I get home care and I’m being abused. What can I do?

In an emergency, you can contact the police by calling 911. If it isn’t an emergency, you can call your local police station.

There are other steps you can take if a home care worker abuses you. You should get legal advice. If you have a disability, you can call ARCH Disability Law Centre for legal advice. ARCH is a legal clinic and its services are free to people with disabilities. Usually, ARCH helps people with low income or who get social assistance.

Home care rights

The home care Bill of Rights is part of the law in Ontario.

The Bill of Rights covers free home care services through a Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). There are 14 LHIN offices across Ontario.

Some examples of home care services are: 

• professional services, such as:
  • nursing
  • physiotherapy
  • occupational therapy
  • social work
  • speech therapy
  • diet advice
• help with activities of daily living, such as:
  • taking a bath
  • eating
  • getting dressed
  • other personal support services
• home-making services, such as:
  • house-cleaning
  • laundry
  • banking
  • shopping
  • preparing meals

The Bill of Rights might also cover services paid for by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, such as some supportive housing or attendant outreach.

The Bill of Rights says home care services must be free from abuse.

The Bill of Rights also says that no one is allowed take any action against you because you complain about home care. No one is allowed to punish you, refuse to give you home care services, or take away these services because you’ve complained. This is true whether you make your complaint to the police, the Local Health Integration Network, the agency, or anyone else.