About Long-Term Care

Many people with complex care needs live in Ontario’s long-term care homes. Long-term care homes care for the full range of personal, clinical, emotional, social, spiritual and cultural needs and preferences of their residents. Learn more here.

Today’s residents need a higher level of care compared to those who entered in 2011. They are entering long-term care homes when they are older and at later stages of cognitive and physical decline, when their health is more likely to be unstable and they are more physically frail. Many are also moving into long-term care directly from the hospital.

Long-term care homes are committed to providing safe housing, quality of care and quality of life for their residents. Staff provide specialized around-the-clock daily care, treatments and supports based on individual needs. The majority of residents require extensive support with everyday activities such as getting dressed and mealtimes.

Staff also work with residents and their families to create a home-like environment and activities that promote residents’ comfort and well-being and engage their abilities, helping them live in ways that are meaningful to them.

Essential care partners – typically family members and friends – are a vital part of the team involved in a resident’s care and support.

Visit the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care’s website to find out about the care options in Ontario and to help you decide if long-term care is the right choice for you.

You’ll find information about who is eligible to live in long-term care, how to choose a home and apply, and what to expect when moving in. They also share helpful tips on how to access resources in your local community.

Over 48,000 people in Ontario are waiting for long-term care. This waitlist has doubled over the past 10 years and it is expected to grow. 

Wait times vary widely across the province. However, half of people entering long-term care wait at least 165 days and some wait much longer. Learn about the data here. 

Learn how to apply and start preparing for a move to long-term care on the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s website. They also share helpful tips on how to access resources in your local community. 

Long-term care homes are an integral part of Ontario’s health care system. All care in long-term care is publicly funded. Residents pay a rental fee, with 40% of the spaces in LTC geared to income.

To find current rates, please visit the paying for long-term care information on the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s website. 

Long-term care funding is audited by the provincial government. Funds provided for care are not used for any other purposes.  

Long-term care staff are committed to meeting the needs of their residents and to helping them live in ways that are meaningful to them. 

For data on the quality of care in long-term care homes, please visit the Canadian Institute for Health Information. This national organization looks at nine factors in resident care every year and posts the findings on their Your Health System website. Two areas of note include Ontario long-term care homes having the lowest rates in the country for antipsychotic use and of residents who are experiencing pain. The Ontario government also inspects homes according to long-term care legislation. Inspection reports for individual homes can be found on the Ministry of Long-Term Care website and are posted publicly in every home. 

Plus, long-term care homes submit their annual quality improvement plan to Ontario Health, outlining how they will improve the quality of care they provide to their residents in the coming year.

Homes continue to follow stringent infection prevention and control protocols for COVID-19. Details of current COVID guidelines for long-term care homes are provided by the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s COVID guidance document as well as their local public health units.

Long-term care is not the same as it was in 2020. The tragedy of the pandemic highlighted long-standing systemic issues and the Ontario government has made historic commitments to help transform long-term care for Ontario’s seniors.  

These changes underway include increasing hours of direct care for residents, rebuilding older homes, and creating thousands of new spaces. The government is also supporting staffing programs to address a severe staffing shortage.  

By 2040, it is anticipated there will be more than twice as many seniors over the age of 80, creating significant growth in the number of people who will likely need and depend on long-term care support.  

Learn more about the changes underway in long-term care and what still needs to be done.