Ask Esther

Esther Goldstein is the author of the Comprehensive Guide to Retirement Living and Long-Term Care™ and is a renowned expert on Retirement Living. She has counselled seniors and their families for many years and assisted them with the placement process. Esther's expertise is often requested at lectures and workshops at various venues.

If you have a Question for Esther, you can submit it here. Your question may be added to the permanent list on this site or possibly be included in one of our annual publications.

Due to the volume of requests that Esther gets, it may not be possible to answer all questions. Please check the existing database of questions or the wealth of other information on this site before submitting.

NOTE: We cannot answer questions on specific homes and do not respond to job enquiries. Please contact the home directly. Please acknowledge your understanding of this policy by clicking the box below. I understand that Senioropolis.com is not affiliated with any retirement home and cannot respond to specific care questions or job enquiries.
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Featured Questions

My mother is going into a care home. She owns a home and will have to sell it. She other assests as well. We are wondering what we can do to protect her assets and ensure that her rates at the care home will not be astronomical. Can we legally transfer some assets to family with no repercussions?

Janet P Winnipeg

Her assets should be safe. Nursing home rates are set by the provinces ministry of health - they cannot charge based on assets - only according to the fee schedule - every province has a different formula. We have an article on our website - Nursing Home Rates across Canada - it was recently updated - have a look at it and you will get an idea of costs. Just make sure you have a power of attorney in case you need to manage her assets or she becomes incapable.

My mother is applying for basic care in a nursing home. Will the goverment take her small bank account before giving her assistance?

Ivy C Toronto

Long-term care homes (or nursing homes) in Ontario are liscensed, regulated, inspected and funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The provincial government sets the cost of all long-term care homes. The government pays the 'care portion' which goes directly to the home and the resident pays the 'room and board' cost which is called the 'co-payment' and is based on government pension rates. The home is entitled to charge the resident for some extra services (e.g. cable tv, telephone, hairdresser). Subsides are available for those who apply for basic/ward accommodation who have a net income below $21,000/year. In this situation, the cost would be reduced so the individual would have a remaining 'comfort allowance' of $130/month. Nursing home rates for all homes in Ontario are the same and usually go up slightly every July. The current cost of basic accommodation in an Ontario long-term care home is $1,619.08/month (as of July 2010). For information on applying for a long-term care home or a subsidy for one, contact your local Community Care Access Centre.

My mom is in the hospital and she might need to go to a nursing home. Can we fill out the forms and arrange it without bothering her with the information or does she have to be involved in the planning?

Stan G Ottawa, ON

No decision can or should be made for someone who is competent without their consent. As well, as part of the application package for CCAC (Community Care Access Centre), if the person is deemed capable they must sign the form themselves. It is simply not fair to your mother, if she is capable of understanding, to make such a monumental decision without her knowledge. As difficult a process as it is, she needs to know and be involved in it. It is simply not right to send her straight to a nursing home from a hospital without explanation or a chance for her to understand why or where she is going.

I live in Ontario. How do I know if I should go to a nursing home or a retirement home?

Agnes F. Mississauga, ON

There are several key differences between retirement homes and nursing homes. The first that comes to mind has to do with levels of care. A retirement home tends to be for people who are fairly independent, though more of them these days are able to offer extra care for an extra cost. There is new legislation in the works but retirement homes are private and costs vary from one home to another. Applications are made directly to retirement homes and they determine if they are willing to accept you.

Nursing homes are for people who are medically stable but generally require a significant amount of care. Nursing homes are licensed, regulated and funded by the provincial government and subsidies are available. Rates are the same for all homes and are set by the government annually. Applications are made to the local Community Care Access Centre and they determine if someone is eligible for admission. For a chart listing the differences between all levels of care you can view the article at http://ontario.senioropolis.com/article.asp?ID=16

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