Things to Consider about Long Term Care

Separating facts from myths in seniors' long-term care

On any given day in Canada, long-term care residents outnumber hospital patients by more than two to one and the province has more than three times as many long-term care homes as hospitals.

But while long-term care is one of our most heavily used health-care services, it is also one of the least understood. Here are three common misconceptions:

Myth: No difference exists between retirement homes and long-term care homes
There is a world of difference. Long-term care homes are part of our publicly funded and regulated health-care system; retirement homes are a housing option for seniors. Admission to a long-term care home is based on assessed medical need, while retirement living is solely a matter of personal choice and resources.

Myth: I can't afford long-term care
Nobody is refused access to long-term care because of financial difficulty. A government subsidy, based on an income test, is available for residents unable to afford the full amount of the resident co-payment for basic accommodation, currently $48.69 per day.

Myth: Long-term care is unregulated
With a regulatory framework that includes more than 400 care and service delivery criteria, unannounced annual inspections, a public complaints hotline and a website that identifies each home's compliance and complaint record, long-term care is our most heavily and publicly regulated health care service.

Long-term care services are delivered by a team of health care professionals. The concept of home is pervasive: residents eat in dining rooms, not off bed trays! Residents and their families participate in care planning, and in the life of the home through resident and family councils.

In Ontario, you can discover this reality from a variety of sources. These include Community Care Access Centres and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care website. As well, the website of the Ontario Long Term Care Association contains contact information for 420 member homes and a checklist for consumers to help find the right fit in choosing a long-term care home.

For news stories on the day-to-day life in long-term care homes, check out the "Morning Report" section on the front page of the OLTCA website.

Most importantly, visit a long-term care home to see for yourself.

Of course, there are many other options available to you when you are looking for a retirement home in Canada.