A Nova Scotia family is upset that a home care health provider that is supposed to make daily visits isn't doing that.

Josephine Hurt needs help taking care of her husband, David, an 84-year-old with dementia.

"I can't do it, my dear. I'm 87 and I can't. If he fell, what would I do?" she said.

Josephine says a worker from Closing the Gap, a company contracted by the province to provide home care, is supposed to come over every day. She says a lot of the time, she's on her own, changing her husband's bed, washing him and doing light housework.

Josephine has arthritis and mobility issues, and she doesn't want to see her husband in a nursing home.

"I want David to stay here," she said.

The couple's daughter, Cynthia Page, says the problem is timing. She says the workers are supposed to come at the same time every day and stay for an hour and a half. However, Page says they often don't show up, or they don't stay for as long as they're supposed to.

Page says the workers do good work, but she feels they are stretched too thin.

"Someone with the level of dementia that my father has requires almost the same person every day so that he's in a routine with them, he recognizes them, he's compliant with them," said Page. "It would be nice if there was regular care for people like my father. I'd like to see otherwise that another agency take on the contract."

The family says they have complained to the Nova Scotia Health Authority and to Closing the Gap, but nothing has changed.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority says the province sets performance standards for all contracted agencies and audits them. It says it will be working with Closing the Gap to make sure the contract requirements are being met.

CBC News contacted Closing the Gap, but did not receive a response.