AYN Advice

Caring for loved ones at home

The practice of caring for a loved one at home is increasing. There is a growing need for care from professional caregivers in order to provide the necessary relief for exhausted family members. There is no doubt that most individuals want to stay in their own homes and from our experience, most family members want to support their parent’s decision. The difficulty is â“at what cost” Clearly, as we live longer and remain strong, the demands for better home care will increase. While on the surface, this might seem to be expensive, studies show that cost of care in the home saves money.

Quebec’s spending on home care services, per person, is only about half of the Canadian national average. Quebec spent $37.36 per person per year on home care. Across Canada, provincial governments spent an average of $69.20 per person per year (Medical Post, Jan. 2002). We are told that these figures are improving. As the latest statistics become available, I will keep you posted.

In the meantime, there are some tax benefits available to individuals who need home care. Because it is tax season now, claims can be made on your returns for home care expenses. This tax credit allows you to claim 23% of $12,000.00 / year on your income tax return. If you prefer to receive this assistance throughout the year in the future, the program allows you to do so. This credit is equal to 23% of the expenses incurred, to a maximum of $2,760.00. The advantage to this approach is that you don’t have to wait until the end of the year for your assistance. As changes to help and benefits occur, I will try to keep you up to date.