Private Home Care in Yukon — Costs, Agencies, and Hiring

Yukon's publicly funded Home Care Program covers nursing and personal care at no cost, but it doesn't provide 24-hour coverage, overnight stays, or companion care. When your parent needs more than the government program offers — or needs it faster — private home care fills the gap.

The challenge: Yukon's private care market is tiny.

What Private Home Care Covers

Private caregivers in Yukon typically provide non-medical support:

• Companion care and supervision
• Meal preparation and feeding assistance
• Light housekeeping
• Medication reminders (not clinical medication management)
• Transportation to appointments
• Post-hospital recovery support
• Overnight monitoring

They do not replace clinical nursing, physiotherapy, or occupational therapy — those remain with the public Home Care Program.

How Much It Costs

Private home care rates in Whitehorse generally run between $30 and $45 per hour, depending on the agency, the caregiver's experience, and whether the work involves evenings or weekends.

At the lower end, 4 hours of daily companion care runs roughly $3,600–$5,400 per month. Full-time live-in care (if you can find a caregiver willing) costs significantly more.

These costs are entirely out of pocket. There is no territorial subsidy for private home care, though some families offset expenses with veterans' benefits or private long-term care insurance.

Private Agencies in Whitehorse

The private home care market in Yukon is limited. The primary option:

Aurora Home Care — based in Whitehorse, Aurora provides companion care, light housekeeping, meal preparation, and post-hospital support. They serve seniors in the Whitehorse area. Contact: 867-687-6675.

Beyond Aurora, families sometimes hire independent caregivers through registry services or word of mouth. The Yukon Council on Aging (867-668-3383) can sometimes connect families with available workers.

Hiring an Independent Caregiver

If you're hiring directly rather than through an agency, you take on additional responsibilities:

• Background checks — Yukon has no mandatory caregiver registry. Request a criminal record check and references.
• Employment standards — independent caregivers are your employees under Yukon labour law. You're responsible for holiday pay, overtime, and workplace safety.
• Insurance — confirm the caregiver has their own liability coverage, or secure it yourself.
• Backup plan — if your caregiver calls in sick, you need a fallback. Agencies handle substitutions; independent arrangements don't.

Combining Public and Private Care

The most common approach in Yukon is layering private care on top of the public program:

• Public Home Care handles clinical needs: nursing, personal care, therapy — free
• Private caregiver covers companion time, overnight monitoring, meal prep, and outings — $30–$45/hour

Your publicly assigned Care Coordinator can help structure this blend. They know the hours the public program covers and can identify the specific gaps private care should fill.

Rural Yukon

Outside Whitehorse, private home care options are extremely limited. Dawson City, Watson Lake, and Haines Junction have small populations and few professional caregivers. Families in rural communities often rely on informal networks — neighbours, church communities, and family members — supplemented by whatever the public Home Care Program can provide.

For families managing the full picture — public services, private supplements, legal documents, and financial planning — the Yukon Elder Care Guide covers all of it in one place.

See more Yukon guides →