What to Ask Before Hiring a Home Care Agency in Ottawa (and the Red Flags to Watch For)

Key Takeaways

• The questions that matter most are who employs the Caregiver, how they are screened, who supervises the care, and what happens when a Caregiver cannot make a shift.
• Ask whether Caregivers are employees of the agency or independent contractors. It changes who trains, supervises, and stands behind them.
• You can check a nurse's registration on the College of Nurses of Ontario's public register, and many PSWs are listed on the HSCPOA public register.
• Red flags include vague answers about screening, no nurse involvement, no backup plan, and pressure to sign before an assessment.
• A free in-home assessment lets you meet an agency, ask every question on your list, and see how it would care for your loved one before you sign anything.

Once you’ve decided to work with a home care agency, the next step is choosing one. You might have a list of three or four Ottawa agencies, and their websites can sound very similar.

The answers to a few direct questions are what set them apart: who the Caregiver works for, how they were screened, who oversees the care, and what happens when someone can’t make a shift. Asking the same questions of every agency makes the answers easy to compare.

If you’re still deciding between an agency and hiring someone yourself, compare who would oversee the care, handle scheduling, and step in if your loved one’s needs change. Understanding the differences between hiring a PSW independently and choosing nurse-supervised home care helps with that decision.

Before You Call: Know What You Need

Agencies can only give useful answers if they know what you are looking for. Before you call, jot down:

• What help your loved one needs: bathing, meals, medications, dementia care, nursing, overnight support.
• How many hours a week, and when.
• Any health conditions, mobility limits, or memory changes.
• What matters to your loved one: the language they’re most comfortable in, their cultural background, a love of gardening, or a preference for a slower pace in the morning.

You don't need to have everything figured out before making that first call. An experienced care team will take the time to learn about your loved one, listen to your concerns and help you decide what care would fit comfortably into their life at home.

The Questions That Separate One Agency From Another

1. Are your Caregivers employees or independent contractors?

This is an important distinction when choosing a home care agency. Agencies that employ their Caregivers are responsible for hiring, training, scheduling, and supervising their staff. Others operate as referral services, connecting Families with independent Caregivers while leaving some of the responsibility for managing care to the Family.

Ask whether Caregivers are employees or independent contractors, and confirm that the agency carries appropriate liability insurance and WSIB coverage.

At Integracare, our Caregivers are employees, not independent contractors. We handle hiring, training, scheduling and matching Caregivers with Clients. Every care plan is overseen by a Registered Nursing Coordinator, providing ongoing clinical oversight as your loved one's needs change.

2. How do you screen Caregivers before hiring them?

A Caregiver will be working closely with your loved one in their home, so screening is an essential part of choosing an agency. Ask what checks are completed before a Caregiver is hired, such as police clearance, reference checks, and verification of training and credentials.

At Integracare, every Caregiver undergoes screening before starting, including police clearance, an annual medical check, and bonding.

3. What training and credentials do your Caregivers have?

Ask whether personal care is provided by trained PSWs and nursing care by Registered Nurses (RNs) or Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs).

You can also check registration yourself. Every nurse practising in Ontario must be registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario, and the Find a Nurse register confirms whether they are an RN or RPN and entitled to practise.

Since December 1, 2024, PSWs have been able to register with the Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority (HSCPOA). Registration is voluntary, so ask whether the agency’s PSWs are registered. The public register shows whether a registration is active and which languages a PSW speaks.

Dementia can change how a person remembers, communicates, and responds to everyday routines, and supporting someone through those changes takes specialized skills. If your loved one is living with dementia, ask what dementia training Caregivers receive. The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County trains our Ottawa Caregivers in dementia care, through a partnership announced in June 2026.

4. Who supervises the care plan?

Ask who develops the care plan, who updates it, and how often it is reviewed. Nursing oversight is especially important for Seniors living with health conditions, as a nurse can recognize changes in your loved one's health and adjust their care plan.

For Clients who need wound care, medication support or help managing a chronic condition, nursing care services in Ottawa can be added to the same care plan.

5. What happens if a Caregiver is sick or does not show up?

This is the question that tells you the most about how an agency runs. Every Caregiver gets sick, takes holidays, and has emergencies. Ask:

• How will I find out if a Caregiver cannot make it?
• How quickly do you send a replacement?
• Will the replacement know my loved one's care plan?

A reliable agency should be able to explain its backup process clearly, including how a replacement Caregiver is arranged and briefed on your loved one's care.

6. Who do I call at night or on a weekend?

Questions and concerns can come up outside regular business hours. Ask who answers the phone in the evenings, overnight, and on weekends, and whether a nurse is available for guidance. At Integracare, a nurse is available 24/7.

7. Will my loved one see the same Caregiver?

No agency can promise the same person every visit forever. But you can ask how the agency matches Caregivers with Clients, whether you can meet the Caregiver before care begins, and what steps it takes to keep the same Caregivers in place over time.

8. How do you handle concerns or complaints?

Even with good care in place, there will be times when you have a question, a concern or something you would like done differently. How an agency handles those conversations says a lot about how it works with Families day to day.

Ask who your main contact is, how to reach them outside office hours and how quickly you can expect a response. Ask whether you can request a different Caregiver if the match is not working for your loved one, and how that change is made. It is also reasonable to ask whether concerns are recorded and followed up, so the same issue does not come up again.

If a concern involves a nurse or a registered PSW, the College of Nurses of Ontario and the HSCPOA each have a public complaints process. At Integracare, you can raise any concern with the Registered Nursing Coordinator who oversees your loved one’s care, and a nurse is available 24/7.

9. How quickly can care start?

Some Families are planning, while others need care in place for a hospital discharge in the next day or two. Ask how soon the agency can arrange an assessment, how soon a Caregiver can begin, and whether care can be ready for the day your loved one comes home.

If your loved one is in hospital, ask the discharge team whether a referral has been made to Ontario Health atHome, which may arrange publicly funded services after discharge. Those services can take time to begin and may not cover every hour your loved one needs. Private care can start before public services are in place or add hours alongside them, and understanding how publicly funded home care works with private care helps you plan for both.

At Integracare, care can often start the same day you call, and our Ottawa team can arrange a free in-home assessment to plan care around your loved one’s needs.

10. Can care change as my loved one's needs change?

Care needs often change gradually. A few hours a week of help with meals and errands may later become daily personal care, nursing visits after a hospital stay or support through the night. Ask whether the agency can increase hours, add nursing, or move to overnight, live-in or 24-hour care, and who reassesses the care plan when your loved one’s needs change.

Staying with one agency as care increases means your loved one’s care plan and nursing team stay the same, and familiar Caregivers can often continue. At Integracare, a Registered Nursing Coordinator reviews the care plan as needs change, and our Ottawa services include personal support, nursing, dementia care, and 24-hour care.

Red Flags to Watch For

Trust your instincts too. The first phone call is often a good indication of how an agency communicates. Pay attention to whether your questions are answered clearly and patiently.

Questions to Ask Yourself After the First Visit

Once care starts, keep checking:

• Does your loved one seem comfortable with the Caregiver?
• Is the Caregiver arriving on time and staying for the full visit?
• Are tasks in the care plan being done?
• When you call the agency, does someone answer and follow up?

The first few weeks tell you a lot. A good agency will check in with you during that time without being asked.

Get to Know the Team Caring for Ottawa Families

Integracare has supported Families for more than 30 years. Our home care services in Ottawa are led by Kristine McGinn, BScN, Director of Integracare East, from our office at 343 Preston Street. Our Caregivers are Integracare employees who undergo screening before starting; every care plan is overseen by a Registered Nursing Coordinator, and nursing support is available 24/7.

In 2026, Integracare was named the #1 Best Workplace in Healthcare in Canada by Great Place to Work.

That recognition reflects the ongoing training, mentorship, and nursing guidance our Caregivers receive, and the care they bring into your loved one's home every day.

Before you decide, get to know the nurses and Caregivers who support Families across Ottawa and the standards behind every care plan.

During a free in-home assessment, our care team meets your loved one where they are most comfortable, learns about their routines, health, and preferences, and puts together a care plan built around them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What questions should I ask before hiring a home care provider in Ontario?

Focus on five areas: who employs the Caregivers, how they are screened and trained, who oversees the care plan, how missed shifts and after-hours concerns are handled, and how care can change over time. Ask every agency the same questions so you can compare their answers, and ask for the care plan and service agreement in writing before care begins.

What should I ask a home care agency before hiring a PSW?

Ask what the PSW will help with day-to-day and what will be handled by a nurse. PSWs support personal care such as bathing, dressing, meals, and mobility, while clinical care such as wound care and medication administration is provided by nurses. Ask whether the PSW has completed a recognized PSW training program and whether a nurse is available if your loved one’s health changes during a visit.

How are PSWs screened, trained and supervised by home care providers in Ottawa?

Private home care agencies set many of their own hiring and supervision practices, so these vary from one provider to the next. At a minimum, ask about police checks, reference checks, proof of PSW training, and who reviews the PSW’s work once care begins. At Integracare, our Caregivers receive ongoing education and mentorship, and every care plan is overseen by a Registered Nursing Coordinator.

Are Ottawa PSWs employed by the agency or contracted?

It depends on the agency, so ask each one directly. Integracare employs its Caregivers directly, so we handle their hiring, training, scheduling, and supervision. If you hire a Caregiver privately instead, the Canada Revenue Agency may consider your Family their employer, which can mean payroll deductions and other employer responsibilities.

Are home care nurses in Ontario supervised by a Registered Nurse?

Both Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) are regulated by the College of Nurses of Ontario and are accountable for their own practice. RPNs care independently for Clients whose health is stable and predictable, and consult an RN when care becomes more complex. Ask the agency who a nurse turns to when your loved one’s needs change.

Which Ottawa home care providers have a nurse overseeing care?

Integracare does. In Ottawa, every care plan is overseen by a Registered Nursing Coordinator on our Integracare East team, led by Kristine McGinn, BScN, and a nurse is available 24/7. When comparing providers, ask whether a nurse oversees your loved one’s care plan and how often it is reviewed.

What happens if a Caregiver does not show up?

A well-organized agency will let you know as soon as possible and send a replacement who has access to your loved one’s care plan. It also helps to keep a printed copy of the care plan, a medication list, and emergency contacts in the home, so any Caregiver can follow your loved one’s routine. At Integracare, our Caregivers are employees, so arranging coverage is our responsibility.

How do I find trustworthy in-home care for an aging loved one in Ottawa?

Look for an agency that can tell you who will provide care, how they were screened, and who oversees the care plan. Read recent reviews from Ottawa Families, ask your loved one’s doctor or hospital team about local agencies, and meet the agency in your loved one’s home before care begins. Ask how the agency checks in with your Family during the first few weeks of care.

Can I hire a PSW in Ottawa without going through Ontario Health atHome?

Yes. You can arrange a PSW privately through a home care agency, on its own or alongside publicly funded hours. If you would also like your loved one assessed for public home care, you can contact Ontario Health atHome in Champlain yourself at 613-745-5525 or 1-800-538-0520, or ask their doctor or hospital team for a referral.

What’s the difference between Ontario Health atHome and private home care in Ottawa?

Through Ontario Health atHome, a care coordinator assesses your loved one and decides which publicly funded services and how many hours of care they receive. With private home care, your Family chooses the schedule, the hours, and the type of support. Families often combine the two, using private care to add support during evenings, weekends or overnight.

Are there bilingual Caregivers in Ottawa?

Ottawa is a designated area under Ontario’s French Language Services Act, so you can ask Ontario Health atHome for services in French. For private care, ask each agency whether it can match your loved one with a Caregiver who speaks French or their preferred language. The HSCPOA public register also lists the languages spoken by registered PSWs.