Home Care Assessment

A home care assessment involves a case manager – usually a nurse – coming to visit you in your home to determine your needs for home care support.

Tips & Links

• You can ask your physician or nurse practitioner for a home care assessment. If you are in hospital, an assessment can also be set up by a referral to your health unit by a hospitalist, nurse, or social worker. Also, you or a family member can also make your own request for a home care assessment through your health authority.
• A home care assessment can usually be completed within a week of your request, depending on staffing, your location, and the urgency of your situation.
• For a Home Care Assessment, a case worker (usually a nurse) visits your home and provides an assessment of your home care needs. Here is the information that is needed if you are looking for health care support in your home;
  • Your B.C. Care Card or BC Services Card (with your Provincial/Personal Health Number),
  • Your physician or nurse practitioner name and phone number,
  • A current list of all your medications, herbs, supplements, and over the counter drugs,
  • Income information and pension cheque stubs,
  • Your most recent income tax return or notice of assessment for the past two years, and,
  • If you have a spouse or partner, their recent income tax return or notice of assessment for the past two years.
  • Social Insurance number (SIN) for yourself and spouse/partner.
• Prepare for the assessment by completing the activities Getting a Home Care Assessment, Changes in My Personal Needs, and My Home and Living Wishes in the My Place to Call Home section of your Mywell Health planner. Do these activities with family members or care partners, preferably with the person who may be with you during the assessment and have the completed activities with you. This helps you participate in the assessment with a clear understanding of your wishes and wants.
• Have your questions and concerns written down and have someone with you to write down the answers.
• The assessment helps to identify how many hours of home care services you require and the income information will determine how much of that care (hours per day/week) will be covered by the government. This is publicly funded home support. Learn about public vs private paid for care.
• Read the HelpGuide.org’s list of care services to consider if staying in your home.
• Ask for a copy of the completed home care assessment for your Mywell Health planner.

Tools – Handouts & Videos