The iSavta Team | 08.08.2019
Living Assistance Services:
The aim of Living Assistance Services:
Living Assistance Services is a private company that provides care to elderly people across Canada. They aim to provide service-oriented homecare so that seniors in Canada can age better and enjoy a higher quality of life as they age.
These services are aimed at those who require additional assistance in their lives, but who are not ready for full-time care. Their purpose is to help seniors with all of the challenges of day-to-day living.
Jobs at Living Assistance Services:
Staff who work for Living Assistance Services come from a range of backgrounds, from nursing to hospitality. The organisation has designed their staff program in response to the challenges that have been brought about by the live-in caregiver program.
Living Assistance Services hire Personal Support Workers to carry out their work with seniors, and provide them with a comprehensive training program from a registered nurse, as well as pay competitive wages.
Unlike the live-in caregiver program, people working for Living Assistance Services often work in different settings, as this organisation can place staff in locations such as nursing homes, hospitals, and so on. Also, unlike the live-in caregiver program, if you do not live in the client’s home, you may be assigned to numerous clients (although they are likely to be your regular clients).
Requirements for working for Living Assistance Services
Crucially, for this type of work, you need two years’ experience of working as a carer in Canada. You can find out what you need to work for Living Assistance Services by checking out the requirements on their website:
https://www.laservices.ca/careers/
Check out the Living Assistance Services website for the job application criteria.
Live-In Caregivers:
What is a live-in caregiver?
A live-in caregiver is someone who provides care for a senior person in their own home. Accommodation and often meals are provided to the caregivers. Live-in caregivers can work for different individuals or organisations but will have one client with whom they live.
The live-in caregiver program in Canada is organised by the government and historically it has provided an opportunity for carers from overseas to work in the senior care profession in order to earn a residency permit to the country.
The live-in caregiver program was originally set up by the Canadian government so that foreign workers could gain permanent residency to the country by working as a home carer for seniors.
Changes to the live-in caregiver program
As we mentioned, the live-in caregiver program has altered in the last number of years (the pilot stopped in 2014). The Canadian government has recently changed the pathways for people looking to work as a live-in caregiver.
You should note that although the original live-in caregiver program has finished, some people who were already on the Live-in Caregiver Program before it finished can apply for permanent residency.
Check out our article on the New Pathways for Caregivers for more information.
The following is an overview of the current pathways that are available to live-in caregivers.
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The Interim Pathway for Caregivers
The Interim Pathway for Caregivers will be in place for three months starting on 8th July 2019.
The Interim Pathway for Caregivers is a current, temporary pathway for qualified caregivers in Canada who are eligible to apply for permanent residence. It opened for three months from 8th July 2019 and is a temporary pathway which replaces the old live-in caregiver program.
You may be eligible if you meet the following criteria:
- Are authorised to work on a work permit other than the Live-in Caregiver Program.
- You have had 12 months of full-time work in Canada as a home support worker or home child care provider since 30th November 2014.
- You meet the minimum language and education requirements.
You can find out more information about these requirements can be found on the Canada Visa website
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The Home Support Worker Pilot
This pilot programs started on 18th June 2019.
These pilots are for people with 24 months of eligible caregiver work experience. Applicants must also meet the relevant education and language requirements, as well as be admissible to Canada.
You would then be allowed to apply for permanent residency.
Also, you can get a work permit if you already have a job offer in Canada. You will then need two years of work experience to apply for residency.
There are a limited number of places on the program per year.
Applications will take 12 months to process for those applying for work permits, and six months for those applying who already meet the requirement for work experience.
There are a number of different job titles which will be applicable under the program, such as live-in caregiver, home support worker, personal aide, and so on.
You can apply from inside and outside Canada, as long as you meet the correct criteria.
If you have any questions about any of these pathways, check out these helpful FAQs and phone numbers on the Canada Visa website.
Summary
As you can see, although both Living Assistance Services and the live-in caregiver program involve working with seniors in Canada, there are huge differences between them.
The live-in caregiver program is a government pathway to gaining permanent residency in Canada. Living Assistance Services is a private company that offers jobs in care, such as Personal Support Worker roles, and for this you will need a general work permit.
Both Living Assistance Services and the live-in caregiver program involve working with seniors, but have big differences between the programs.
