When longtime pharmaceutical executive Domenic Maccarone picked up the phone in 2013 to check on colleagues who had just been laid off, he never imagined the call would steer him toward a second career—and a mission.
One friend in Calgary explained he had started a Home Care Assistance franchise. “I liked the idea that you could wake up every morning and feel good about going to work because you were helping people who really needed it,” Maccarone recalls.
A year later, Domenic and his wife, Deborah, a past registered practical nurse, moved from Port Hope to launch Home Care Assistance Barrie. The couple’s complementary backgrounds—his in sales and marketing leadership and hers in frontline health care—have powered steady growth built on a single promise: personalized, one-to-one support that helps older adults remain safely in their own homes.
That people-first model is resonating. This spring, the Barrie office captured both the 2025 Top Choice Award for Home Health Care Services and the 2025 Consumer Choice Award for Best Home Healthcare Services—plus twin Platinum wins in the 2025 Community Votes Barrie awards for Home Support Services and Home Health Care—adding to a growing string of honours earned over the past two years.
“Quality over quantity is our north star,” he says. “The awards reassure us we’re on the right path, but the real reward is when a family tells us we’ve helped Mom or Dad stay exactly where they want to be—home.”
Beyond basic care: the Balanced Care Method
Maccarone argues that staying at home can extend life and dramatically improve quality of life, provided the support is holistic. Every new client consultation includes a discussion of the company’s “Balanced Care Method.”
The framework emphasizes five pillars common to the world’s healthiest centenarian communities: nutritious diet, regular physical movement, cognitive stimulation, meaningful social connection and daily stress reduction. Caregivers might guide light exercises, host a card game to spark conversation, or simply drive a 99-year-old client to Tim Hortons for his favourite bowl of chilli—an outing that satisfies exercise, social and comfort-food cravings all at once.
“Caregiver match” and continuity
A frequent fear among families is a revolving door of unfamiliar faces. Home Care Assistance tackles that through an in-depth “caregiver-fit” process, matching hobbies, personality and cultural background as carefully as clinical skill. “We’re in the mid-90-percent range of getting the match right the first time,” Maccarone says.
Once a schedule is set, the goal is continuity: ideally, a single caregiver, or a two-person live-in rotation for round-the-clock cases. Each worker uses a mobile app to log tasks in real time and flag emerging health concerns, giving the office team—and family members—instant visibility.
No long-term contracts, no surprises
Another common misconception, Maccarone notes, is that private home care locks families into lengthy agreements. “Our services can be cancelled with 24 hours’ notice,” he says. Plans are reviewed at least monthly and can be scaled back when a hip-replacement client regains mobility or intensified if dementia symptoms progress.
The company also refuses assignments if it cannot supply the right professional. “We would rather say, ‘I’m sorry, we don’t have the perfect person yet,’ than send someone who may not meet our standards,” Maccarone adds.
Spotting the moment to ask for help
Falls, untouched laundry, uneaten meals and missed showers are the red flags Maccarone sees most often. Because many older adults downplay struggles, he urges relatives to visit in person and—crucially—to act before a crisis puts a loved one in the hospital. “If you do it sooner rather than later, they can enjoy a long, healthy life at home.”
Whether you’re just beginning to spot the warning signs or racing against an unexpected hospital discharge, Maccarone urges families to start the conversation now. A no-pressure, complimentary in-home consultation—conducted by a registered practical nurse—can clarify your options, tailor a care plan and deliver peace of mind.
Call Home Care Assistance Barrie at 705-503-2273 or visit HomeCareAssistanceBarrie.ca to book your free assessment today and discover how “quality over quantity” care can help your loved one thrive, right where they belong.