For families · Elder care
What does a personal support worker (PSW) do, and what don’t they do?
A personal support worker helps an older adult with daily living: bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, moving safely and light household tasks. A PSW is not a nurse. Wound care, injections, catheter care and clinical decisions belong to regulated nurses. Publicly funded home care can include personal support, but what your parent receives depends on their province and assessment.
In 60 seconds
- A personal support worker helps with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, eating and getting in and out of bed.
- Many PSWs also help with meals, laundry, light cleaning and companionship as part of a visit.
- Nursing tasks such as wound care, injections, catheter care and adjusting medications belong to regulated nurses, not PSWs.
- The title, training and any registry for support workers differ by province, so ask to see the certificate itself.
- Every province runs a publicly funded home care program that can include personal support after an assessment, but hours and costs vary.
- Many families combine public home care with private hours from an independent care professional to cover evenings, weekends or respite.
What does a personal support worker do?
A personal support worker, or PSW, helps an older adult with the personal tasks of daily life. That usually means bathing, dressing, mouth and hair care, toileting, eating, and moving safely between bed, chair and car. A PSW also notices changes in how your parent is doing and reports them to the family or care team.
- Washing, bathing and dressing
- Mouth, hair, skin and routine hand or foot care
- Toileting and continence care
- Help with eating and preparing simple meals
- Getting in and out of beds, chairs and vehicles
- Laundry, light cleaning and tidying related to the person’s care
- Company, conversation and supervision for safety
What does a PSW not do?
A PSW does not practise nursing. Tasks such as dressing wounds, giving injections, managing catheters or intravenous lines, assessing symptoms, and deciding or changing medication doses belong to regulated nurses. In publicly funded programs, some specific tasks may be delegated to a support worker by a health professional, but that is a formal step, not a family request.
For private care, agree in writing on exactly which tasks the PSW will and will not do. If your parent needs something clinical, such as a dressing change, ask their doctor or the provincial home care program whether nursing visits are available. Asking a PSW to take on a nursing task puts your parent at risk and puts the PSW in an unfair position.
Are personal support workers regulated in Canada?
Not in the way nurses are. Canada has four regulated nursing designations, and personal support workers are described as unregulated care providers who work alongside nurses. The title and training differ by province: British Columbia, for example, uses health care assistant or care aide and keeps a provincial registry of them.
Training is usually a certificate program through a college or career college, and program length and content vary. Because the rules are provincial, ask the caregiver to show you their certificate, note where and when they trained, and check whether your province has a registry you can search. A registry listing is useful information, not a promise about how someone will care for your parent.
Does publicly funded home care include a PSW?
It can. Every province and territory runs a home care program that may include personal support after an assessment by a case manager or care coordinator. What your parent receives, how many hours, how long the wait is and whether the family pays anything all depend on the province and on your parent’s assessed needs.
In Ontario, personal support services such as bathing, dressing, toileting and eating are available through Ontario Health atHome for people who qualify. In British Columbia, home support is provided by community health workers after a health authority assessment, and clients agree to pay an assessed client rate. In Nova Scotia, home support is part of home care, with costs based on income. In other provinces, ask your provincial health ministry or regional health authority.
When do families add private PSW hours?
Families often add private hours when publicly funded visits are short or limited to certain times. Common gaps are evenings, weekends, overnight supervision, longer baths or outings, companionship, and relief for a family caregiver who needs a break. Private hours work best when they fit around the public care plan rather than duplicating it.
Tell a private PSW what the public program already covers and share the schedule, so nobody assumes the other person handled a task. If your parent’s needs grow, ask the public program for a reassessment before simply adding more private hours.
How should I brief a new PSW about my parent?
Give a new PSW a short written care sheet on the first visit. Include your parent’s routines, preferences, mobility and fall risks, allergies, diet, and emergency contacts. List medications for reference, and say clearly who manages them. Explain how the PSW should report changes, such as confusion, a fall or refusing food, and to whom.
How does Maple Care fit when looking for a PSW?
On Maple Care you post a free, anonymous elder care request that shows only your city. Independent care professionals, including PSWs, who want your contact details pay to get them, and you set how many can (at least five). You can also pay to contact a professional first. You still interview, check references and agree terms directly.
Professionals can upload certifications, such as a PSW certificate, first aid or a vulnerable sector check, and each one our team checks earns a badge. Badges are a screening signal, not a background check, and Maple Care does not certify, supervise or insure anyone. Nursing care is outside what a PSW does, whether you find them on Maple Care or elsewhere.
Free to post. Your contact details stay private.
Frequently asked questions
Can a PSW give my parent their medications?
It depends on the setting and the province. In public home care programs, help with medications is often listed under nursing, and families often ask a private PSW only for reminders. Deciding doses, giving injections or managing complex medications is nursing work. Agree in writing on exactly what the PSW will do and check with your parent’s pharmacist or doctor.
What is the difference between a PSW and a nurse?
A nurse is a regulated health professional who can assess health, provide treatments and manage medications within their scope. A PSW helps with personal care and daily living, and is not regulated the same way. Many older adults need both: a nurse for clinical tasks and a PSW for daily help.
Is a PSW the same as a caregiver or care aide?
The titles overlap. Personal support worker is a common term, but provinces use other names, such as health care assistant or care aide in British Columbia. Caregiver is a broad word that can also mean a family member. Ask what training a person has rather than relying on the title.
Can a PSW stay overnight with my parent?
Yes, many families arrange overnight care with a PSW, either awake or sleeping on site. Agree in advance whether the PSW is expected to stay awake, how often to check on your parent, where they will sleep and what to do in an emergency. Put those details in your written agreement.
How do I check a PSW’s training?
Ask to see the original certificate and note the school and the date. If your province keeps a registry of support workers, search it. Call the references the PSW gives you and ask specific questions about their work with older adults. On Maple Care, a certification badge means our team checked the document, nothing more.
Sources and evidence
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