BC Health Authority Home Care Intake by Region: Phone Numbers and Process

Five Health Authorities, Five Separate Intake Lines

British Columbia's home care system is administered by five regional health authorities, and each one manages its own intake process independently. There is no provincial 1-800 number for home care. You call the health authority that covers your parent's home address, go through a triage screening, and — if they qualify — get assigned a case manager who conducts an in-home assessment.

The process is the same across all five authorities: intake screening, clinical assessment using the RAI-MDS HC tool, care plan authorization. But the phone numbers, wait times, and local office structures vary significantly by region.

Here is each authority's intake contact, organized by sub-region where applicable.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)

VCH covers Vancouver, Richmond, the North Shore, the Sea-to-Sky corridor, the Sunshine Coast, and the Central Coast. Home care intake is handled through local Home Health offices, not a single centralized line.

• Vancouver: 604-263-7377
• Richmond: 604-675-3644
• North Shore (North Vancouver, West Vancouver): 604-983-6700
• Sea-to-Sky/Sunshine Coast/Central Coast: Contact through local community health centres

When you call, ask for the Home and Community Care intake desk. Have your parent's Personal Health Number (CareCard) and date of birth ready. A triage nurse will screen the request and, if your parent meets the basic eligibility criteria — Canadian citizen or permanent resident, BC resident for at least three months, chronic or acute health needs — a case manager will be assigned for an in-home visit.

Fraser Health

Fraser Health covers the eastern Metro Vancouver municipalities through the Fraser Valley — Surrey, Burnaby, New Westminster, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, and Hope.

• Central Intake Line: 1-855-412-2121

Fraser Health uses a single centralized access line that triages all home and community care requests. The intake coordinator routes your parent to the appropriate local office based on their address. This is the most streamlined intake system among BC's health authorities.

Island Health (Vancouver Island Health Authority)

Island Health covers all of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and surrounding coastal communities.

• South Island (Greater Victoria): 250-388-2273
• Central Island (Nanaimo, Parksville, Comox): Contact through local health units
• North Island (Campbell River, Port Hardy): Contact through local health units

For areas outside Victoria, the local health unit functions as the intake point. Island Health's website lists community health centre contacts by municipality under its "Find a Location" directory.

Interior Health

Interior Health covers the southern interior of BC — the Okanagan, Kamloops, Cranbrook, Nelson, Trail, Revelstoke, and surrounding communities.

• Centralized Intake Line: 1-800-707-8550

Like Fraser Health, Interior Health uses a single access number that routes to the appropriate local office. The intake coordinator will ask about your parent's current living situation, medical diagnoses, and specific care needs before scheduling an assessment.

Northern Health

Northern Health covers the vast northern region of BC, from Prince George through to the Northwest Coast and the Peace River region.

• Prince George: 250-645-8963
• Other communities: Contact through local health units or the Northern Health general line

Northern Health's geography means some communities have limited local home care resources. If your parent lives in a remote area, ask the intake coordinator about available services and whether travel nurses provide home visits in their community.

What Happens After You Call

Regardless of which health authority you contact, the process follows the same sequence:

1. Triage screening — The intake nurse confirms eligibility and assesses urgency
2. Case manager assignment — A registered nurse or social worker is assigned according to clinical urgency and the local process
3. In-home assessment — The case manager visits your parent at home, using the RAI-MDS HC clinical assessment tool to evaluate physical function, cognitive status, and safety risks
4. Care plan authorization — Based on the assessment, the case manager recommends home support hours, adult day programs, assisted living, or long-term care placement

You do not need a doctor's referral to start this process. Self-referral and family referral are both accepted by all five health authorities.

If your parent is currently in hospital and facing discharge, the hospital's social work team typically initiates the health authority referral directly. But if you want to get ahead of a crisis while your parent is still living at home, calling the intake line proactively is the right move.

For a step-by-step framework covering the full intake process, care plan negotiations, and what to do if your parent's assessment doesn't reflect their real needs, the BC Continuing Care Guide walks through every stage with scripts and checklists.

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