Apply for long-term care
Learn how to apply and start preparing for your move.
Overview
Taking the first steps toward long-term care for yourself or a loved one can feel overwhelming. While there is a lot to consider, you are not alone. Ontario Health atHome will help you along the way.
All applications and admissions to long-term care homes are arranged by Ontario Health atHome organizations, and they will help you along the way.
Start with Ontario Health atHome
If you still live in your own home and this is your first time looking for support, contact Ontario Health atHome to learn about the options available. You can find your local Ontario Health atHome by:
- using the Ontario Health atHome map
- calling
310-2222 (no area code required)
If you are in hospital, the hospital will have an Ontario Health atHome care coordinator who can help ensure a safe transition from acute care to your home with a home care plan already in place before you leave.
The application process
Your first call to Ontario Health atHome will determine whether a care coordinator should visit you for an in-person assessment.
At this visit, the care coordinator will assess your health, and may conduct other assessments as well, including:
- capacity assessment
- functional assessment
- behavioural assessment
With this information, your care coordinator will be able to talk with you about your needs and the options for meeting them. For example, you may be able to stay in your own home with supports in your community, such as personal support worker visits or community paramedicine.
If long-term care is the best approach, and you have not already done so, visit Choosing a Long-Term Care Home to start thinking about what’s important to you in a home and where you might like to apply.
The application package
You apply for long-term care through Ontario Health atHome. They will complete most of the application, usually during an in-person meeting with you.
You are responsible for completing the choice form, where you can select up to five homes, in order of preference. You can do this during the in-person meeting if you have already researched homes and know where you want to apply, or you can complete it afterwards.
Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care
While you or a family member are waiting for placement in a long-term care home, the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program can help you stay healthy in your own home, and avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital emergency room.
You are eligible to receive community paramedicine for long-term care services if you:
- are on the waitlist for long-term care
- have been assessed as eligible (but are not yet on the waitlist)
- will soon be eligible for long-term care (you are waiting for an eligibility assessment or have specific circumstances or conditions that would benefit from services)
To learn more about the community paramedicine services offered in your area, contact Ontario Health atHome. Call
Wait times and placement offers
Wait times for long-term care homes vary, but once you apply it’s important to start preparing for your move. When a spot becomes available you will receive a placement offer that includes a move-in date.
You will then have 24 hours to accept or reject the placement offer, and up to five days to move in.
You should also be aware that you will be expected to start paying on your move-in date, regardless of when you arrive.
If you are offered a place in a home that is not your first choice, you can:
- accept the placement offer
- move in, but choose to stay on the waiting list for a transfer into your first choice of home (understanding that this may take a long time)
- reject the placement offer
If you turn down the placement offer or fail to move into the home by your move-in date deadline, you will be removed from every waiting list you’re on. You will then be required to wait 12 weeks before you can reapply for long-term care, unless there is a significant change in your condition or circumstances.
Rejection of your application
Homes are allowed to reject applications only for very specific reasons, such as not being able to meet your care needs. For example, a home can reject your application if you need a specific type of medical equipment and the home doesn’t have it or doesn’t have the staff to support it.
Getting ready to move
Because you will need to be ready to go when your placement offer arrives, preparing in advance will help your move go smoothly.
Check with the home to see if you can complete some of the admission process before move-in day.
Here are some more tips.
Documents and important information
Make sure to set aside funds to pay for the first month’s accommodation. (For information about costs and subsidies, see Paying for Long-Term Care.)
On move-in day, you will need to have these items ready to show or give to the home’s administrator:
- your valid Ontario health card
- cards for any private medical coverage
- a void cheque to set up automatic payments for accommodation and other fees
- emergency contact phone numbers
- power of attorney documents
- all medications (or a list of current medications from the pharmacy) so the administrator can record prescription information. The home will provide medications in future
What to pack
Bring these items with you when you move into your long-term care home:
- machine-washable clothing (the home will take care of washable laundry, but not dry cleaning)
- medication
- mobility devices or other aids that you own, such as a:
- cane or walker
- wheelchair
- raised toilet seat
- other personal aids, such as eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aids
- personal toiletries
- familiar items that will make the room feel like home, like pictures, a bedspread or small pieces of furniture that will fit in the room
Make sure all personal items are labelled with your name in case they are misplaced.
What not to pack
Do not bring:
- electric items such as a:
- clothing iron
- kettle
- heating pad
- cleaning supplies
- your own bed or mattress
Check with the home about any other items that might not be allowed.
When you arrive
The home’s staff will greet you and take you to your room. They will answer your questions and help you get settled in.