Planning for more care

What kind of help are you exploring?

Select everything that sounds relevant. Ontario routes care differently depending on setting: home and community care through Ontario Health atHome, retirement homes under the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA), and long-term care homes under the Ministry of Long-Term Care (MLTC). This tool offers orientation only; it does not determine eligibility or submit referrals.

• 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 care coordinator assessment through Ontario Health atHome determines which publicly funded services or long-term care placement steps may apply.

Suggested next actions in Ontario

Choose one starting point based on your situation. Each action links to official Ontario resources. MyEligible does not submit forms or schedule assessments.

A five-step planning journey in Ontario

1. 1

   Step 1

   Understand needs and safety

   Clarify what help is needed day to day, whether the current home is safe, and whether any concern is urgent.

   • List daily tasks that are becoming difficult: meals, bathing, medication, mobility, and supervision.

   • Note whether needs are stable, increasing, or tied to a recent hospital stay.

   • If there is immediate danger, call 911 before planning longer-term options.

   • Ontario.ca: information about elder abuse

     Government overview of elder abuse types, warning signs, and when to call police or other supports.

     Ontario.ca: information about elder abuse

     Link verified 2026-08-03

   • Seniors Safety Line (Ontario)

     Free, confidential 24/7 line for seniors experiencing or at risk of abuse, with referrals in many languages.

     Seniors Safety Line (Ontario)

     Link verified 2026-08-03

2. 2

   Step 2

   Compare home, retirement, and long-term care

   Ontario's three main regulated pathways use different assessors, costs, and timelines. Compare them before assuming one setting fits.

   • Ontario Health atHome coordinates public home and community care (nursing, personal support, therapy, and equipment). A care coordinator assesses daily needs to determine what visiting support may be available.

     Call Ontario Health atHomeRequest a home-care assessment

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

   • Retirement homes are private-pay RHRA-licensed settings. Verify licence and contract terms before signing.

   • Long-term care (MLTC-licensed) is for 24-hour nursing needs, with a separate waitlist and licensing process.

   • Progression is not always linear; some families combine home care with a retirement home.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Prepare for an official assessment

   Publicly funded home care and LTC placement both require official assessments. Gathering information ahead can make conversations clearer.

   • Have a list of current medications, recent hospitalizations, and existing helpers (family, friends, paid workers).

   • Anyone can request an Ontario Health atHome assessment by phone or online referral. The person does not need to initiate alone.

     Call Ontario Health atHomeRequest a home-care assessment

     What happens next: A care coordinator may schedule an assessment and discuss home care, respite, equipment, or long-term care application steps.

   • For LTC: care coordinators assess whether LTC is the appropriate setting. This does not guarantee placement timing.

   • Bring questions about dementia care, respite, and equipment to the assessment conversation.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Understand costs and benefits

   Costs differ sharply between publicly funded services, private retirement homes, and LTC copayments. Tax credits and federal benefits may help; verify on official sources.

   • Public home care nursing and therapy are funded when approved; personal support hours are not unlimited.

   • Retirement homes are mostly private pay. Review all fees in the contract before signing.

   • LTC residents pay a provincial copayment for room and board; nursing care in LTC is publicly funded.

   • Federal and provincial tax credits for seniors and caregivers may apply. See MyEligible seniors benefits guide for orientation.

   • Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (Ontario)

     Information on capacity, guardianship, and financial exploitation investigations.

     Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (Ontario)

     Link verified 2026-08-03

5. 5

   Step 5

   Apply, wait, and transition

   Starting applications and managing waitlists are official processes. Timelines depend on need, region, and setting.

   • Home care services begin after assessment and approval, not automatically on referral.

   • LTC placement uses a provincial waitlist; priority rules apply. Retirement home admission does not replace this.

   • Hospital discharge planners may coordinate short-term rehab. Confirm what happens when short-term care ends.

   • Quality or access concerns in publicly funded home care may involve the Patient Ombudsman.

   • Request a home-care assessment

     Submit an online referral to Ontario Health atHome to start or update a home care assessment.

     Request a home-care assessment

     Link verified 2026-08-03

   • Patient Ombudsman

     Independent office for unresolved Ontario health care experience complaints.

     Patient Ombudsman

     Link verified 2026-08-03

   • Ontario LTC complaint process

     Formal complaint steps for licensed long-term care homes under MLTC.

     Ontario LTC complaint process

     Link verified 2026-08-03

Ontario care settings, a continuum, not a ladder

Ontario uses different regulators and funding models for home care, retirement homes, and long-term care. People may move between settings, stay at home with more support, or need a different path than the one they expected.

Progression is not always linear. Some people add home care and never move; others transfer from a retirement home to LTC; hospital discharge may start with short-term rehab at home. Compare licensing, costs, and who assesses before choosing a direction.

Compare Ontario settings at a glance

Use this table for orientation only. Confirm licensing, fees, and assessment steps on official pages before making decisions.