Description
Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations, provide personal care and companionship for seniors, persons with disabilities and convalescent clients. They provide care in the client’s residence, where they may also reside. They are employed by home care and support agencies, private households, or they may be self-employed.
Job Titles
- Attendant for persons with disabilities – home care
- Family caregiver
- Home support worker
- Live-in caregiver – seniors
- Personal aide – home support
- Personal care attendant – home care
- Respite worker – home support
Main Duties
- Provide care and companionship for individuals and families during periods of incapacitation, convalescence or family disruption
- Administer bedside and personal care to clients such as aid in ambulation, bathing, personal hygiene, and dressing and undressing
- Plan and prepare meals and special diets, and feed or assist in feeding clients
- May perform routine health-related duties such as changing non-sterile dressings, assisting in the administration of medications and collecting specimens under the general direction of home care agency supervisor or nurse
- May perform routine housekeeping duties such as laundry, washing dishes and making beds.
Workplaces
- Home-care agencies
- Private households
- Self-employment
Work Environment
- Indoors, environmentally controlled
- Biological agents
- In an enclosed vehicle or equipment
- Standard safety equipment
Physical Demands
- Bending or twisting the body
- Standing
- Making repetitive motions
- Handling material manually
- Walking and running
Requirements
- Some secondary school education is usually required.
- Home management experience may be required.
- College or other courses in home support may be required.
- First aid certification may be required.
- Completion of a training program in care of the elderly, care of persons with disabilities, convalescent care or in a related field may be required.
Skills
- Oral Communication: Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordinating
- Critical Thinking
- Decision Making
Abilities
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Auditory Attention
- Body Flexibility
- Dynamic Strength
- Explosive Strength
Personal Attributes
- Adaptability
- Attention to Detail
- Collaboration
- Concern for Others
- Independence
Similar Occupations
- Home child care providers (44100)
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be Good for home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (NOC 44101) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
- A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Home support workers and caregivers in Prince Edward Island continue to be in demand, with strong prospects supported by demographic trends and government investment in seniors’ care. The province’s 2025 budget reaffirmed funding for home care expansion and long-term care staffing, reflecting the need to keep seniors in their homes longer and reduce pressure on hospitals. Vacancies remain widespread, with employers actively recruiting through immigration streams and local training programs. Most workers are employed in home care agencies, nursing homes, and community health services, and flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, are often required.
For new graduates or career changers, this occupation offers stable employment, immediate opportunities, and pathways into health care careers, particularly for those with training in personal care, palliative support, or specialized skills for seniors with complex needs. Overall, this remains one of the most promising health related occupations in P.E.I., with strong demand expected to continue as the population ages.
Here are some key facts about Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 300 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
- Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
- Social assistance (NAICS 624): 53%
- Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 21%
- Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 10%
- Hospitals (NAICS 622): 7%
- Other services (except public administration) (NAICS 81): 7%
- The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 75% compared to 84% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 25% compared to 16% for all occupations
- 57% of home support workers, caregivers and related occupations work all year, while 42% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 40 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- 15% of home support workers, caregivers and related occupations are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: 10% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: 90% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: 9% compared to 11% for all occupations
- high school diploma or equivalent: 23% compared to 28% for all occupations
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 28% compared to 11% for all occupations
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: 31% compared to 25% for all occupations
- bachelor’s degree: 8% compared to 17% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $17.00 | $22.00 | $26.38 |
| Canada | $16.00 | $20.50 | $27.00 |
Training
| TRAINING PROGRAM | INSTITUTION | CREDENTIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Human Services | Holland College | Diploma |
| Resident Care Worker | Holland College | Certificate |
| Resident Care Worker | Marguerite Connolly Training & Consulting | Diploma |
| Home Support Worker | Marguerite Connolly Training & Consulting | Certificate |
| Caregiver (French) | Collège de l’Île | Certificate |
Additional Training
Certifications
We don’t have any data on professional certification requirements. Based on our records, this occupation is not regulated in PEI.
If you are aware of a local regulatory body for this occupation in PEI, please contact us.
There are currently no job listings for this occupation on WorkPEI.