LONG-TERM CARE HOMES

If retirement homes do not appear to be able to meet your care needs, you may require a long-term care home. Long-term care homes (which include Nursing Homes, Charitable Homes and Municipal Homes) are licensed, regulated and funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC). They offer more care than is available through either in-home supports or basic retirement home living. They provide 24-hour/day supervision and/or assistance (for medically stable individuals) with personal care, eating, bathing, medications, and medical/nursing needs.Basic room furnishings are usually 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. In general, all long-term care homes have a dining room, lounge/common areas and activities/programs for the residents. Usually there is a home doctor for the residents with regular office hours. The government pays the "care portion" of the cost of being in a long-term care home directly to the home. The "co-payment" amount is standardized across the province, set by the government (MOHLTC) and based on pension rates. The resident is responsible for the co-payment which covers room and board costs. There may be an extra charge for some services depending on the residence (e.g. cable TV, telephone, hairdressing). A co-payment reduction may be available (only for ward/basic accommodation) for individuals who have a net annual income below $19,955. In this circumstance, the accommodation rate would be reduced so that the individual has a "comfort allowance" of $122.00/month remaining. In situations where one spouse moves into LTC and the other requires financial assistance to remain in their own home, an application for "Exceptional Circumstances" can be made (which in effect reduces the amount paid to the home so the spouse in the community can utilize those funds). If both spouses are receiving OAS, an application for "Involuntary Separation" can be made which would effectively give them the benefit of receiving pensions (including OAS, GIS & GAINS) as if they were single individuals.

All nursing home applications are submitted to and through local Community Care Access Centres. There is no application fee. You must be over 18, have a valid Ontario Health Card and have care needs that can be met in a long-term care home in order to be eligible for placement in one . Some long-term care homes have waiting lists and one may have to wait for an available bed in a chosen residence depending on bed availability, length of waiting list, level of care required, accommodation chosen and other factors. A person can be on a maximum of 3 long-term care waiting lists at any given time. When a bed on your choice list becomes available, it must be accepted or all of your applications are cancelled. If you decide at a later date that you do want or need a long-term care home, you will be required to complete and submit a new application form. For those who do not need permanent accommodation in a nursing home but might require a short-term respite or convalescent stay (up to 90 days/year), this option is also available in Ontario’s long-term care homes. For information on long-term care (or a "short-term stay" in a nursing home), contact your local Community Care Access Centre. In recent years, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has begun conducting unannounced inspections of nursing homes throughout the province and has created a hotline for reporting concerns. They have also posted inspector reports online. For detailed information (and any noted concerns by inspectors) or to report any concerns about specific long-term care homes you can call The Long-Term Care Action Line at 1 (866) 434-0144 or, visit the webpage entitled "Public Reporting on Long-Term Care Homes" at www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/program/ltc/26_reporting.html.

Back to News & Articles menu