Who pays for home care in Manitoba: WRHA, Self and Family Managed Care, or private
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Home care in Manitoba is paid for in one of three ways: the public Home Care Program (in Winnipeg, WRHA Home Care), which arranges and pays for assessed services; Self and Family Managed Care (SFMC), where the WRHA gives the funding to you or your family and you choose the provider, including a private agency; or paying privately. Friendly Caregiver Seniors Care is a private, non-medical agency, family-run in Winnipeg since 2009, and we welcome SFMC clients. Call 204-798-0490 or contact us. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The three options at a glance
| WRHA Home Care | Self and Family Managed Care | Private care | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who decides the hours | A WRHA case coordinator, by assessment | A WRHA case coordinator sets the funding; you arrange the hours | You |
| Who provides the care | WRHA home care staff | Staff you hire, or an agency you choose | The agency you choose |
| What you pay | No charge for in-home services; a fee for adult day programs and respite in another setting | The WRHA pays the assessed funding to you; you spend it on staff or an agency | The agency’s hourly rate |
WRHA Home Care: the public program
Manitoba’s Home Care Program started in 1974 and is run by the regional health authorities; in Winnipeg, the WRHA. The province’s FAQ notes that home care services were “provided without charge to the client” in Manitoba, and that home care is not an insured benefit under the Canada Health Act.
Who is eligible. A Manitoba resident registered with Manitoba Health who needs health services or help with the activities of daily living, needs that help to stay safely at home, and needs more help than family and community resources already provide.
How to get assessed. Call the WRHA Home Care Intake Line at 204-788-8330, for yourself or for a parent. A case coordinator, a health care professional, meets the person and the family, decides eligibility and services, and both of you sign the care plan.
What it can include. Depending on the assessment: help with bathing, dressing, toileting and moving around; meals, light housekeeping and laundry; nursing care and therapy; medication assistance; short periods of in-home respite for a family caregiver; respite in another setting and adult day programs, both with a fee; and supplies and equipment.
Where the gaps usually are. The hours are what the assessment supports, not what a family might choose, and the assessment counts what the family can already do. The program sets the schedule and the worker, in-home respite is “short periods of in-home relief for your caregiver”, and the backup plan is the family’s. Evenings, overnights, longer blocks and the same person every visit are what families add privately.
Self and Family Managed Care (SFMC)
Self and Family Managed Care is an option within WRHA Home Care. Instead of sending its own staff, the WRHA gives the funding to a Self Manager (the person receiving care) or a Family Manager (a relative) who arranges the non-professional care: help with daily living, not nursing.
Who qualifies. You must already be a WRHA Home Care client and be eligible for attendant or homemaker services (the WRHA’s term for hands-on and household help); the eligibility test is the same as for Home Care itself. Clients ask their case coordinator about SFMC; everyone else starts with the intake line, 204-788-8330.
How the money flows. The case coordinator’s assessment decides the type and amount of service, and that sets the funding. You sign a contract with the WRHA and open a separate bank account used only for SFMC funds, which the WRHA reviews through semi-annual reports and audits. Reassessments happen regularly, when you ask, or when needs change, so the funding can go up or down. People on SFMC stay eligible for WRHA nursing and community therapy.
The rules families ask us about. Hiring a family member is not allowed except in unique circumstances approved by the WRHA Director of Home Care. Backup when a worker is away is the manager’s job. A one-year enrolment in regular Home Care may be required where there are concerns about care or client instability.
Where a private agency fits. The WRHA gives managers two routes: employ your own staff, with the Canada Revenue Agency, Employment Insurance, Workers Compensation and payroll that come with it, or hire an agency. Friendly Caregiver is the second route. We already serve families who fund their care through SFMC; we employ, screen and schedule the caregivers and provide clear invoices suitable for your SFMC record-keeping.
Paying privately
Private home care has no assessment and no eligibility test. You choose the days, the hours and the kind of help: with us, visits from three hours up to 24 hours, seven days a week, the same caregiver each visit wherever the schedule allows, for personal care, companionship, respite, overnight care and dementia care at home.
We are a non-medical agency and do not employ licensed nurses, so our caregivers do not give injections, administer medication, change dressings, or provide nursing or palliative care. Rates depend on the care plan, so we do not publish a price list; you get a quote at the free consultation, with no obligation.
How families combine them
- WRHA hours plus private top-up. Many of our clients keep their WRHA visits and add private hours on top for evenings, weekends, outings or longer blocks.
- SFMC funding directed to us. You spend the assessed funding with the agency you chose, and add private hours if you want more.
- Private care while you wait. Private care can start before or during the assessment, or during the Manitoba Health waiting period after a move to the province.
Frequently asked questions
Is home care free in Manitoba?
In-home services from the public Home Care Program are provided without charge to eligible Manitobans; the province’s guide names two exceptions with a fee, adult day programs and respite in another setting. In Winnipeg, eligibility starts with the WRHA Home Care Intake Line, 204-788-8330.
Who qualifies for Self and Family Managed Care in Manitoba?
A WRHA Home Care client who is eligible for attendant or homemaker services and who, or whose family, will manage the care: choosing an agency or hiring staff, arranging backup, and keeping a separate bank account for the funds. Ask your Winnipeg case coordinator whether SFMC fits.
Can I use SFMC funding to pay a private home care agency in Winnipeg?
Yes. The WRHA’s SFMC page says a manager “may choose to hire an agency to provide the funded home care services”, and Friendly Caregiver already serves SFMC-funded families across Winnipeg.
Can we have WRHA home care and private home care at the same time?
Yes. Many of our Winnipeg clients keep their WRHA visits and add private hours on top; people on SFMC also remain eligible for WRHA nursing and therapy.
Can I be paid to look after my mother at home in Manitoba?
Only in limited cases. Manitoba Health says family members may be paid for non-professional home care through Self and Family Managed Care once the regional health authority determines eligibility, but the WRHA allows hiring family members only in unique circumstances approved by its Director of Home Care. Unpaid family caregivers may qualify for Manitoba’s Primary Caregiver Tax Credit.
Talk to a real person
Call 204-798-0490 or contact us. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the consultation is free.
Sources
Program facts on this page come from these government pages, all read on 2026-10-04:
- Manitoba Health, Frequently-Asked Questions about Home Care Services in Manitoba
- Manitoba Health, Home Care Services in Manitoba and Your Guide to Home Care Services in Manitoba (PDF)
- Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Home Care and Self and Family Managed Care
- Manitoba Finance, Primary Caregiver Tax Credit (one FAQ mention only)