If you’re a retired federal employee living in Ottawa (or anywhere in the country), there’s good news you might not know about: you may already have access to home care services — and your benefits could cover it all.
Many retirees are paying out of pocket for support at home when, in reality, their Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) or other retiree benefits could foot the bill. With the right guidance, you could receive personal care, nursing services, and even rehabilitation support without worrying about the cost.
Let’s break it down and show you how easy it can be to get the help you need, right at home.
Understanding Your Federal Retiree Benefits
The Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) is the largest private health care plan in Canada, covering retired federal employees, members of the RCMP, and Canadian Forces veterans.
What many retirees don’t realize is that the PSHCP isn’t just for hospital visits or medications — it can cover a wide range of home care services designed to help you age safely and comfortably in your own home.
If you’re living in Ottawa and have these benefits, you could qualify for services like in-home nursing, personal support workers, physiotherapy, and more — all at little to no cost to you.
What Services Are Typically Covered?
Depending on your plan details and medical needs, here are just some of the services you might be eligible for:
- Personal Support Services: Assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and mobility.
- Professional Nursing Care: Regular home visits from registered nurses to manage medical conditions, medications, or wound care.
- Rehabilitation Therapy: Access to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy services to help with recovery or maintaining mobility.
- Medical Equipment and Supplies: Items like walkers, wheelchairs, bathroom safety aids, and wound care supplies.
- Housekeeping and Respite Care (in some cases): Support for daily household tasks or temporary care to give family caregivers a much-needed break.
Imagine staying safe, independent, and comfortable at home — and having your benefits take care of the costs.
How to Claim Your Benefits for Home Care
Claiming home care services through your retiree benefits is simpler than you might think:
- Get a Medical Referral: Often, a doctor’s recommendation or prescription is required for home care services to be eligible.
- Submit a Claim: The PSHCP, administered by Sun Life, allows you to submit expenses online or by mail.
- Direct Billing: Some service providers, including Affinity Health, can assist with billing directly through your plan, minimizing paperwork for you.
Affinity Health can also help you navigate the process, from understanding your coverage to ensuring your claims are correctly submitted.
Common Myths About Coverage
“I thought home care was only for hospital patients.”
Nope! Many plans cover everyday support services like help with personal care, mobility, and medication management at home.
“The paperwork must be overwhelming.”
It’s actually very straightforward, especially if you partner with a provider experienced in working with federal retirees. Affinity Health helps make the process stress-free.
“I probably won’t qualify.”
You might be surprised. Even if you’re fairly independent now, you could still be eligible for preventative or light support services under your benefits.
Why Using Your Benefits Matters
You earned these benefits after years of service — and they’re designed to support you now, not just during medical emergencies.
Using your home care benefits can help you:
- Maintain independence longer
- Stay healthier and safer at home
- Give peace of mind to your family
- Avoid unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses
And with more seniors choosing to age at home (remember, 91% of Canadians prefer it!), now’s the perfect time to explore how your benefits can work for you.
How Affinity Health Can Help
At Affinity Health, we specialize in helping federal retirees living in Ottawa access the care they deserve. We’ll guide you through:
- Reviewing your PSHCP or other benefits
- Setting up a personalized care plan
- Managing claims and direct billing
- Providing compassionate, professional in-home support
Our goal is to make the process simple — so you can focus on enjoying your home and your life.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re a retired federal employee living in Ottawa, you could already have home care support available to you — no extra cost, no extra stress.
Contact Affinity Health today and let’s help you unlock your benefits!