Custom Home Care Programs to Fit Your Needs
Providing the support you need and the care they deserve.
The difference is our
Care Management approach.
Your peace of mind is important to us. That’s why each client works directly with a compassionate Care Manager whose sole purpose is to develop the right plan and ensure that the highest level of at-home care is provided by every caregiver who enters the home. Each of the following Levels of Care can be customized for your frequency of care needs.
Proof Premium
QUALIFIED, CAREER CAREGIVERS
Proof of Care's top tier of service, Proof Premium, is delivered by what we at POC like to call our 'Career Caregivers'. These care professionals have completed specialized training in their chosen career field and have the skills and knowledge to assist in more complex care situations, as well as delivering exceptional companionship and home support.
Proof of Care’s Career Caregivers need to be certified, which comes after completing either a Canadian Health Care Assistant (HHA), Personal Support Worker (PSW) or equivalent course, or have completed Nursing qualifications either domestically or abroad. They must have a current First Aid Certificate, Police Check & have passed rigorous reference checking.
With the training they’ve received, Career Caregivers are great helpers and companions to seniors. But Career Caregivers have limited medical training. That said, they rarely provide their clients with medical assistance, cannot provide nursing care, and do not offer medical advice. However, Career Caregivers will monitor their clients’ condition and remind them to take their medication.
The main purpose of a Career Caregiver is to provide clients with personal care. This means Career Caregivers will assist with everyday tasks: bathing, grooming, restroom use, getting dressed, meal preparation, transportation, laundry, light housekeeping, running errands, and more.
Career Caregivers Vs.
Experienced Caregivers.
What’s The Difference? Education Versus Experience
So, what’s the difference between our two tiers of Caregivers at Proof of Care?
Caregiving in Canada is an unregulated industry, and it leads to a lot of confusion about skill levels, safe work practices and safe client management. Sometimes the terms “Caregiver”, “Unskilled Care Aide” and “HCA, PSW or HHA” are used interchangeably (which is confusing!), and there are no clear definitions in Canada – in fact, anyone can call themselves a Professional Caregiver, regardless of education or experience.
At Proof of Care, we recognize that not all clients need a trained, educated skilled care provider, and that carers with multiple years of experience can provide a wonderful are experience for clients with less complicated needs. However, when a client has advanced or advancing needs, complications in care or requires skilled assistance, then well-trained and qualified Caregivers are needed. At Proof of Care, we define these roles as ‘Experienced Caregivers’ and ‘Career
Caregivers’.
The main difference between Experienced Caregivers and Career Caregiver roles at Proof of Care is the required education and training. Career Caregivers must have completed a specific professional caregiving training course from a Canadian Educator, such as a Home Health Assistant (HHA), Home Care Aide (HCA), Personal Support Worker (PSW) or equivalent (which consists of 75 to 100 hours of classroom and clinical training, and then pass a certification test), or have completed a Nursing Diploma or Degree from a domestic or foreign tertiary institution.
Caregivers, on the other hand, don’t need a formal education in healthcare, but do require professional paid experience to work with Proof of Care, as well as a current First Aid Certificate, Police Check & have to have passed rigorous reference and pre-hire checks.
Responsibilities For Experienced Caregivers
vs.
Career Caregivers:
Experienced Caregivers and Career Caregivers both provide care to clients who can’t fully care for themselves, mainly seniors. Both positions report on the client’s daily physical and mental health, as well as provide comfort and companionship. Experienced Caregivers perform non-medical tasks, while Career Caregivers provide support with non-medical tasks and are trained to assist with basic medical care. Basic medical tasks include taking vitals, measuring weight and other statistics, helping clients with medical equipment, lifts, specialized memory care and more.
To summarize, Experienced Caregivers and Career Caregivers roles have similar functions, but Career Caregivers have more education which enables increased support roles for those that need advanced, complex or specialized care. Proof Essentials Experienced Caregivers provide care and comfort like Career Caregivers, but without the professional training, and are a great starting point for those looking for companionship & basic care support.