Planning for more care

What kind of help are you exploring?

Select everything that sounds relevant. Nova Scotia's Continuing Care Program coordinates home care, residential care, and nursing home (long-term care) placement. This tool offers orientation only; it does not determine eligibility.

• Help with meals, bathing, dressing, or medicationDay-to-day personal care or reminders that may be hard to manage alone or with current help at home.
• Support following an illness or hospital stayRecovery, therapy, or short-term help after a hospital discharge or serious illness.
• Supervision because of memory loss or confusionWandering risk, forgetting meals or medication, or needing watchful support for dementia or cognitive change.
• A safer living setting with some independenceMore support than at home, but not necessarily 24-hour nursing, for example when stairs, isolation, or falls are a concern.
• Nursing care available throughout the day and nightOngoing skilled nursing, complex medical needs, or care that cannot be met safely with periodic visits.
• Relief or respite for a family caregiverA break for an unpaid family member or friend who provides most of the day-to-day support.
• Help because the current arrangement is no longer safeThe person cannot be supported safely where they live now, even with more home help.
• An immediate abuse, neglect, wandering, or safety concernUrgent harm, suspected abuse or neglect, unsafe wandering, or a situation that feels dangerous right now.

Your selections help orient planning. A Continuing Care Program assessment determines which funded services or nursing home placement steps may apply.

Suggested next actions in Nova Scotia

Choose a starting point linked to official Nova Scotia resources. MyEligible does not schedule assessments or submit Continuing Care forms.

A five-step planning journey in Nova Scotia

1. 1

   Step 1

   Understand needs and safety

   Clarify daily care needs, home safety, and whether protection or urgent danger is involved.

   • List difficult daily tasks: meals, bathing, medication, mobility, and supervision needs.

   • Note changes after hospitalization or gradual decline.

   • Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.

   • Nova Scotia adult protection

     Mandatory reporting when an adult may need protection from abuse, neglect, or self-neglect.

     Nova Scotia adult protection

     Link verified 2026-08-04

2. 2

   Step 2

   Compare home care, residential care, and nursing homes

   Nova Scotia's Continuing Care Program covers three main levels. Compare before assuming one setting fits.

   • Nova Scotia's Continuing Care Program coordinates public home care (nursing, personal care, therapy, and equipment). A coordinator assesses daily needs to determine what visiting support may be available.

     Call Continuing Care intake: 1-800-225-7225

     What happens next: After you contact Continuing Care intake, a coordinator may ask about daily activities, mobility, safety, and help already available at home.

   • Residential care offers supervised housing with daily help, not 24-hour nursing.

   • Nursing homes provide 24-hour nursing, with a separate assessment and placement process.

   • Progression is not always linear; needs and authorized levels can change over time.

   • Nova Scotia Continuing Care

     Overview of home care, residential care, nursing homes, and protection programs.

     Nova Scotia Continuing Care

     Link verified 2026-08-04

   • Nova Scotia home care

     How home care services are arranged through Continuing Care.

     Nova Scotia home care

     Link verified 2026-08-04

   • Nova Scotia long-term care

     Nursing homes, residential care facilities, costs, and application steps.

     Nova Scotia long-term care

     Link verified 2026-08-04

3. 3

   Step 3

   Prepare for a Continuing Care assessment

   Funded home care, residential care, and nursing home placement all require official Continuing Care assessments.

   • Bring medication lists, recent hospital records, and details about family helpers.

   • Contact Continuing Care intake by phone or through Nova Scotia Health to request an assessment.

     Call Continuing Care intake: 1-800-225-7225Nova Scotia Continuing Care

     What happens next: A coordinator may schedule an assessment and discuss home care, respite, equipment, residential care, or nursing home placement.

   • Coordinators assess functional needs and caregiver support.

   • Assessment does not guarantee immediate nursing home placement.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Understand costs and benefits

   Costs differ between funded home care, residential care rates, and nursing home accommodation contributions.

   • Approved home care services are publicly funded; hours reflect assessed need.

   • Residential care may have subsidized rates based on assessment and income.

   • Nursing home residents contribute to accommodation costs per provincial rules.

   • Federal seniors benefits may help with overall finances. See MyEligible seniors benefits guide.

   • Nova Scotia Health: Continuing Care

     Health authority information on Continuing Care programs and contacts.

     Nova Scotia Health: Continuing Care

     Link verified 2026-08-04

5. 5

   Step 5

   Apply, wait, and transition

   Service authorization and nursing home placement depend on assessment outcomes and regional capacity.

   • Home care begins after assessment approval, not automatically on first contact.

   • Nursing home placement follows assessment, authorization, and wait times.

   • Hospital discharge may include short-term support. Confirm what happens when it ends.

   • Protection concerns should be reported through official paths separate from care applications.

   • Nova Scotia Continuing Care

     Overview of home care, residential care, nursing homes, and protection programs.

     Nova Scotia Continuing Care

     Link verified 2026-08-04

   • Nova Scotia long-term care

     Nursing homes, residential care facilities, costs, and application steps.

     Nova Scotia long-term care

     Link verified 2026-08-04

Nova Scotia care settings, a continuum, not a ladder

Nova Scotia's Continuing Care Program covers home care, residential care facilities, and nursing homes (long-term care). People may receive more home support, move to residential care, or need a nursing home, progression is not always linear.

Progression is not always linear. Some people remain at home with increasing home care; others move from residential care to a nursing home when needs grow. Compare assessment levels, costs, and who coordinates before choosing a direction.

Compare Nova Scotia settings at a glance

Use this table for orientation only. Confirm assessment levels, fees, and steps on official Nova Scotia Health pages.