Types of supportive housing

 Long-term care homeHome and community careRetirement home
Type of residence
  • Specially designed for long-term care
  • Your own home
  • You can also get care in your school or community – someone will come to you
  • Privately owned, where you rent a room/home
Care and other services

High level of care:

  • 24-hours nursing/personal care and help with daily living
  • on-site supervision or monitoring
  • meals, furniture
  • housekeeping and laundry service
  • more

A wide range of services:

  • Extent of care offered can vary but in general residents live with little or no outside help
  • Some homes offer professional staff to help with some medical needs or daily living
Eligibility
  • Minimum age limit may be set by the residence
  • You must be able to pay for your own care and living costs
  • No need to prove you are healthy and need little support and care
  • more
Payment support
  • Government pays for a range of services if you qualify
  • If you don’t qualify for funding, you may be eligible for community support services that often have a client co-payment
  • Government does not fund retirement homes – you must cover the full cost of your own housing and care
Facilities

Include:

  • shared dining room, TV rooms and other living areas
  • own furniture (e.g., bed and chair)
  • bed linens and laundry
  • more
Dependent on service location

Each retirement home is different, but most offer:

  • your own room or apartment
  • full wheelchair access
  • housekeeping, meals, laundry (for a fee)
  • social and recreational programs
  • shared dining rooms and common areas/lounges
  • more

How to find and arrange care

Arrange for:

Related

Long-term care overview

Long-term care accommodation costs and subsidy

Help for patients and seniors who need support living at home

Temporary respite care for caregivers

Seniors: find a place to live

Find a retirement home

Programs and services for seniors

Government pensions, tax credits and benefits for seniors