Some plans need more than personal care. Salve is BC HCP-licensed (Health Care Professionals & Services) and works with Registered Nurses on the team. Most clinical procedures below are RN-performed. Personal care continues alongside, by trained caregivers. If a case asks for something more specialized than what's listed, we'll say so on the 15-minute call.
§IV therapy at home: IV antibiotics, IV hydration, PICC line dressing changes and flushes (with physician order), central line maintenance, using the client's hospital-issued or prescribed pump
§Tube feeding and PEG / G-tube management: feeding, site care, basic clog troubleshooting in collaboration with family; complex issues like tube replacement coordinated with the clinic or hospital
§Tracheostomy care: suctioning, airway maintenance, routine trach care alongside the respiratory therapist. We don't manage ventilator settings; that stays with the RT.
§Palliative nursing: pain and symptom management, comfort, family support (distinct from formal hospice, which runs under a separate BC framework)
§Oxygen, BiPAP and CPAP support, suctioning, compression therapy, mechanical-lift transfers
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Who it's for
Families whose loved one is being discharged from hospital with a complex plan (wounds, tubes, infusions, equipment), or whose ongoing condition has grown beyond what personal care alone can hold. Often arranged in coordination with a hospital social worker and the family's medical team.
Hours and schedule
Frequency depends on the plan. Some clients need a daily skilled-nursing visit, some weekly, some on a flexible schedule that wraps around personal care. Caregiver-led shifts have a four-hour minimum; standalone RN visits (a short, specific clinical task: wound change, IV flush, injection) can be as short as one hour. Days, evenings, overnights, and around-the-clock multi-shift coverage all available.
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Complex care, by city
Choose your area for what this looks like in your part of the city.
Most clinical procedures are RN-performed: PICC line care, IV therapy, central line maintenance, G-tube/PEG management. Personal care continues alongside, by trained caregivers. Tracheostomy care is RN or trained caregiver per the care plan.
Do you manage ventilators?
No. Tracheostomy care (suctioning, airway maintenance, routine trach care) is in scope. Ventilator settings stay with the respiratory therapist; we work alongside them.
Can you do PICC line care?
Yes. PICC line dressing changes, plus flushes (saline and/or heparin) with care-manager authorization or a physician's order. All PICC-related procedures are RN-performed.
What's the difference between palliative and hospice at Salve?
We provide palliative care: pain and symptom management, comfort, and emotional support for clients and families. We don't provide formal hospice services, which run under a separate BC framework with different funding and care protocols.
Are caregivers trained to work with tracheostomy and ventilator-supported clients?
Yes. Caregivers assigned to clients with a tracheostomy or ventilator complete specific training before the case: safe handling around the equipment, recognizing changes in breathing, and the escalation pathway to the RN or the respiratory therapist. Clinical trach care (suctioning, dressing changes) is RN-performed; ventilator settings stay with the RT. Caregivers maintain the surrounding personal care and home routines safely.
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Caregiver-led visits run $41–$45 an hour with a four-hour minimum; when
a Registered Nurse is needed for clinical work, those visits are $75 an
hour.
For how families pay for it (extended health, VAC, CSIL, and more), see costs and coverage. To see the people who'll be doing the work, meet our caregivers.
BCCPA-member agencyBC HCP-licensed (Health Care Professionals & Services)WorkSafeBC registeredICBC-certified Personal Care Assistance providerFully insured & bonded caregiversBLS-certified, First Aid trained15+ years caring for BC families since 2011
