For professionals and community workers
Refer a family to iCaria
A one-page reference for discharge planners, pharmacists, faith leaders, community and settlement workers, and anyone who meets an older adult who needs practical help at home. Print it, keep it, hand it over.
Who we help
- Older adults living at home in Milton who need practical, non-clinical help.
- Adults recovering at home after a hospital stay, a fall, or a joint replacement.
- Older adults living alone whose day-to-day is slipping before any crisis.
- Families coordinating from another city or another country.
- Families who need help in Arabic, French or Spanish as well as English.
What we are not
Being clear about this saves everyone a wasted referral.
- Not home nursing. No medication administration, wound care, injections or any clinical procedure.
- Not a regulated health service and not a substitute for one. We do not replace home care your client already receives.
- Not crisis or emergency response. We do not take urgent same-hour calls.
- Not overnight or live-in care at launch.
- Not medical foot care. Diabetic or ulcerated feet need a foot-care nurse or chiropodist, and we will say so rather than take the booking.
What we do
Certified local providers, booked by the family, for the practical work that fills most of a difficult day: Home Cleaning, Laundry, Meal Preparation, Personal Care and Bathing, Mobility & Transfer, Companionship, Handyman and home-safety fittings, Snow Shovelling and Lawn and Yard Care, plus a familiar driver for medical appointments, errands and outings who waits and brings the person home.
See the full service listCoverage
Milton, Ontario at launch, with a Mississauga waitlist open now. If your client is outside that area, refer them anyway and we will tell the family honestly when we can reach them rather than leave them waiting on a list they do not know about.
What happens after you refer
- 1
The family gets in touch, or you do
Either the family contacts us themselves, or you email us with their permission. We do not accept a referral without the older adult knowing about it.
- 2
We reply within one business day
A real person, in the family's language where we can match it. No call centre and no automated queue.
- 3
We are honest about fit
If what your client needs is nursing, or is outside our area, or is something we do not do, we say so at that first contact instead of taking a booking and disappointing them later.
- 4
The family stays in control
They choose the provider, they choose the services, and they can request the same person each time. Nothing is assigned to them.
One thing we ask of you
Please refer only with the older adult's knowledge. Help that arrives unannounced gets refused at the door, and after that the family usually stops trying. A referral your client has agreed to is worth far more than one they have not.
How to refer
Email us and mention that you are a professional referrer, so we route it properly.
Or send the family to our contact form and they can start it themselves. Open the contact form
Questions we get from referrers
Do you accept referrals directly from professionals?
Yes, with the older adult's knowledge and agreement. Email support@icariatogether.com and say you are referring on someone's behalf. We will contact the family, not the older adult alone.
Is there a cost to the family?
Yes, this is a paid service. Each service has a starting price covering travel and the first part of the visit, then a set amount per additional 15 minutes with a cap. Families see the real price before confirming anything. There is no cost to you for referring.
Are your providers screened?
Every provider is vetted before taking any booking: identity verified, two references called, and a signed conduct agreement. Providers who have also completed our training carry the iCaria Certified badge, which families can see on the profile before they confirm. We encourage families to favour certified providers. Families see who is coming before they confirm and can decline or block anyone.
Can you take a discharge referral at short notice?
Often, but do not rely on it. Discharge dates move, so tell us the expected date early and tell us when it changes. Shifting an existing booking is far easier than creating one on the day.
What if the family speaks little English?
The platform is available in English, French, Arabic and Spanish, and we match a provider who speaks the family's language where we can. We say so honestly when we cannot.
Will you tell me what happened after I refer?
No. What happens in the family's account is theirs, and we do not report back on it without their explicit instruction. If you need to know, ask the family.