Ontario Home Care Guide — 2026
Ontario Health atHome vs. Private Home Care: A Complete Comparison
Ontario has a publicly funded home care system and a private one. They are different in cost, speed, and structure — and many families use both. Here is everything you need to know.
Ontario Health atHome (OHaH) — formerly HCCSS, and before that CCAC — is the provincial body responsible for coordinating publicly funded home and community care across Ontario. When an Ontario resident needs home care services and contacts the system (by calling 310-2222), a care coordinator from Ontario Health atHome assesses their needs, determines eligibility, and arranges funded services. These services are paid for by the provincial government and are free at the point of use.
Private home care — provided by organizations like Aviora Healthcare — operates entirely outside this system. There is no referral, no assessment intake, no eligibility criteria, and no hour cap. Families contact a private home care provider directly, arrange care based on their needs, and pay for it themselves (often with support from private insurance or veterans' benefits). Care starts in 24 to 48 hours.
Both systems serve Ontario families. They are not mutually exclusive. Understanding the difference helps families maximize their access to care — using publicly funded services for what the system covers well, and private care to fill the gaps.
Ontario Health atHome vs. Private Home Care: Complete Comparison
| Factor | Ontario Health atHome (Public) | Private Home Care (Aviora) |
|---|---|---|
| How to access | Call 310-2222; referral from hospital or self-referral | Call or contact Aviora directly; no referral |
| Cost to family | Free (government-funded) | Private pay; insurance may apply |
| Time to start care | Days to weeks after assessment | 24–48 hours |
| Eligibility requirement | Yes; assessed by care coordinator | None; any Ontario family can access |
| Hours provided | Allocated; capped by assessed need | Unlimited; from a few hours to 24/7 |
| Caregiver assignment | Assigned; may rotate between visits | Matched; one primary caregiver per client |
| Services covered | Nursing, PSW, physio, OT, social work (if eligible) | Personal support, companionship, dementia, respite, overnight |
| Used together? | Yes — many Ontario families use OHaH and private care simultaneously to maximize coverage | |
About Ontario Health atHome
Ontario Health atHome is the integrated provincial system for publicly funded home and community care. It was created in 2023 when the provincial government merged the 14 regional HCCSS organizations into a single provincial entity under the Ontario Health umbrella. Before HCCSS, the same function was performed by Community Care Access Centres (CCACs). The name has changed repeatedly over the years, but the function is the same: assessing need, coordinating publicly funded home care, and transitioning people out of hospital into community settings.
Services OHaH can arrange include:
- Personal support (PSW services): bathing, dressing, grooming, and other daily activities
- Nursing care: wound care, medication management, IV therapy, and clinical monitoring
- Physiotherapy and occupational therapy
- Social work and dietitian support
- Speech language pathology
- Long-term care home placement coordination
All of these services are subject to eligibility assessment and funded hour allocations. The system also plays a critical role in hospital discharge planning — hospital social workers engage OHaH before a patient leaves hospital to arrange home supports. See our hospital-to-home service for how private care complements this process.
Limitations of the Publicly Funded System
Ontario Health atHome provides genuinely valuable services to hundreds of thousands of Ontario residents. But the system operates under constraints that leave real gaps for many families:
- Hour limits: Public funding allocates a fixed number of care hours based on assessed need. These hours are often insufficient for families where the primary caregiver is working, or where the client requires support multiple times per day.
- Rotating caregivers: OHaH coordinates services through contracted providers. Many clients encounter different PSWs on different days, making it difficult to build a consistent, trusted relationship — particularly for clients with dementia.
- Eligibility barriers: Not everyone who could benefit from home care meets the clinical threshold for publicly funded services. Private care has no minimum need threshold.
- Assessment delays: The intake assessment process takes time. For families in urgent situations, the wait for public care to begin may not be safe.
- Service scope: Publicly funded care does not cover companionship, social engagement, overnight stays for family respite, or certain lifestyle-support activities that may be equally important to quality of life.
Private home care through Aviora Healthcare is not a replacement for OHaH services — it is a complement that fills exactly these gaps.
Wait Times: The Critical Difference
When a family is dealing with an urgent care need — a parent just discharged from hospital, a primary caregiver who has had to return to work, or a senior who can no longer manage alone — wait times are not an abstraction. They are a risk.
Ontario Health atHome's assessment process involves scheduling a care coordinator visit, completing the assessment, developing a care plan, and then arranging services through contracted providers. In practice, this process takes days to weeks depending on region and service type. Urban centres with high demand may have longer waits for certain services.
Private home care through Aviora Healthcare begins in 24 to 48 hours. We conduct the consultation, match the caregiver, and begin care without any intake queue. For post-hospital situations, we can often begin the same week as discharge. Many families start private care while OHaH services are being arranged, then continue both once the public funding is in place.
When to Use Ontario Health atHome, When to Use Private Care, and When to Use Both
Use Ontario Health atHome when:
- You have a clinical nursing need (wound care, medication management, IV therapy)
- You need physiotherapy or occupational therapy as part of a recovery plan
- You are planning a long-term care application and need coordination support
- Cost is the primary constraint and you meet eligibility criteria
Use private home care (Aviora) when:
- You need care to start within 48 hours
- Caregiver consistency is essential (dementia, anxiety, or relationship-dependent care)
- You need more hours than OHaH allocates
- You want companionship, overnight care, or dementia-specific support
- You do not meet OHaH eligibility criteria but clearly need support
Use both simultaneously when:
- OHaH provides nursing or clinical services and you want personal support from a consistent caregiver
- OHaH hours are insufficient and the family needs more daily coverage
- You want a trusted consistent caregiver for daily care while OHaH handles specific clinical tasks
How to Access Both Systems
To access Ontario Health atHome: Call 310-2222 (no area code required) from anywhere in Ontario. You can self-refer, or a referral can be made by your hospital, family physician, or a community provider. A care coordinator will schedule a home assessment.
To access Aviora Healthcare: Call (437) 446-7752 or visit our contact page to book a free consultation. No referral or OHIP card required. A care coordinator will discuss your needs, build a care plan, and match a caregiver. Care starts in 24 to 48 hours.
If you are being discharged from hospital, ask the hospital social worker about OHaH referral for funded services, and contact Aviora separately for private care to start immediately at discharge. Our hospital-to-home service is specifically designed for this transition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ontario Health atHome?
Ontario Health atHome (OHaH) is the provincial organization responsible for coordinating publicly funded home and community care in Ontario. Previously known as HCCSS (Home and Community Care Support Services) and before that CCAC, it assesses eligibility, develops care plans, and arranges funded services including nursing, personal support, and therapy. To access services, call 310-2222 (no area code needed).
How long does it take to get care through Ontario Health atHome?
After an assessment by Ontario Health atHome, basic personal support services may begin within a few days to a few weeks depending on the region and available resources. More specialized services or higher care volumes may involve longer waits. Private home care through Aviora Healthcare has no wait period and can begin within 24 to 48 hours of initial contact.
Is Ontario Health atHome free?
Yes. Services provided through Ontario Health atHome are government-funded and free at the point of use for eligible Ontario residents. You do not pay for the nursing visits, personal support hours, or therapy sessions that OHaH allocates. Private home care is a separate, paid service not covered by government funding.
What is the difference between Ontario Health atHome and private home care?
Ontario Health atHome provides publicly funded care with eligibility requirements, allocated hour limits, rotating caregivers, and a formal assessment process. Private home care (such as Aviora Healthcare) is self-funded, requires no assessment or referral, has no hour limits, offers matched consistent caregivers, and can start in 24 to 48 hours. Many Ontario families use both simultaneously.
How do I contact Ontario Health atHome?
Call Ontario Health atHome at 310-2222 (no area code required) from anywhere in Ontario. The line is available Monday to Friday during business hours. You can self-refer, or a referral can be made by your hospital, physician, or community health provider. For private home care, contact Aviora Healthcare directly at (437) 446-7752 or through our website.
Can I switch from Ontario Health atHome to private home care?
You do not need to switch — you can use both systems simultaneously. Ontario Health atHome services and private home care operate independently and do not conflict. Many families retain their publicly funded services while adding private home care for additional hours, consistent caregiver relationships, or services not covered by the public allocation.
Why would someone choose private home care over Ontario Health atHome?
Families choose private home care over or alongside Ontario Health atHome for several reasons: faster start time (24-48 hours vs. days to weeks), consistent matched caregiver on every visit, more hours than the public allocation allows, services not covered by the public system (companionship, overnight care, dementia-specific support), or no eligibility barrier. Private care offers more control and immediacy.
Private home care — starts in 24–48 hours
Aviora Healthcare: no waitlist, no referral, matched caregiver
We serve Ontario families who need more than the public system provides. Book a free 20-minute consultation and we will design a care plan that works alongside your existing OHaH services or stands alone.