Nursing Homes and Homes for the Aged - Introduction

Your care needs have grown, and you wonder whether a nursing home is appropriate for you? Are you eligible? What would it cost to go to a nursing home? What is it like to live there?

In Ontario there are three kinds of long-term care facilities that provide high levels of care to eligible persons: nursing homes which are regulated by the Nursing Homes Act, municipal homes for the aged which are regulated by the Homes for the Aged and Rest Homes Act, and charitable homes for the aged which are regulated by the Charitable Institutions Act. Applications for admission to all of these facilities must be made to your local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC). Once a CCAC decides you are eligible you may choose up to three facilities that you would like to go to. If the facilities you choose agree to accept you, you must then wait until a bed is available in one of them unless you are in a crisis situation.

No one can be forced into a facility. You must agree to accept a bed, or if you are not able to make this decision for yourself, your substitute-decision maker who has legal authority must agree. The amount you pay each month to live in a facility is set by the provincial government and is the same for everyone. You will have to pay an extra set amount if you want a semi-private or private room. Otherwise, you pay the basic amount for a ward room. If you cannot afford the basic rate, you are entitled to a rate reduction which will leave you with a modest amount each month for your own personal expenses. Financial considerations are not a barrier to admission under any circumstances.

Please, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), ACE Publications or Links pages to find additional useful information on this topic.