An honest comparison
Home care, private caregiver, or a facility?
It’s the decision most families are actually weighing — and nobody lays it out straight. Below is the side-by-side: what a Registered Nurse–led local agency includes as standard, and how that compares with national franchises, hiring a caregiver privately, and moving into assisted living. Where something varies or depends on our contracted professionals, the footnotes say so plainly.
Choosing care
Compare your options side by side
Most Calgary families are weighing four choices at once. Here is how a Registered Nurse–led agency with a full clinical team differs from a national franchise, a privately hired caregiver, and moving into a facility.
| What to look for |
RN-Led Home Care
Alberta Maple Care |
Franchise & national agencies |
Privately hired caregiver |
Assisted living or facility care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your care team | ||||
| A Registered Nurse owns and leads the agency | ||||
| Care plan written, signed and reviewed by an RN | ||||
| Social worker for family support and care transitions † | ||||
| Pharmacist medication review † | ||||
| Physician input into the care plan † | ||||
| Health Care Aides registered under Alberta’s protected title | ||||
| Same small caregiver team on every visit | ||||
| Direct line to the nurse responsible for your care plan | ||||
| In your home | ||||
| Care delivered in your own home | ||||
| On-demand help with the home itself, not only the person ‡ | ||||
| Backup coverage when your caregiver is sick or away | ||||
| Funding and finding your way through the system | ||||
| Help applying for public funding (CDHCI, FSCD, AADL) | ||||
| Clinical documentation prepared for assessments, reviews and changes in care | ||||
| How the agency is run | ||||
| Locally owned and operated in Calgary | ||||
| Caregivers covered by the provider’s insurance and WCB — the risk never sits with your family | ||||
| The agency carries the insurance and payroll, not the family | ||||
| Cost | ||||
| Typical out-of-pocket cost | $37.50/hr | $$–$$$ (moderate to high hourly rates) | $ (lower hourly rate, but the family becomes the employer) | $$$–$$$$ (highest — monthly accommodation plus care fees) |
† Social work and pharmacy services are provided through Alberta Maple Care’s clinical team and contracted regulated professionals, each working within their own scope of practice. For physician input, we engage your own family physician in care planning, and where more support is helpful we can arrange physician input through our affiliated network, including home visits where available. These services support your care planning and do not replace your family doctor, your pharmacy, or any care you receive through Alberta’s publicly insured health system. Scope, availability and any fees are confirmed with you at assessment.
‡ Home support services such as maintenance, seasonal work and safety modifications are arranged privately, are separate from any publicly funded care you receive, and are quoted before any work begins.
This comparison describes common practice across provider types in the Calgary area and is general information only. Individual agencies, caregivers and facilities differ — ask any provider you are considering to confirm these points in writing. Last reviewed August 2026.
Keep exploring
Ways to pay for home care · 20 questions to ask any provider · What a care plan looks like · Is it time for home care?
Care that comes home
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