Question 1

What is Halekin?

Accepted Answer

Halekin connects your loved one with a trusted companion (we call them Kin) for regular visits. Your parent gets company, help with errands, meal prep, technology, and a friendly face that shows up. You get peace of mind and a summary after every visit.

Question 2

How are Kin vetted?

Accepted Answer

Every Kin provides a Vulnerable Sector Check (the police background check specifically for people working with vulnerable adults), finishes our training, and signs a code of conduct before their first visit. We match them with your parent based on language, interests, neighbourhood, and preferences.

Question 3

What does a visit actually look like?

Accepted Answer

A typical two-hour visit might be: arrive, chat over tea, head out to the grocery store together, come home and put everything away, start a puzzle before saying goodbye. Every visit includes companionship. The other tasks vary with what your parent needs that day. Kin don't provide medical care, bathing, or medication. See the scope of service .

Question 4

Can I choose my parent's Kin?

Accepted Answer

We match your parent with the best-fit Kin on our roster. After the first few visits, most families stick with the same Kin every week. We call them a dedicated Kin. If something isn't working, tell us and we'll find a better match. No questions asked.

Question 5

What if my parent doesn't like their Kin?

Accepted Answer

We swap them. Your parent's comfort is the whole point. There's nothing awkward about asking for a different match. Email us and we'll handle the reintroduction.

Question 6

Can I pause my subscription if my parent is in hospital or we're travelling?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can pause billing for up to eight weeks from your billing page. We won't charge you during a pause and you can't book new visits, but any visit already on the calendar during the pause window stays on, so you don't have to cancel those separately unless you want to. Your subscription picks back up automatically on the date you set.

Question 7

Do unused hours roll over?

Accepted Answer

They don't. Each billing period starts with a fresh bucket of included hours; whatever isn't used by the end of the period doesn't carry forward. If your needs change, you can change your plan any time. Downgrades apply at the end of the current period, upgrades apply immediately with prorated billing.

Question 8

Can I see what happened during a visit?

Accepted Answer

Yes. After every visit you get a summary with the Kin's notes, the tasks they got through, how your parent seemed, any photos (only taken with consent), and any safety observations about the home. You can go back through all of it on your dashboard anytime.

Question 9

What are "safety observations"?

Accepted Answer

They're the kind of thing a friend notices: nearly-empty fridge, expired food, a tripping hazard on the stairs. Kin aren't there to inspect your parent's home, but if something significant comes up, they note it so you can act on it. Urgent safety concerns also alert our team so we can follow up with you quickly.

Question 10

Can other family members help manage my parent's care?

Accepted Answer

You can invite siblings or other relatives to co-manage. They can view visit summaries, book visits, and message the Kin. Only the primary account holder manages billing.

Question 11

What's NOT included?

Accepted Answer

Medical care, bathing, toileting, dressing, medication administration, heavy lifting, home repairs, and any professional service (tax, legal, IT). Our Kin can help you connect with qualified providers for those, but they won't try to do them themselves.

Question 12

What happens if there's an emergency during a visit?

Accepted Answer

Kin are trained to call 911 first, then contact you, then contact us. We treat any incident as urgent and follow up with you directly.

Question 13

Which cities do you serve?

Accepted Answer

We currently serve the Ottawa-Gatineau region. If you're outside our area, join the waitlist. We'll let you know when we reach your neighbourhood.

Question 14

How do I cancel my subscription?

Accepted Answer

From your billing page. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Visits already booked for that period still happen. No cancellation fees for the subscription itself.

Question 15

How do my plan hours and extra time work?

Accepted Answer

Your plan's included hours reset at the start of each billing period — unused hours don't carry over. Time beyond your included hours bills at the drop-in rate of $35/hour. On transportation visits, mileage ($0.72/km) also draws from your plan hours. And if a visit ends early, you're only charged for the time actually used.

Question 16

Do you check the home for safety?

Accepted Answer

Yes. On home-safety visits — and periodically on regular visits — your Kin does a quick walkthrough: entryways, lighting, smoke and CO detectors, and common fall risks. If anything looks concerning, we flag it for review and let you know. You can see the full report on the visit page.

Question 17

How much do Kin earn?

Accepted Answer

Hourly base rate plus mileage on transportation visits and weekly volume bonuses (more visits and more hours each unlock a bonus on top of the base). The current rates and thresholds are shown in the app once you're onboarded.

Question 18

How do I get paid?

Accepted Answer

Weekly direct deposit to your bank account via Stripe Connect. No invoicing. Your earnings show up in the app in real time after each completed visit.

Question 19

Am I an employee?

Accepted Answer

No. Kin are independent contractors. You're responsible for your own income taxes, CPP contributions, and (if your total annual service revenue crosses the HST/GST threshold) HST/GST. We'll issue you a T4A for tax time if your earnings require it. See the Kin section of our Terms .

Question 20

Can I set my own hours?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You set your availability in the app and change it anytime. The more you're available, the more visits you'll be offered, but nobody tells you when to work.

Question 21

What training is required?

Accepted Answer

Six online modules, about two hours in total: Welcome, Scope of Service, Communication, Safety, Using the App, and Privacy. Each has a short quiz. You'll finish before your first visit.

Question 22

What if I need to cancel a visit I've claimed?

Accepted Answer

Cancel in the app as soon as you know. We'll reopen the visit to other Kin. Cancellations do affect your reliability score. We understand emergencies happen, but a pattern of cancellations triggers a review.

Question 23

Can I work for other companion agencies too?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your time is your own. You can be a Kin for Halekin and work anywhere else you'd like.

Question 24

What about insurance?

Accepted Answer

Halekin carries commercial general liability insurance that covers incidents during visits. If you have your own personal coverage, keep it. Our policy doesn't replace it.

Question 25

When do my ratings start counting?

Accepted Answer

Your rating shows from your very first review, but it only starts counting toward your matching standing after 5 completed visits. That way one early review — good or bad — doesn't define you while you're getting started.

Question 26

What if a visit ends early?

Accepted Answer

For qualifying early ends — the member isn't feeling well, a family emergency, or the tasks are genuinely finished — you're paid fairly for your time. Repeatedly ending visits early without a qualifying reason can reduce your pay for those visits, so use it when it's real.

Questions, answered.

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