How to file a complaint about long-term care in Ontario?

You need to file a complaint about something in a long-term care home, how do you do it?

How do I file a complaint about long-term care?

1. File the complaint with the long-term care home.
2. Contact the Long-Term Care Family Support and Action Line.
3. Escalate your complaint to the Patient Ombudsman.

1. File the complaint with the long-term care home

The first step is filling the complaint with the home. Every long-term care home is required to post the process to file a complaint in a place where it is easy for residents and the public to see. If you can't find the process, speak to office staff at the home. If your complaint is in regard to harm or risk of harm to a resident, the home must investigate the complaint right away. They must also immediately send the complaint to the Ministry of Long-Term Care.

For all complaints, a member of staff must let you know that the home has received your complaint within 10 business days.

If the home finds your complaint is valid, they must call or write to let you know:

• what they are doing to resolve your complaint now
• what they plan to do to resolve your complaint in the future
• when you can expect the complaint to be resolved

If the home believes there is no cause for complaint, they must explain why.

2. Contact the Ministry of Long-Term care with your complaint

If you are not happy with the home’s response to your complaint, the next step is to contact the Ministry of Long-Term Care. For the quickest response, call the Long-Term Care Family Support and Action Line at: 1-866-434-0144. The Long-Term Care Family Support and Action Line is available 7-days a week from 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

If your concern is not time sensitive, you can contact the Ministry of Long-Term Care by email, at [email protected], or by mail, at:

Director Long-Term Care Inspections Branch Long-Term Care Operations Division Ministry of Long-Term Care 438 University Avenue, 8th floor Toronto, ON M7A 1N3

3. Escalate to the Patient Ombudsman

If you weren't satisfied after speaking to the home, and the Long-Term Care Family Support and Action Line didn’t resolve the issue, you can escalate it to the Patient Ombudsman. You submit your complaint online HERE or call 1-888-321-0339. The Patient Ombudsman acts as a neutral body of last resort for complaints about the healthcare system in Ontario.

Find more information about filing a complaint about something happening in a long-term care home in Ontario on Ontario.ca.