Personal Care in Ottawa

Home help covers the household — cleaning, laundry, meals, groceries, errands — with no hands-on physical care. Personal care covers the person: bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers. Most families start with one and add the other. Both can be delivered by the same caregiver on the same visit.

A PSW provides hands-on daily care: bathing, dressing, toileting, continence care, transfers, mobility support, feeding, repositioning and medication reminders. PSWs are trained and certified but are not a regulated health profession in Ontario, so they don't administer injections, perform sterile wound dressings, insert catheters, manage IVs, or carry out clinical assessment. Those require a registered nurse or RPN — which Freiheit Care also provides, under the same care plan.

Yes. Same-gender care matters to a lot of clients, particularly for bathing and continence support, and it's a completely reasonable request. Tell us at the consultation and we'll match accordingly. We also match on language, temperament and cultural or faith-related preferences around modesty.

This is one of the most common things families tell us. Refusal is usually about dignity and control rather than the caregiver. A professional is often easier to accept than a son or daughter, because there's no role reversal involved. We start with the least intrusive task, keep the same caregiver so a relationship forms, and don't rush the first visits. Most clients who resisted for months accept a PSW within two or three visits.

It's priced hourly and depends on how many visits per week, how long each visit is, and whether nursing is involved. We give you a transparent, itemized quote after the free consultation, with no hidden fees and no minimum contract.

Not by OHIP directly, but Ontario Health at Home funds PSW visits for eligible clients based on an assessment of need, at no cost to the family. Some households also qualify for the Family-Managed Home Care Program, which lets eligible families direct their own funding to a provider of their choice—Freiheit Care is an accepted provider for households who qualify. Hours through Ontario Health at Home are often fewer than families need, and schedules are assigned rather than chosen, so many people combine public hours with private ones. Veterans may qualify for funded personal care through Veterans Affairs Canada. If you haven't been assessed by Ontario Health at Home yet, start there.

Our minimum shift is four hours, because building a real relationship and providing unrushed, dignified care matters to us—a rushed half-hour visit isn't the standard we want to deliver. Many families start with a single four-hour shift covering the morning routine and more. We can also do twice-daily visits, extended shifts, overnight care, or 24-hour support with a rotating team under RN oversight.

Yes, that's the standard we hold ourselves to, and it matters more in personal care than in any other service. Consistency is why we became a Champion Level Living Wage Employer — fairly paid PSWs stay, and PSWs who stay are the ones your parent stops having to explain themselves to.

Yes. Improper transfers are a leading cause of injury for both seniors and the people helping them — including family members who hurt their own backs. Our PSWs are trained in transfer technique and the use of equipment such as gait belts and lifts, and an RN assesses transfer safety in the home before care begins.

Yes, and it usually is. Freiheit Care offers the full continuum — personal care, dementia and Alzheimer's care, nursing, respite, palliative and companionship — under one plan with one team, so you don't change agencies when needs change.

Usually within a few days of the free consultation. There's no waitlist for private care. If you're working to a hospital discharge date, tell us and we'll work to it.