How Can We Help?

Not at all. You don’t need to be ill, approaching end of life, or experiencing a crisis to reach out.

Sometimes you simply need companionship, practical assistance, help navigating a situation, support through a difficult life transition, or someone to turn to when things feel harder to manage.

We help fill the non-medical gaps that can arise in everyday life and during life’s more difficult moments.

Our support includes companionship, practical and logistical assistance, caregiver and respite support, transportation assistance, Advance Care Planning and system navigation, counselling and grief support, legacy support, end-of-life support, pet support, and connections with community businesses and professionals.

You don’t have to figure out which category your situation fits into. Start by telling us what you need help with.

Absolutely. Companionship isn’t limited to people who are ill or approaching end of life.

You may live alone, have family who live at a distance, want some additional social connection, or simply appreciate having someone spend time with you. Companionship can also provide reassurance for loved ones who cannot always be there themselves.

Yes. Caregivers need support too.

We can help with non-medical respite and companionship so you can rest, attend an appointment, run errands, spend time with other family members, or simply have some time for yourself.

We recognize that sometimes individuals and families need more hands-on assistance in the home.

Through our collaboration with Cornerstone Caregiving Barrie, we can help connect individuals and families with in-home caregiving support when additional personal care is needed.

This works alongside the broader support available through Ryan’s Crossing, allowing families to access help with both the practical realities of caregiving and the other challenges that can surround illness, aging, changing mobility or difficult life transitions.

Yes. Transportation can become a challenge for many reasons, including health concerns, mobility changes, caregiving responsibilities, appointments, or simply not having someone available to help.

Tell us where you need to go and what kind of assistance you need, and we can explore what support may be available.

Yes. Our Advance Care Planning and System Navigation team can help you better understand available resources and services, prepare for healthcare appointments and conversations, understand your options, and determine appropriate next steps.

Our role is supportive and educational. We complement the work of your healthcare providers rather than replace it.

Absolutely. You don’t need to wait for an illness or crisis to think about what matters to you.

Advance Care Planning can help you explore your values and wishes, consider who you would trust to speak for you if necessary, organize important information, and begin meaningful conversations with the people who matter to you.

No. Counselling comes in many forms.

Our counselling support team is available for a broad range of counselling and support needs. You might be coping with the death of someone you love, anticipatory grief, pet loss, a relationship loss, a major life transition, or another difficult experience.

You don’t need to decide whether what you’re experiencing “counts” as grief before reaching out. Tell us what you’re going through, and we can help you explore the support that may be right for you.

We offer compassionate, non-medical support for individuals and families navigating end of life.

Depending on your needs, support may include companionship, respite presence, emotional and practical support, vigil presence, Advance Care Planning, system navigation, legacy and meaning-making activities, grief support, and support for family members.

Our services complement the individual’s healthcare team. They do not replace medical care.

Yes. Pets are family too.

If illness, hospitalization, changing mobility, caregiving responsibilities or other circumstances make it difficult to manage your pet’s usual routine, we can help with a range of pet-support needs.

This may include visits, walking, feeding, enrichment and other individualized routine care.

Yes. Sometimes one of the biggest concerns when someone becomes ill or is unexpectedly hospitalized is, “Who is going to look after their pet?”

We can help families explore pet-care support so their loved one’s companion continues to receive attention and routine care while everyone focuses on the situation at hand.

Yes. Our pet support extends beyond everyday pet care.

We can support individuals and families dealing with an aging or ill pet, difficult decisions, anticipatory grief, pet loss, and some practical aftercare needs.

Because losing a pet means losing a member of the family, grief support can also be an important part of that care.

Yes. And legacy work doesn’t have to wait until the end of someone’s life.

We can help individuals and families preserve meaningful memories and stories, explore legacy projects, organize important information, and think about what they would like to leave behind or share with the people who matter to them.

Yes. This is an important part of what we do.

Not every problem requires a Ryan’s Crossing service. Sometimes what you need is the right person, business or community resource.

We have built a strong, trusted network of professional, compassionate community connections that can help with some of the practical challenges individuals and families encounter.

If you don’t know who to call, start with us.

Unexpected travel can feel overwhelming when you’re already dealing with an illness, death or family crisis.

Through our community connections, we can help connect you with travel expertise when you need assistance arranging a trip to be with someone who is ill, attend a funeral or memorial, or travel because of another difficult family circumstance.

Christine’s Travel Therapy is one of the community businesses we can connect you with for travel assistance.

Changes in health or mobility can sometimes mean that a home no longer works as well for the person living there.

Ryan’s Crossing can help connect individuals and families with trusted community businesses that can explore appropriate home modifications and adaptations.

Possibly. It depends on your individual insurance plan and the professional providing the service.

Some extended health benefit plans may reimburse services delivered by certain eligible professionals. Coverage can vary based on the professional designation, your individual benefits plan, annual limits, and your insurer’s requirements.

If you are hoping to submit a service for reimbursement, we recommend contacting your insurance provider before booking and asking whether services provided by that particular type of professional are covered under your plan.

We can provide information about the credentials of the person providing your service where applicable, but Ryan’s Crossing cannot guarantee that an insurer will reimburse a particular service.

That’s exactly when we want you to contact us.

You don’t have to understand our service categories or know which provider you need. Tell us what’s happening, what’s becoming difficult, and what you could use some help with.

We’ll help you figure out where to start.

Please ask us anyway.

No website can anticipate every situation an individual or family may face. You might need transportation, urgent travel arrangements, help caring for a pet, assistance adapting a home, companionship, caregiver relief, counselling, grief support, navigation assistance, or something completely different.