Terms of service

1. About these terms

These terms apply to the household help services provided by [Company legal name] Inc., operating as Kept Close (“we”, “us”). “You” means the person receiving the services, and, where applicable, the person who arranges or pays for them on that person’s behalf. The person receiving help is called the “client”.

Before services begin, we send you a written service agreement with your visit schedule and prices. If the service agreement and these terms differ, the service agreement applies. Submitting the interest form on this website does not create any obligation for you or for us.

2. What we do

We provide non-medical household help in the client’s home and neighbourhood, including:

• Grocery shopping, picking up online orders, and putting purchases away;
• Meal planning, meal preparation and batch cooking, and related kitchen clean-up;
• Errands done by our helper alone, such as pharmacy pick-ups, post office trips and returns;
• Sorting mail, help completing forms, booking appointments, and help using phones, tablets and computers;
• Light tidying, watering plants, and company and conversation;
• A short written update after each visit, sent to the people the client authorizes.

3. What we don’t do

Our services do not include, and our helpers will not perform:

• Personal care, meaning help with activities of daily living such as bathing, showering, dressing, toileting, continence care, grooming, or eating;
• Lifting, transferring or physically supporting a person, including after a fall;
• Any task involving medication, including giving, preparing, sorting or reminding about doses, and any nursing or health care task;
• Driving the client, or accompanying the client in any vehicle;
• Overnight stays, or supervision of a person who cannot safely be left alone;
• Handling cash, bank cards, PINs, online banking passwords or investments, or making financial decisions;
• Signing or witnessing wills, powers of attorney or other legal documents;
• Heavy housework, renovation, or tasks that require a ladder or specialized equipment.

Our helpers may decline any task that falls outside our services or that they reasonably consider unsafe. Our services are not a substitute for health care, personal support services, or a medical alert or monitoring system.

4. Who can use our services

The client must:

• Be an adult who lives in their own home within our service area;
• Be able to remain safely alone between visits;
• Agree to receive the services.

If you arrange services for someone else, you confirm that the client agrees, or that you have the legal authority to act for them (for example, a power of attorney in Ontario or a homologated protection mandate in Québec). We may ask to see a copy.

5. Getting started

Our first visit is a free consultation with no obligation. We don’t ask you to sign anything during a visit: we send the service agreement by email afterwards so you can read it and sign it when you’re ready. You may cancel before the first paid visit at no cost.

6. Scheduling and cancellations

• Visits have a minimum length of 2 hours, except errand runs.
• We aim to arrive at the scheduled time, and will let you know if we expect to be more than 15 minutes late.
• You can cancel or reschedule a visit free of charge with at least 24 hours’ notice. A later cancellation, or a visit where we can’t get in, is charged at 50% of the booked visit.
• If we must cancel a visit, including for unsafe weather, there is no charge and we will offer another time.

7. Prices and payment

• Our current prices are $62 per hour for occasional visits, $45 per hour for a standing weekly visit, and $60 for an errand run, plus applicable taxes. See our pricing page.
• Travel within our service area is included.
• We send invoices by email after each visit or monthly. Payment is by pre-authorized debit or credit card. We do not accept cash.
• We don’t charge interest on late payments, but we may pause visits until your account is up to date.
• We will give you at least 30 days’ written notice of any price change. If you don’t accept the change, you may end the service without penalty.

8. Purchases on your behalf

• We never handle cash.
• We either pick up an order you have placed and paid for, or pay with a company card and bill you for the exact amount, with no markup.
• For purchases we pay for, we may ask for a prepaid purchase balance of $150 to $300. We only top it up with your permission, and refund any unused balance when services end.
• We keep a receipt for every purchase and send you a photo of it.

9. Access to the home and safety

• We will hold a key or use a lockbox only with written permission. Keys are kept securely, never labelled with an address, and returned when services end.
• Please make sure pets are safely managed, and don’t smoke indoors during visits.
• Our helpers may end a visit if they feel unsafe, or if they experience harassment or abusive behaviour.

10. Visit updates

After each visit, we send a short written update to the people the client has authorized. Updates describe what was done and anything practical we noticed. They are not medical assessments, and our services are not a monitoring service.

11. Emergencies

If we believe someone’s health or safety is at immediate risk, we will call 911 first and then the client’s emergency contact. Our helpers are trained in first aid but will not lift or move a person who has fallen. You authorize us to share the information emergency services need.

12. If the client’s needs change

If we believe the client needs help beyond what we provide, we will tell you and suggest appropriate resources, such as Ontario Health atHome or the local CLSC. We may adjust or end our services, with notice as described below, if we can no longer provide them safely.

13. Gifts and personal dealings

To protect clients and our helpers, our helpers will not accept gifts, money or loans, will not be named in a will or as an attorney or mandatary, and will not sign documents for the client. Please don’t ask them to.

14. Ending the service

You may end the service at any time by telling us by phone or in writing. There is no penalty; you pay only for visits already provided and any late cancellation charges.

We may end the service with 14 days’ notice, or immediately if continuing would put anyone’s safety at risk, in case of abusive behaviour toward our staff, or for repeated non-payment.

15. Responsibility and insurance

We carry commercial general liability insurance. We are responsible for loss or damage caused by our fault or negligence. Please tell us about any fragile or especially valuable items in areas where we work.

Nothing in these terms limits any right you have under consumer protection laws, including Québec’s Consumer Protection Act and Ontario’s consumer protection legislation.

16. Questions and complaints

Please contact us at support@keptclose.ca. We will respond within 10 business days.

17. Privacy

Our privacy policy explains how we handle personal information.

18. Language

These terms and our service agreement are available in French and English. For clients in Québec, the French version is provided first; the English version applies only if you expressly choose it after receiving the French version.

19. Governing law

Services provided in Ontario are governed by the laws of Ontario, and services provided in Québec by the laws of Québec, together with the federal laws of Canada that apply.

20. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. We will send clients written notice at least 30 days before a change takes effect, describing the change and its effective date. If you don’t accept the change, you may end the service without penalty.