Home Care in PEI (2027): How to Get It in Prince Edward Island, What It Covers, and Private Care
Home care in Prince Edward Island, explained: how to refer your parent to the local Health PEI Home Care office, what it covers, the At Home Caregiver Benefit and Seniors Independence Initiative, and when private home care makes sense.
By Jonathan Kennedy · Last reviewed November 2026
On this page (5 sections)
In Prince Edward Island, home care is run by Health PEI through five local Home Care offices. You, your family or your parent's doctor can send a Home Care referral form to the local office, and a coordinator assesses what's needed. Families can also apply for the At Home Caregiver Benefit, worth $250 to $1,500 a month depending on household income.
Most families reach this page after a change. Dad's back from the QEH after a fall, or Mum in Summerside has started forgetting meals, and you're the one making calls from Halifax or Toronto. The public program gives a base of nursing and personal care; private help fills the hours it doesn't.
Do this next:
- Call your parent's local Home Care office (numbers below) and ask for the referral form, or ask their family doctor to send one.
- If your parent is 65 or older on a low income, check the Seniors Independence Initiative, which pays up to $1,800 toward housekeeping, snow removal and similar help.
- Compare home care options and the province's other seniors programs in our PEI seniors benefits guide.
How do you get home care in PEI?
Through a referral to your parent's local Home Care office. Health PEI's Home Care Program page says "a referral can be made by yourself, your family, care provider, or family doctor," on a Home Care referral form sent to the local office. There's no central intake line.
| Home Care office | Phone |
|---|---|
| Charlottetown | (902) 368-4790 |
| Summerside (Wedgewood Manor) | (902) 888-8440 |
| Montague | (902) 838-0786 |
| Souris | (902) 687-7096 |
| O'Leary (Community Hospital) | (902) 859-8730 |
A Home Care coordinator screens the referral by phone, or at the bedside if your parent is in hospital, and each client is assigned a primary coordinator. Your parent needs to be a permanent PEI resident with a valid PEI Health Card. Services are based on assessed need, for a defined period, and reassessed as things change.
Our take: send the referral early, even if your parent is managing for now. It costs nothing, and having a coordinator who already knows your parent makes the next hospital discharge far easier.
What does home care cover in PEI?
According to Health PEI, the program offers:
- Nursing care at home
- Home support: help with daily activities such as bathing and dressing
- Palliative care at home
- Therapy and support: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietitian and social work
- Adult day programs, arranged through the Home Care office after an assessment; lunch and snacks are provided, and families arrange their own transportation (adult day programs)
- Long-term care assessment, when staying home is no longer safe
Ask the coordinator what, if anything, your parent will pay. Facility respite and adult day programs have carried a daily charge in the past, so confirm current fees for any service before it starts.
What programs help pay for care at home in PEI?
- At Home Caregiver Benefit: pays the unpaid family caregiver of someone 65 or older who has been assessed by Home Care as eligible for a long-term care home, so they can stay at home instead. It's $1,500 a month for household net income under $50,000, $1,000 for $50,000 to $100,000, and $250 above that. Call 1-800-371-8245 to apply (At Home Caregiver Benefit).
- Seniors Independence Initiative: up to $1,800 a year, depending on income, toward light housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, a medical alert system, internet, grass cutting and snow removal. It's for people 65 and older with net household income up to $32,753 (single) or $41,970 (couple). Call 1-877-569-0546 (Seniors Independence Initiative).
- Home repair and safety grants: the province's Seniors Home Repair and Seniors Safe @ Home programs help with repairs and with grab bars, showers and handrails, based on income (get help for your home). Check the current amounts with the province before you plan around them.
When does private home care make sense in PEI?
When your parent needs more hours than the public program provides, overnight or live-in help, or companionship and errands. Private agency care runs roughly $28 to $40 an hour across Canada in 2026 (our estimate), and you pay the full cost.
We found no provincial licensing scheme for private home care agencies in PEI, so check the agency yourself: how it screens caregivers, whether it's insured, its hourly rate and minimum visit, and who comes when the regular caregiver is sick. The Seniors Independence Initiative can help pay for some private help with household tasks.
How do you manage home care from a distance?
Ask your parent to name you as a contact with the Home Care coordinator. Keep a shared calendar of visits and a list of who to call. If you're off-Island, a regular call with the coordinator, plus a neighbour or friend who can pop in, does more than any app.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get home care in PEI?
Send a Home Care referral form to your parent's local Health PEI Home Care office, in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague, Souris or O'Leary. You, your family, a care provider or the family doctor can make the referral, and a coordinator then assesses what's needed.
Is home care free in PEI?
Health PEI provides nursing and personal care at home based on assessed need. Some related services, such as facility respite and adult day programs, have carried a daily charge, so ask the coordinator about current fees for any service before it starts.
What is the At Home Caregiver Benefit in PEI?
A monthly payment to an unpaid family caregiver of someone 65 or older who has been assessed as eligible for long-term care but is staying at home: $1,500 a month for household net income under $50,000, $1,000 from $50,000 to $100,000, and $250 above that. Call 1-800-371-8245.
Does PEI help seniors pay for housekeeping or snow removal?
Yes. The Seniors Independence Initiative pays up to $1,800 a year, depending on income, toward light housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, a medical alert, internet, grass cutting and snow removal, for people 65 and older under its income limits.
Last reviewed November 2026. We keep our guides current as costs, programs, and options change.
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