Quebec’s $1 Billion Home Care Proposal Highlights the Growing Need for Aging at Home
Quebec’s growing senior population is putting home care for seniors in Quebec at the centre of the province’s healthcare conversation.
On August 29, 2026, Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) leader Christine Fréchette announced an election proposal to invest an additional $1 billion over four years in home support services if her party is re-elected.
The proposal reflects a much broader challenge facing Quebec: how can more seniors receive appropriate care while continuing to live safely and independently at home?
For families in Montreal and surrounding communities, the discussion is particularly relevant. Public home-support programs play an essential role, but seniors may also require additional personal care, nursing, monitoring or other healthcare services at home.
At A+ Solutions Home Health Care, we see aging at home as a continuum of support involving seniors themselves, their families, Quebec’s public healthcare system and, when appropriate, private home healthcare providers.
Important: The $1-billion commitment discussed in this article is an election proposal announced on August 29, 2026. It should not be interpreted as an approved or currently available government program or benefit.
What Is Quebec’s $1 Billion Home-Support Proposal?
The proposal announced by CAQ leader Christine Fréchette calls for an additional $1 billion over four years for home support, with the broader objective of enabling more Quebec seniors to remain in their homes.
The announcement comes as Quebec continues to confront an aging population, pressure on healthcare facilities and increasing demand for services delivered outside hospitals and institutional settings.
Regardless of the eventual outcome of the proposal, its prominence during the provincial election demonstrates how important aging at home has become in Quebec’s healthcare debate.
For many seniors and their families, the question is no longer simply where care is provided. It is also:
What combination of services will allow a senior to remain at home safely and maintain the greatest possible independence and quality of life?
Why Aging at Home Matters to Quebec Seniors
For many older adults, home represents much more than a place to live. It provides familiarity, routines, community connections and a sense of independence.
When a senior’s health or mobility changes, moving immediately to an institutional environment is not always the only option. With appropriate support, some seniors can continue living at home while receiving assistance tailored to their needs.
Home support may become particularly important when a senior:
- has difficulty with mobility or activities of daily living;
- is recovering after hospitalization or surgery;
- needs assistance with personal care;
- requires medication support or clinical monitoring;
- lives with a chronic condition;
- needs nursing services;
- has family caregivers who need additional support or respite.
The appropriate level of care varies significantly from one person to another and can change over time.
What Home Support for Seniors in Quebec Services Are Available Through the Public System?
Quebec residents may be able to access home-support services through the public healthcare system based on an assessment of their needs and eligibility.
Depending on an individual’s circumstances, services can include nursing, personal assistance, rehabilitation, psychosocial support and other forms of home support.
A local CLSC is generally an important starting point for families looking for publicly funded home-support services.
Availability, frequency and the type of services provided can vary according to clinical needs, eligibility, regional resources and the individual care plan.
Families should contact their CLSC or Santé Québec for an assessment rather than assuming that a particular service or number of care hours will automatically be available.
Public Home Support and Private Home Care Are Not Necessarily Either-Or
One common misconception is that families must choose between public healthcare and private home care.
In practice, they can serve different and sometimes complementary roles.
A senior may receive certain services through Quebec’s public healthcare system while the family separately arranges additional private support when more frequent assistance, scheduling flexibility or continuity is desired.
For example, a family may use publicly available services while arranging private care for additional personal support, nursing visits, overnight assistance or other needs that are not fully covered by the existing care plan.
Private care does not replace emergency services, physicians, hospitals, CLSCs or other medically necessary public healthcare.
Instead, it can help fill specific care needs at home when clinically appropriate.
How Private Home Support Can Help Seniors Remain at Home
Private home healthcare can be tailored around the individual rather than around a standard schedule.
Depending on a senior’s needs, support may include:
Personal Support and Senior Care
Caregivers can assist with everyday activities such as personal hygiene, dressing, mobility, meal-related routines, companionship and other daily needs.
For seniors whose families cannot be present throughout the day, regular caregiver visits can also provide greater continuity and reassurance.
Private Nursing at Home
Some health needs require a nurse rather than a caregiver.
Private nursing care at home can support patients who require services such as wound care, injections, medication-related assistance, post-operative care or clinical monitoring, depending on their individual care plan.
Receiving appropriate nursing care at home may also reduce unnecessary travel for seniors with mobility limitations.
Support After Hospital Discharge
Returning home after hospitalization does not always mean that recovery is complete.
During the transition home, patients may need assistance with mobility, daily activities, medications, wound care or monitoring.
Appropriate home healthcare in Montreal can provide additional support during this recovery period and help families manage the transition.
Blood Tests at Home
Regular laboratory testing can be difficult for seniors who have limited mobility or find transportation and waiting rooms challenging.
A blood test at home in Montreal allows a qualified healthcare professional to collect blood samples at the patient’s residence and send them to the laboratory for analysis.
This can be particularly useful for seniors who require recurring blood work.
Foot Care at Home
Mobility limitations can also make routine foot care difficult.
Professional mobile foot care can bring appropriate foot-care services directly to a senior’s residence.
The Role of Family Caregivers in Aging at Home
Quebec’s discussion about home support is also a discussion about family caregivers.
Spouses, adult children and other relatives frequently provide transportation, meals, supervision, personal assistance and emotional support.
But caregiving needs can gradually increase.
What begins as a few hours of help each week can become daily assistance, overnight supervision or increasingly complex health-related responsibilities.
Families should not wait until the situation becomes unmanageable before assessing whether additional support is needed.
Private caregivers or nurses can sometimes supplement the care already provided by family members, allowing relatives to concentrate more on their relationship with the senior rather than trying to manage every aspect of care themselves.
How Do You Know When a Senior May Need More Help at Home?
Changes can occur gradually, making them easy to overlook.
Families may want to reassess a senior’s support needs if they notice increasing difficulty with:
- bathing, dressing or personal hygiene;
- walking or transferring safely;
- preparing meals;
- managing medications;
- attending medical appointments;
- maintaining the home;
- recovering after illness or hospitalization;
- completing routine healthcare such as blood testing or foot care.
Repeated falls, significant changes in health, confusion, severe weakness, breathing difficulties, chest pain or other acute symptoms require appropriate medical assessment and should not simply be managed through routine home care.
Call 911 or seek emergency medical care when symptoms may represent a medical emergency.
What Should Families Consider When Choosing Private Home Care?
Not all home care needs are the same.
Before choosing a provider, families should consider several questions.
What type of care is actually required?
Companionship and personal assistance are different from skilled nursing services.
Who will provide the care?
For clinical services, verify that the healthcare professional has the appropriate Quebec qualifications and scope of practice.
Can the care plan change?
A senior who initially needs only a few hours of assistance may eventually require more frequent support.
Is continuity important?
For recurring care, having consistent caregivers or nurses can help providers become familiar with the senior’s routines and needs.
How will the family be involved?
Clear communication between the senior, family and care team can make home care significantly easier to coordinate.
A Broader Shift Toward Care at Home
The proposed $1-billion investment should be viewed in the context of a much larger shift taking place in Quebec healthcare.
An aging population means that hospitals, residential facilities, community services, families and home-care providers will all have roles to play.
The objective should not simply be to keep seniors out of institutions.
It should be to ensure that people who can safely live at home have access to the right level of support to do so.
That may involve publicly funded services, family caregiving, private home care—or a combination of all three.
Home Care for Seniors in Montreal, Laval, the West Island and Surrounding Areas
A+ Solutions Home Health Care provides private home healthcare services for seniors and families throughout Montreal, West Island, Laval & Longueuil and surrounding communities.
Services include private nursing, senior and personal support, post-hospital care, mobile blood testing and mobile foot care.
The appropriate care arrangement depends on the individual’s health, mobility, living environment and existing support network.
Families who are uncertain about the type of assistance needed can start by discussing the situation with a healthcare professional and, where appropriate, requesting an assessment through Quebec’s public home-support system.
For additional private support, A+ Solutions Home Health Care can discuss available home-care options and help determine which services may be appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Care for Seniors in Quebec
Is Quebec investing $1 billion in home care?
As of August 30, 2026, the additional $1 billion is an election proposal, not an approved new government program. CAQ leader Christine Fréchette proposed investing an additional $1 billion over four years in home support if her party is re-elected.
Does Quebec provide free home care for seniors?
Some eligible Quebec residents can receive publicly funded home-support services based on an assessment of their health and support needs. Eligibility, services and frequency vary. Families can contact their local CLSC for information and an assessment.
Can I use private home care if I already receive CLSC services?
Yes. Families may choose to arrange additional private services alongside publicly provided care. The two can serve complementary purposes depending on the senior’s needs.
What is the difference between a caregiver and a private nurse?
A caregiver generally assists with personal care and activities of daily living, while a nurse provides clinical services that fall within nursing scope of practice, such as certain wound treatments, injections and clinical monitoring.
Can seniors receive blood tests without going to a clinic?
Yes. Mobile blood collection services can allow blood samples to be collected at home and transported to a laboratory for analysis when the service is appropriate for the requested testing.
Is home care only for seniors who live alone?
No. Seniors living with a spouse, adult child or other family members may also benefit from home care. Professional support can supplement the assistance already being provided by family caregivers.
Does home care replace emergency medical treatment?
No. Home care is not a substitute for emergency medical services. Serious or rapidly worsening symptoms should be assessed through the appropriate medical or emergency service.
