Are You Eligible?

Last updated on July 15, 2019

Home and community care services have general eligibility criteria based on citizenship, residency, age and health condition, as well as specific criteria for each service based on your assessed needs.

General Eligibility Criteria

A.  To be eligible for subsidized home and community care services, you must:

  • be a Canadian citizen (or have permanent resident status or have been issued a temporary resident permit by the federal minister for immigration);
  • be a resident of British Columbia for at least three months; and
  • be 19 years of age or older.

Please note: there are some exceptions to the three-month residency requirement and age requirement. Speak to your local home and community care office for information about the exceptions to these requirements.

B.  To be eligible for services, you must also be unable to function independently because of chronic, health-related problems or have health care conditions that require care due to one or more of the following:

  • You have recently been discharged from an acute care hospital.
  • You require care to prevent or reduce the need for hospital or emergency department services or admission to a long-term care home.
  • You have a life-limiting illness.

Needs Assessment Criteria

C.  In addition to meeting the criteria described above, each service has its own needs assessment criteria that you must meet

For more information, use the links below to go to the needs assessment criteria for each individual service.

How to Arrange for Care

If you are ready to apply for home and community care services for yourself or someone else, you will find contact information and instructions in: