Healthcare at Home in Quebec: Blood Tests, Nursing and More

Healthcare in Quebec is increasingly moving beyond hospitals and clinics and into patients’ homes.

A recent development from Santé Québec provides a practical example. On September 25, 2026, a home-care team in Abitibi-Témiscamingue announced the acquisition of a Veinlite vein-visualization device to help healthcare professionals locate veins for blood collection and intravenous catheter placement at home.

According to Santé Québec, the technology can make blood collection more comfortable by reducing repeated puncture attempts. It can also facilitate IV treatments at home, including certain antibiotics and palliative medications, helping some patients avoid unnecessary travel or hospital transfers.

The development reflects a broader trend: more healthcare services can now be provided safely and conveniently at home when appropriate for the patient’s condition.

For Quebec seniors, people with reduced mobility, patients recovering after hospitalization and families caring for loved ones, healthcare at home can make accessing appropriate services considerably easier.

Why Is More Healthcare Being Delivered at Home?

Traditionally, patients have travelled to hospitals, clinics or laboratories for many healthcare services.

That remains necessary for emergencies, complex procedures, diagnostic imaging and many other types of care.

But not every healthcare service requires a hospital setting.

Quebec’s public healthcare system already provides various home-support and professional services to eligible patients. Depending on individual needs and available resources, public home care can include nursing, rehabilitation, medical services, palliative care and personal assistance.

At the same time, private home healthcare gives families another option for services that can appropriately be delivered at home.

The goal is not to replace hospitals or clinics. It is to provide the right care in the right setting.

New Technology Is Making Home Blood Collection Easier

The new Veinlite device introduced by the Santé Québec home-care team in Abitibi-Témiscamingue illustrates how technology can support healthcare outside traditional clinical settings.

The device helps healthcare professionals visualize veins beneath the skin.

This can be particularly useful for patients whose veins are difficult to locate, potentially reducing the number of puncture attempts required for a blood draw or IV catheter insertion. Santé Québec says it can also facilitate certain treatments directly at home and, in some situations, avoid travel or transfer to hospital.

The announcement is regional, and it does not mean this particular technology is available through every home-care provider in Quebec.

However, it illustrates an important direction in healthcare: procedures that once routinely required travel to a healthcare facility can increasingly be performed at home when clinically appropriate.

What Healthcare Services Can Be Provided at Home?

The range of services available depends on the patient’s health, medical orders, professional scope of practice and whether care is provided through Quebec’s public system or a private provider.

For families in Greater Montreal, common examples include the following.

Blood Tests at Home

For seniors and people with limited mobility, travelling to a laboratory for routine blood work can be inconvenient or physically difficult.

A blood test at home allows an appropriate healthcare professional to collect the required samples at the patient’s residence. The samples are then transported to a laboratory for processing.

Home blood collection can be useful for:

• seniors with mobility limitations;

• people managing chronic conditions;

• patients recovering after hospitalization or surgery;

• people who require recurring blood work;

• patients who have difficulty travelling to a collection centre.

A+ Solutions Home Health Care provides home blood tests in Montreal, the West Island, Laval and Longueuil, with laboratory processing coordinated through its laboratory partner.

Private Nursing at Home

Some patients require clinical care that goes beyond personal assistance.

Depending on the patient’s needs, private nursing at home may include wound care, injections, medication administration or support, catheter and ostomy care, health assessments and clinical monitoring.

Private nursing can be particularly valuable when a patient needs professional care but does not require hospitalization.

For families, it can also provide greater scheduling flexibility and continuity of care.

Wound Care and Injections at Home

Travelling repeatedly to a clinic for wound dressing changes or prescribed injections can be challenging, particularly after surgery or for people with reduced mobility.

When appropriate, a licensed nurse can provide these services at home.

Home nursing can also allow the nurse to observe the patient’s recovery environment and identify concerns that may need to be communicated to the patient’s physician or healthcare team.

Post-Hospital and Post-Operative Care

Leaving the hospital does not necessarily mean recovery is complete.

Patients may return home while still requiring assistance with mobility, personal care, wound management, medications or clinical monitoring.

Appropriate post-hospital care can help bridge the transition between hospital treatment and independent recovery.

Depending on the care plan, this may involve a combination of private nursing and personal support.

Home care is not a substitute for hospital treatment. It is appropriate only when the patient has been safely discharged and their needs can be managed at home.

Mobile Foot Care

Foot care is another healthcare service that can be difficult to access for seniors or people with mobility limitations.

Professional mobile foot care can provide assessment and appropriate nursing foot-care services in the patient’s home.

For older adults, people with diabetes and patients with reduced mobility, receiving appropriate foot care without travelling to a clinic can make routine healthcare easier to maintain.

What Is Quebec’s Hospital-at-Home Program?

Healthcare at home should not be confused with Quebec’s Home Hospitalization program.

Home Hospitalization is part of the public healthcare system and allows certain eligible patients with stable acute medical or surgical conditions to receive hospital-level care at home.

Patients remain under the responsibility of a hospital team and can receive services such as remote monitoring, prescribed treatments and access to a nursing team.

This is different from private home healthcare.

A private nursing agency does not independently replace hospital care or decide that a hospitalized patient should be treated at home.

Instead, private healthcare can complement the broader healthcare system by providing appropriate services before or after hospitalization, or by supporting people who require ongoing healthcare at home.

Public Home Healthcare vs. Private Home Healthcare

Quebec residents who require home support can contact their local CLSC for an assessment.

Public home-support services are based on eligibility, assessed needs and available resources. Santé Québec’s home-support programs can include nursing and other professional services as well as assistance with daily activities.

Private home healthcare operates differently.

Families can arrange private home care services directly when they need additional care, greater scheduling flexibility or services beyond what is currently available through their public care plan.

The two systems can therefore be complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

For example, a patient may receive certain CLSC services while separately arranging private nursing, home blood collection or additional personal support.

Who Can Benefit From Healthcare at Home?

Healthcare at home can be useful for people of different ages and health situations.

It may be particularly helpful for:

• seniors who want to remain independent at home;

• people with limited mobility;

• patients recovering after surgery;

• people recently discharged from hospital;

• people managing chronic health conditions;

• patients who require recurring blood tests;

• people who need wound care or nursing procedures;

• family caregivers who need professional support.

The appropriate level of care should always be based on the individual’s condition and healthcare needs.

A medical emergency still requires emergency medical care. Home healthcare should never be used as a substitute for calling 911 or going to an emergency department when urgent treatment is required.

Healthcare at Home Across Greater Montreal

A+ Solutions Home Health Care provides private home healthcare across Montreal, the West Island, Laval and Longueuil.

Our services include:

• home blood tests and mobile blood collection;

• private nursing;

• wound care;

• injections and medication-related support;

• post-hospital and post-operative care;

• senior and personal support;

• mobile foot care.

Our OIIQ/OIIAQ-licensed nursing professionals provide eligible clinical services at home, while caregivers and personal support workers can assist with daily activities when non-clinical support is needed.

As Quebec’s healthcare system continues to expand appropriate care beyond hospitals and clinics, home healthcare offers patients and families another way to access professional services in a familiar environment.

For people who can safely receive care at home, the result can be simple but important: less travel, easier access to care and more support where they live.

Frequently Asked Questions About Healthcare at Home in Quebec

What is home healthcare?

Home healthcare refers to clinical healthcare services delivered in a patient’s residence. Depending on the person’s needs, this can include nursing, blood collection, wound care, injections, medication support, monitoring and other professional services.

What is the difference between home care and home healthcare?

Home care generally focuses on assistance with daily living, such as personal care, meals, mobility and companionship. Home healthcare involves clinical services delivered by qualified healthcare professionals, such as nursing, wound care, injections or blood collection.

Can I have a blood test at home in Quebec?

Yes. Mobile blood collection services are available through some public and private providers. A+ Solutions provides eligible home blood tests across Greater Montreal, with samples transported to a laboratory for processing.

Can a private nurse come to my home in Montreal?

Yes. Private nursing services can be arranged at home for appropriate needs such as wound care, injections, medication-related support, nursing assessments and clinical monitoring.

Can I use private home healthcare if I already receive CLSC services?

Yes. Depending on your situation, private healthcare services can supplement publicly funded CLSC services when additional care or scheduling flexibility is needed.

Is healthcare at home the same as hospital-at-home?

No. Quebec’s Home Hospitalization program provides hospital-level treatment at home to eligible patients under a hospital team’s responsibility. Private home healthcare provides separately arranged nursing and other healthcare services and does not replace hospital care.