs near you, by phone or online. | Dial 211 or visit 211ontario.ca |
Common Questions
What Ottawa Families Ask About Extra Help at Home
Can a PSW come with my parent to a medical appointment?
Yes. The PSW can help the client get ready, travel with them, wait through the visit and see them home.
Will Ontario Health atHome pay for housekeeping by itself?
Only for some people: those who also receive personal support, or who need constant supervision because of a cognitive impairment or acquired brain injury. Others can pay privately.
Can private visits run alongside public home care?
Yes. Integracare can cover cooking, errands or extra hours outside what Ontario Health atHome provides. At the assessment, tell the nurse what the public plan already includes.
Who supervises the PSW?
An RN visits before care starts, writes the plan and stays responsible for it. The client, the family and the PSW can call a nurse at any hour.
Can we arrange care in French?
Yes. Our Ottawa team offers nursing supervision and care management in French to families who prefer it.
What about meals on days without a visit?
The PSW can cook extra portions to freeze for the days between visits.
Other Services
More Care in Ottawa
Home Care in Ottawa
Personal Support Workers in Ottawa
Nursing Care in Ottawa
Dementia Care in Ottawa
24-Hour Home Care in Ottawa
Live-in Care in Ottawa
Companionship & Homemaking in Ottawa
We also provide additional support services in Greater Toronto and additional support services in Winnipeg.
Free In-Home Assessment
Ask About Additional Support in Ottawa
Tell us what you need. A nurse will contact you within one business day.
343 Preston Street, Suite 1104, Ottawa, ON K1S 1N4
Prefer to talk?
Ottawa(613) 212-7567 ↗We serve families across the Ottawa region. See the areas we cover
Clinically reviewed by Bethel McMaster, BScN, RN ·