Applying for long-term care in Ontario

Navigating Long-Term Care can be difficult, we want to help you understand this process. Currently the demand for Long-Term Care is greater than the number of beds available. In Ontario we use waitlists, and spots in Long-Term Care are granted to people who have been assessed to have the greatest need, as opposed to strictly a first come, first serve basis.

How to apply for Long-Term Care in Ontario

1. Determine Eligibility.
2. Review Long Term Care options.
3. Tour Long-Term Care homes.
4. Assessments & Forms.
5. Wait lists.
6. Bed offer.
7. Moving day.

1. Determine Eligibility

• You can work with a care coordinator to determine whether you are eligible for admission to a long-term care home
  • If you are at home contact Ontario Health atHome (previosuly Home and Community Care Support Services by calling 310-2222 (no area code required)
  • If you are in the hospital, the hospital will have a care coordinator who can help you.
• You can refer yourself or be referred to a care coordinator by a family member, caregiver, physician, nurse or community worker

2. Review Long-Term Care options

• Use Elderado’s Elder Care search to identify the long-term care homes that are the best fit
  • Location, cultural designation, language of care, specialized dementia/Alzheimer’s care, facility size, sample menus & activity calendars, Inspection Report finding, and other criteria may be considered to identify the homes that would provide the best care & quality of life
• Utilize Elderado’s Contact buttons to reach out to homes directly to learn more and schedule an in-person tour

3. Tour Long-Term Care Homes

• Visit prospective Long-Term Care homes to get a sense of what life is like for residents
  • Ask for an information package
  • If the home has a Resident Council or Family Council, it can be very helpful if you ask to speak to members
• Come prepared with questions and concerns

4. Assessments & Forms

• Your care coordinator will complete assessments to determine whether you are eligible for admission
  • The decision to seek admission to a Long-Term Care home requires the voluntary and informed consent of a capable person.
• If you are determined to be eligible you will be assigned a Placement Priority Category, and you can be put on up to 5 waitlists for Long Term Care homes anywhere in Ontario
  • This maximum of 5 home waitlists does not apply to people who are assessed as needing an immediate long-stay admission because of a crisis in their condition or circumstances

5. Waitlists

• Before you can move into one of the Long-Term Care homes you have selected, you will likely need to wait on a waitlist until an appropriate bed becomes available
• Your care coordinator can provide more information on the current wait times for the homes you are considering

6. Bed Offer

• Your care coordinator will contact you when a bed becomes available in one of your chosen Long-Term Care homes
• You must make the decision to accept or refuse the bed within 24 hours of receiving the offer
  • If you choose to accept to offer you must move in within 5 days of acceptance
  • If you decline a bed offer your file will be closed and you will be removed from the waiting list of all your chosen homes. You will not be able to reapply until 12 weeks after the day you were removed from the waiting list.
    • If you decline a bed offer from a long-term care home while waiting in hospital, you will continue to remain on the waitlist for the long-term care homes you and the placement coordinator have selected

7. Moving Day

• On moving day transportation to the Long-Term Care home and any moving costs and arrangements will be your responsibility
• Some items you should bring immediately include:
  • Medication, Medication Administration Record, or a list of current medications from your local pharmacy
  • Ontario Health Care
  • 1 week's worth of clothing
  • Any assistive devices such as a wheelchair or walker (label them!)
  • Toiletries
  • Aids such as glasses, dentures, and hearing aids with extra batteries
  • Personal items such as photos, a blanket, or other small familiar articles

We encourage you to contact Ontario Health atHome for the most current information about long-term care, the application process, and any questions you may have.