Care Options and Costs
Last updated on August 9, 2024In B.C., care and support are available from both publicly subsidized and private pay providers for people having difficulty coping with activities of daily living because of health-related problems or a life-threatening illness.
To learn more about the differences between private pay options and publicly subsidized home and community care services offered through B.C.’s health authorities, please see:
Below you will find brief descriptions of and links to detailed information about the types of publicly subsidized home and community care services offered through B.C.’s health authorities.
Types of Publicly Subsidized Care
Publicly subsidized home and community care services are provided to people who are able to continue to live in their own homes and to people who require care in a supportive housing environment.
Community Nursing
Community nursing services are provided by a licensed nursing professional to clients in the community who require acute, chronic, palliative or rehabilitative support. Services include assessment and nursing interventions such as education, wound care, medication management, chronic disease management, care management, post-surgical care and palliative care. Generally, community nursing services will be provided on a short-term basis and community nurses assist clients and their families to be confident in taking over care at home.
Community nursing services may be provided in a variety of settings such as clinics, the client’s home, assisted living residences, family care homes, group homes, or other community settings.
To learn more, please see:
Community Rehabilitation
Community rehabilitation services are provided by a licensed physical therapist or occupational therapist to clients who require acute, chronic, palliative or rehabilitative support. The main goals of rehabilitation therapy are to help improve or maintain physical and functional abilities and to provide assessment and treatment to ensure a client’s home is suitably arranged for their needs and safety. Generally, community rehabilitation services will be provided on a short-term basis and community rehabilitation therapists assist clients and their families to be confident in taking over care at home.
Community rehabilitation services may be provided in a variety of settings such as clinics, the client’s home, assisted living residences, family care homes, group homes, or other community settings.
To learn more, please see:
Adult Day Services
Adult day services include an organized program of personal care, health care and therapeutic social and recreational activities in a group setting that meet client health care needs and/or caregiver needs for respite.
In some cases transportation is provided, while in others clients are responsible for their own transportation to and from the program. Many adult day service programs are connected with long-term care homes, while others operate independently.
To learn more, please see:
Home Support
Home support services are designed to help clients remain independent and in their own home as long as possible. Home support services are provided by community health workers to clients who require personal assistance with activities of daily living, such as mobilization, nutrition, lifts and transfers, bathing, cueing, grooming and toileting, and may include safety maintenance activities as a supplement to personal assistance when appropriate, as well as specific nursing and rehabilitation tasks delegated by health-care professionals.
To learn more, please see:
Choice in Supports for Independent Living
Choice in Supports for Independent Living (CSIL) provides eligible home support clients (clients living with physical disabilities and who have high-intensity care needs) more flexibility in managing their home support services.
CSIL clients, a designated representative or a client support group, receive funds directly for the purchase of home support services and assume full responsibility for arranging services; this includes recruiting, hiring, training, scheduling, supervising and paying home support worker(s).
To learn more, please see
Caregiver Respite/Relief
Many people receiving home and community care services are assisted by informal caregivers, often a friend or family member. Respite care can give the caregiver temporary relief from the emotional and physical demands of caring for a friend or family member. Respite may take the form of a service that is provided in an individual’s home or a long-term care home, hospice or other community care setting such as an adult day centre.
To learn more, please see:
End-of-Life Care Services
End-of-life care is supportive and compassionate care that improves the quality of life for people and their families who are facing the end stages of a terminal or chronic illness, or preparing for death.
End-of-life care addresses physical, psychological, and spiritual concerns and focuses on comfort, respect for decisions, and support for the family. It is provided wherever the client is living, whether in their home, in hospice, an assisted living residence or a long-term care home.
To learn more, please see:
Assisted Living
Assisted living services provide housing, hospitality services and regulated assisted living services, for adults who can live independently and make decisions on their own behalf but require a supportive environment due to physical and functional health challenges.
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Group Homes
Group home services are provided in a non-licensed congregate housing arrangement where clients with disabilities or other unique conditions share personal care resources. These services are designed to maximize independence, and to support responsibility in areas such as household management, vocational pursuits and social relationships.
Many communities have group homes, which are generally operated by non-profit societies. Homes range from single family dwellings to apartment complexes and usually accommodate four to six residents.
To learn more, please see:
Family Care Homes
Family care home services are provided in a single family residence that accommodates clients with specialized care needs that cannot be optimally met in a long-term care home.
Family care homes provide a home-like atmosphere, nutritious meals, laundry and housekeeping services and supervision, along with any required assistance with daily living activities, such as bathing, grooming and dressing.
Family care homes are unlicensed and can house no more than two clients.
To learn more, please see:
Long-Term Care Services
Long-term care services provide a secure supervised physical environment, with 24-hour professional care for people who have complex care needs and can no longer be cared for in their own homes or in an assisted living residence. Those services can also include short-stay services (e.g. convalescent care, hospice care and respite care) and are offered in long-term care homes, licensed community care facilities, private hospitals and extended care hospitals.
To learn more, please see:
Short-Stay Services
Short-stay services are provided on a short-term basis (usually less than three months) and include convalescent care, hospice care and respite care.
- Respite care provides a client’s main caregiver a period of relief, it can also provide a client with a period of supported care to increase their independence.
- Convalescent care is provided to clients with defined and stable care needs who require a supervised environment for reactivation or recuperation prior to discharge home, most commonly following an acute episode of care.
- Hospice care is provided to clients who require support with comfort, dignity and quality of life in the final days or weeks of their lives, and is distinct from end-of-life care provided to long-term care clients who become palliative.
To learn more, please see:
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:
How do you decide which residential care facility is best for you? This booklet has information and examples of things to consider when choosing a residential care facility:
Are you eligible for subsidized home and community care services? Find out what the general eligibility criteria are: