Caregivers provide ongoing care to family members and friends who have a physical, cognitive or mental health condition. Caregiving is not new, but today’s caregivers provide more complex care for a longer period of time than ever before.

If you are a caregiver, it’s important to know what your needs are and if there are community supports available that can help you. It’s also important to start talking early with your family members about what they want as they age and to stress the critical role of legal and financial planning.

In addition, you may want to learn more about home and community care services that serve the needs of seniors, the frail elderly and others.

Home and Community Care Support Services manage and deliver home and community care. Your local organization can provide an assessment for an individual who requires home care and explain options for care in the community.

Learn more about home, community and residential services available to seniors.

Please see the health and well-being section of this guide for more information about community support services.

Tax credits

For caregivers

Tax credits may be available to the “supporting person” under the Disability Tax Credit and the Medical Expense Tax Credit. As non-refundable tax credits, these credits can reduce the amount of federal or provincial tax you owe but are not a cash benefit.

In addition, you may be able to claim the caregiver amount if you are maintaining a home for an eligible dependent relative. Unlike the Disability and Medical Expense Tax Credits, this cannot be claimed if the person you’re caring for is your spouse or common-law partner.

If you support a spouse or common-law partner, or a dependent with a physical or mental impairment, you may also be eligible to claim the Canada Caregiver Credit (CCC). The amount you can claim depends on your relationship to the person for whom you are claiming the CCC, your circumstances, the person’s net income, and whether other credits are being claimed for that person. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides accessible forms, publications, and personalized correspondence in alternate formats for persons with disabilities.

Canada Revenue Agency

Care at home 

The Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit is a refundable personal income tax credit to help seniors with eligible medical expenses, including expenses that support aging at home. The credit provides 25% of claimable medical expenses up to $6,000, for a maximum credit of $1,500. This amount will be reduced by 5% of family net income over $35,000. 

If you have questions about the tax credit, please contact Canada Revenue Agency's:

For more information about these tax credits, please see the finances section of this guide.

Employment benefits

Compassionate care benefits

Caring for a gravely ill family member is one of life’s most difficult challenges.

Caregivers face many emotional, physical and financial demands. During this stressful time you should not have to choose between keeping your job and caring for your family. Compassionate care benefits are federal Employment Insurance benefits available to workers who have to be away from work temporarily to provide end-of-life care or support  to a family member who has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks (6 months). A maximum of 26 weeks of compassionate care benefits may be paid to eligible individuals.

Service Canada

Family medical leave

Even if you qualify for compassionate care benefits, you want to be sure that your employer will keep your job for you while you are away. Ontario’s family medical leave allows you to take up to 28 weeks of leave in a 52 week period to care for certain family members who have a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks. This leave is unpaid, so although your job is protected, you won’t get paid while you are away from work. If you do not qualify for federal compassionate care benefits, you may still be able to take an unpaid family medical leave.

Learn more about your rights and obligations for family medical leave under the ESA.

Employment Standards Information Centre

Family caregiver leave

Family caregiver leave is unpaid, job-protected leave of up to eight weeks per calendar year per specified family member. Family caregiver leave may be taken to provide care or support to certain family members for whom a qualified health practitioner has issued a certificate stating that they have a serious medical condition.

One of the main differences between family caregiver leave and family medical leave is that an employee is only eligible for the latter if the family member who has a serious medical condition has a significant risk of death occurring within a period of 26 weeks. Employees may also be entitled to take critical illness leave to provide care or support to a minor child or adult who is a family member, whose baseline state of health has changed significantly and whose life is at risk from an illness or injury.

Learn more about your rights and obligations for family caregiver leave under the ESA.

Employment Standards Information Centre