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.

Selections here are for planning orientation only. An official assessment through the Continuing Care Program is required before funded services or nursing home placement. This does not determine eligibility.

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.
   • This step orients planning — it does not determine eligibility.

   • 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.

   • Home care may be worth exploring when visiting support could work — an official assessment is required.
   • Residential care offers supervised housing with daily help — not 24-hour nursing.
   • Nursing homes provide 24-hour nursing — 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.
   • Coordinators assess functional needs and caregiver support.
   • Ask about respite and equipment during the assessment conversation.
   • Assessment does not guarantee immediate nursing home placement.

   • Continuing Care line: 1-800-225-7225

     Toll-free intake line for Continuing Care information, referrals, and adult protection reports.

     Continuing Care line: 1-800-225-7225

     Link verified 2026-08-04

   • Nova Scotia Health: Continuing Care

     Health authority information on Continuing Care programs and contacts.

     Nova Scotia Health: Continuing Care

     Link verified 2026-08-04

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.