Understanding Private Home Care in Manitoba

Demand for private home care services in Manitoba is on the rise, driven in part by the province’s aging population. With fewer older Manitobans opting to live in care homes, home care services are filling the gap.

But several factors set Manitoba’s private home care industry apart from other Canadian provinces and territories. 

Chronic Conditions and Mental Health Affect Manitobans’ Care Needs

As you begin providing home care services, you may discover that many of your clients have more complex care needs. 

Significant numbers of Manitobans suffer from chronic conditions and poor mental health. An above-average percentage of Manitoba’s population live with dementia, with the region second only to the Yukon territory. Manitoba also has the misfortune to come in second place for people living with osteoarthritis.

You are likely to find that clients ask about nursing and home health care, as well as home support services.

Rural vs Urban: The Two Faces of Private Home Care in Manitoba 

Manitoba is one of Canada’s most rural provinces, leaving many residents unable to regularly access healthcare. This may impact where you decide to set up your private home care business. 

If you decide to provide home care services in the rural northern regions of the province, you can expect greater demand but also increased caregiver recruitment challenges. A robust scheduling system will be essential.

Meeting Manitoba’s Indigenous Private Care Needs

Over 18% of Manitobans are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, according to the 2021 Census. No other Canadian province has such a high Indigenous percentage of its population.

But for many Indigenous peoples in Manitoba, accessing health and home care is difficult. They face a severe health disparity, and over the last 20 years, that gap has only grown.

Due to this health disparity, your Indigenous clients are more likely to live with poor health, including chronic conditions, that may require more complex home care services. 

Because the health gap is caused by a number of factors, including generational trauma, racism and marginalization, and social determinants (such as lack of access to clean water), additional training may be needed to effectively deliver home care services and build trusting relationships with your Indigenous clients. 

Assigning the right caregiver will be key to providing Indigenous home care services. Consider using a portal like ShiftCare Connect so your clients can select their preferred care staff.

Creating Your Manitoban Private Home Care Business’ Legal and Financial Structure 

Before you can begin advertising your private home care services, you’ll need to register your business with the government. In Manitoba, starting a business is a quick and easy process.

1. Choose Your Home Care Business’ Structure 

Your first step should be to decide whether to operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. This decision affects your personal liability, tax rates, access to financing and more, so it’s not a decision to take lightly. The Manitoba Government has published a guide to the different structures. 

2. Register Your Private Home Care Business with Companies Office

You’ll need to register your business name and incorporate your business with the Companies Office before you can begin operating. Sign up to Companies Online to speed up the process.

3. Apply for Licences and Permits 

Each municipality can set its own licensing and permitting requirements. Check BizPaL to find out which ones apply to you.

4. Subscribe to the Workers’ Compensation Board of Manitoba

Once you’ve hired your private home care business’ first staff member, you’ll need to sign up for workplace injury and disability coverage.

Building Your Private Home Care Team

Your caregivers are instrumental in providing high-quality, person-centred home care services. But as you start your private home care agency, it can be challenging to know how many caregivers you really need and who to recruit. Manitoba’s home care worker shortage adds additional pressure to your decision.

A detailed business plan is the first step in creating a recruitment strategy. Your plan should outline where your agency plans to operate, along with the types of private home care services you want to offer. This will give you a better idea of how many caregivers you should hire, along with the skills you need to look for.

Invest in a good scheduler to help you make the most of your care team. It will help you build efficient schedules around your caregivers’ availability and your clients’ preferred visit times. 

You’ll be able to avoid the pitfall of hiring too many caregivers too quickly in your early days. And, as you grow your business and take on more staff, having a robust scheduling system already set up will save you admin time.

Professional Help and Resources for Manitoba’s Private Home Care Businesses

Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba (LTCAM)

The LTCAM advocates for care businesses and care recipients in Manitoba, as well as hosts conferences and provides networking opportunities.

World Trade Centre Winnipeg

The World Trade Centre Winnipeg shares business advice, events, networking opportunities and industry research.

Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba

The Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba provides business advice, funding and training. 

Community Futures Manitoba

In addition to business advice and loans, Community Futures runs an Indigenous Business Development Services program.

For nationwide business and home care associations, read our article on launching a home care business in Canada.

How to start a home care business in Manitoba?

To start a home care business in Manitoba, choose your legal business structure, register with the Companies Office and sign up for workplace insurance with WCB Manitoba.

How does homecare work in Manitoba?

Home care services in Manitoba include personal care assistance, such as bathing and dressing; home support, such as preparing meals; and health care, including nursing and physiotherapy.

Who pays for home care in Manitoba?

Manitoba Health provides free home care for eligible Manitobans. Despite this, many people choose to pay for private home care services, often due to long waiting lists or additional support needs.

Final Thoughts on Starting Your Private Home Care Business in Manitoba

Starting a private home care agency in Manitoba is simple: you can complete the paperwork in just a few weeks. 

The hard part of running a private home care business is ensuring you can deliver high-quality, person-centric care while growing your business. There’s a strong demand for home care services in Manitoba, but there are also substantial challenges: workforce recruitment and retention, rural service delivery, chronic conditions, Indigenous health inequities and more.

That’s where ShiftCare’s home care software can help. It empowers you to run a more efficient, effective and humane private home care business, with workforce management, client communication tools, a powerful scheduler, accounting integrations, auto-generated financial reports and more. 

It will save you time on admin tasks, help you balance your caregivers’ and clients’ availability, and give you the financial and business insights you need for informed decision-making.

Discover how the right tools can help your private home care agency thrive. Try ShiftCare for free.