Terms of service

1. Who we are

Nearkin is run by [Legal company name], [business number], [mailing address].

Nearkin is an online platform. It helps families in Ontario find, meet and book independent caregivers for older parents.

Nearkin is not open for booking yet. Today you can join the waitlist, apply as a caregiver or send us a message. The sections about visits and payments describe how they'll work at launch.

2. Using Nearkin

• By using the site, you agree to these terms and our privacy policy.
• You must be 18 or older to create an account, book visits or work as a caregiver.
• You can book for a parent or another family member, with their agreement.
• Please give us true and up-to-date information, and keep your sign-in details private.

3. What Nearkin does

• We check caregivers, help you find and meet them, handle payments and give support.
• Caregivers are independent contractors. They are not Nearkin employees. [lawyer to confirm]
• Caregivers choose which visits they accept. Families choose which caregiver they book.
• Nearkin is not a health care provider and doesn't give medical advice.
• Caregivers working with Nearkin sign a caregiver agreement.

4. What caregivers can help with

• Companions: company and conversation, games, walks, reading together, help with phone and video calls, and going out together on foot or by transit.
• Home Helpers: everything a Companion does, plus cleaning, laundry, cooking meals and buying groceries.
• PSWs: everything a Home Helper does, plus personal care such as bathing, dressing, the toilet, safe transfers and help moving around.
• No Nearkin caregiver gives nursing care, such as injections, wound care or giving medication. For that, ask Ontario Health atHome. [confirm scope with a lawyer and insurer]
• Please book the right kind of caregiver. Companions and Home Helpers never give personal care.
• You choose a caregiver by the help you need, the languages they speak and shared interests. Nearkin never lets families choose or filter caregivers by age, or any other ground protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code.

5. Going to appointments

• By default, caregivers go with your parent by transit or taxi. You pay the fare. [confirm]
• A caregiver drives your parent only if they've sent Nearkin proof of business-use car insurance.
• Personal car insurance usually doesn't cover driving clients. That's why we check.

6. Not an emergency service

• Nearkin is not an emergency service.
• In an emergency, call 911.
• Caregivers are told to call 911 first in an emergency, then let you and Nearkin know.

7. Prices

• Companion: $29 an hour.
• Home Helper: $32 an hour.
• PSW: $39 an hour.
• You see the full price before you book. [confirm whether HST applies]
• No sign-up fee, no monthly fee and no contract.
• Every visit is at least 2 hours.
• Ontario statutory holidays cost $5 more an hour. All of it goes to the caregiver.
• From each hour, the caregiver takes home $22 (Companion), $24 (Home Helper) or $30 (PSW). Nearkin keeps $7, $8 or $9. This pays for checks, training, insurance, payments and backup caregivers.

8. Payments

• You pay by card through Nearkin. We charge after each visit. [confirm]
• You get a receipt for every visit.
• Please don't pay caregivers in cash or outside Nearkin. [lawyer to confirm]
• If you think a charge is wrong, send us a message within 30 days. [confirm]

9. Meet-and-greets and cancellations

• Meet-and-greets are free.
• You can cancel a visit for free up to 24 hours before it starts.
• If you cancel less than 24 hours before, we charge 1 hour. All of it goes to the caregiver.
• If a caregiver can't come, we'll offer a backup caregiver. You're never charged for a visit that doesn't happen because of us.

10. Checks and their limits

• Before caregivers can be booked, we check their identity, a recent vulnerable sector check and two references. We also interview them.
• Every caregiver passes free Nearkin training for their tier, with a short quiz for each lesson, and sends proof of liability insurance.
• For PSWs, we also check their PSW certificate and Ontario registration (HSCPOA), and their skills in person, including safe transfers.
• Checks lower the risk, but they can't remove it. Please tell us at once if something worries you.

11. Safety and respect

• Families and caregivers treat each other with respect.
• Discrimination, harassment and abuse are never allowed. We may close accounts for them.
• Keep your home safe for the caregiver. Tell us about pets, stairs or anything else they should know.
• To report a concern, send us a message.

12. Insurance

• Each caregiver holds their own liability insurance, for example through an OPSWA membership.
• Nearkin will hold its own liability insurance before booking opens. [insurer and cover to confirm]
• Caregivers who drive clients must have business-use car insurance.

13. Liability

• [Limits of liability and disclaimers, to be written by a lawyer.]
• Nothing in these terms takes away rights you have under Ontario consumer protection law.

14. Changes and ending

• We'll tell you about important changes to these terms at least 30 days before they apply. [confirm]
• You can stop using Nearkin at any time.
• We may close an account that breaks these terms, or right away if someone's safety is at risk.

15. Disputes and governing law

• If something goes wrong, please tell us first. Most problems can be fixed quickly.
• These terms follow the laws of Ontario and Canada. [lawyer to confirm]
• [Dispute process, as advised by a lawyer.]

16. Contact

• Send us a message.
• Legal notices: [Legal company name], [mailing address].