Long-Term Care in Ontario

If your care needs can no longer be met in the community or retirement home level does not appear to provide adequate care, you/your loved one may require a long-term care home. Long-term care homes (formerly called Nursing Homes) are licensed, regulated, and funded by the provincial government. Eligibility for placement in long-term care is determined by your local Health atHome office. Long-term care homes provide 24-hour/day supervision and/or assistance with personal care, eating, bathing, medications, and medical/nursing needs for medically stable individuals in a secure, supervised environment. They tend to offer more care than is usually available in a seniors’ building, retirement residence, and even most assisted living settings, and can manage special needs such as dementia. Standard room furnishings are provided, as are linens, meals, laundry services, hygiene, and medical supplies. Availability of private, semi-private, or basic accommodation varies from home to home and depends on when the home was built and renovated.

Long-term care homes have a dining room, lounge/common areas, and activities/programs for residents. There is a doctor available for residents with regular on-site office hours. The government pays the “care portion” of the cost directly to the home. The resident is responsible for the co-payment, which covers room and board costs. The “co-payment” amount is standardized across the province and set by the government.[1]

A co-payment reduction may be available for individuals who have chosen basic accommodation. If you wish to apply for a rate reduction, Health atHome will provide you with the Rate Reduction package most suitable for your circumstances. The package contains detailed instructions on the required list of documents and completion of the application, as well as phone numbers for assistance (note: eligibility is based on annual income, not personal assets).

If both spouses are receiving OAS, an application for Involuntary Separation can be made through the Income Securities Program of Human Resources Development Canada, which would effectively give each of them the benefit of receiving pensions – including Old Age Security (OAS), Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) & Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS) as if they were single individuals.

All nursing home applications are submitted to and through your local Health atHome. There is no application fee. You must be over 18, have a valid Ontario Health Card, and have care needs (eligibility criteria is set by the government) that can be met in a long-term care home to be eligible for placement in one[2]. Most long-term care homes have waiting lists, and you may have to wait for an available bed in your chosen residence(s), depending on bed availability, length of the waiting list, level of care required, and other factors.

You can choose up to five long-term care homes. If you turn down a bed offer from one of your chosen homes, all your applications will be withdrawn, and your application for placement will be closed for 3 months. Should your circumstances or situation change within that 3-month period, you will need to contact your Care Coordinator for reassessment. It is highly recommended that you take the time to research and visit the homes that you are considering. Once you choose the homes you want to see, call the long-term care homes to schedule a tour. Virtual tours of long-term care homes in your region may be available on the websites of homes you are interested in and/or on your local Health atHome's website.

For those who do not require permanent accommodation in a long-term care home, short-stay respite and convalescent care are available. Health atHome manages applications for all of these programs. Short-stay respite is designed to provide relief for caregivers. The maximum length of stay is 60 days at a time, up to a total of 90 days in a calendar year. Short stay convalescent care provides supportive and restorative services for people who are recovering from an illness or injury in the hospital or in the community. The maximum length of stay is up to a total of 90 days in a calendar year.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care conducts inspections of long-term care homes and creates reports that are posted on the site of the home. For detailed information (and any noted concerns by inspectors), visit the webpage entitled Public Reporting on Long-Term Care Homes at: publicreporting.ltchomes.net/en-ca/Search_Selection.aspx. To report any concerns about specific long-term care homes, you can call the Long-Term Care Homes ACTION Line at 1 (866) 434-0144.