Advocating for Your Parent in Long-Term Care: An Ontario Family Guide
Updated: Aug 23
A practical, research-backed guide for adult children navigating Ontario’s long-term care system – covering your legal rights, what to do in a crisis, government programs your home can access, and where private home care fits in.
Published by Livia Care | Toronto, Ontario | August 2026
Why This Guide Exists
Moving a parent into a long-term care (LTC) home is one of the most emotionally complex decisions a family can make. For many adult children, it comes with a quiet, persistent worry that settles in once the move is done: Is my parent getting the care they need? What happens if something goes wrong? Do I have any say?
The answer to that last question is: considerably more than most families realise.
Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 gives residents and their families legally meaningful rights – including the right to participate in care planning, the right to raise concerns, and a structured complaint pathway that goes all the way to the Patient Ombudsman. There are also government programs that fund additional staffing and specialist support that families can ask their home to access.
This guide brings that information together in one place. It covers your rights, the practical steps for common crisis situations, the government programs available, and an honest look at where supplementary private home care can fill gaps that LTC staffing alone cannot always close.
Section 1: Your Rights as a Family Member Under Ontario Law
Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 is the legislation that governs all licensed LTC homes in the province. It establishes a Residents’ Bill of Rights and sets out obligations for homes that are enforceable by the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
The Residents’ Bill of Rights – What It Means for Families
Every resident in an Ontario LTC home has rights enshrined in the Act. For families acting as substitute decision-makers (SDMs) – which is the legal role many adult children hold when a parent can no longer make their own decisions – these rights effectively transfer to you on your parent’s behalf.
Key rights that families advocate for most often include:
· The right to participate fully in the development, review, and revision of the care plan. This is a legal requirement under the Act, not simply a courtesy. The Act requires that families be included in care planning discussions.
· The right to give or refuse consent to treatment. If your parent has an SDM, that person must be consulted before treatment decisions are made.
· The right to participate in decisions about transfer or discharge. A home cannot simply move your parent to a different room or transfer them to hospital without proper process.
· The right to be treated with courtesy, respect, and dignity. This applies to both the resident and their family members.
· The right to raise concerns and to have those concerns addressed through the home’s internal process and, if unresolved, through the Ministry’s complaint system.
Care Plan Reviews: What the Law Requires
One of the most practical rights under the Act concerns the care plan – the document that governs your parent’s day-to-day care, goals, and support. LTC homes are legally required to:
· Review and revise the care plan at least every six months;
· Review and revise it immediately whenever care needs change – including after a fall, a hospitalisation, or a new diagnosis; and
· Include the resident and their family or SDM in that review process.
Practical Tip: Request a Care Plan Meeting
You do not need to wait for the home to initiate a care plan review. If you believe your parent’s needs have changed – or if you are concerned about the current level of care – you can request a care plan meeting in writing at any time. Put it in writing (an email to the Director of Care is sufficient) and keep a copy.
The Substitute Decision-Maker Role
If your parent is not able to make their own health care decisions, Ontario’s Health Care Consent Act establishes a hierarchy of substitute decision-makers. In most cases for elderly parents, an adult child is designated as SDM – either formally (through a Power of Attorney for Personal Care) or by default under the hierarchy in the legislation.
As an SDM, you have the legal authority to consent to or refuse treatment on your parent’s behalf, and the LTC home is obligated to involve you in care decisions. If you are uncertain about your SDM status or want to formalise it, a lawyer practising in elder law can assist – or contact the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly at 416-598-2656, which offers free legal advice to older Ontarians.
Section 2: Your Practical Advocacy Toolkit
A. The Family Council
Under Sections 65–67 of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, every LTC home must support the establishment and operation of a Family Council if families wish to form one. A Family Council is an organised group of family members and friends of residents in the home who meet regularly, share experiences, and collectively raise concerns with home management.
Family Councils have legally defined powers under the Act, including the ability to:
· Provide assistance and advice to residents and families;
· Attempt to resolve disputes between families and the home’s licensee; and
· Advise the licensee on matters affecting the operation of the home.
Homes must respond to written communications from the Family Council within 10 business days. If there is no active Family Council in your parent’s home, you have the right to start one – and the home must provide space and administrative support for it to operate.
Family Councils Ontario (FCO) is the provincial organisation that supports Family Councils across Ontario, providing guides, toolkits, and one-on-one assistance. You can reach FCO at 647-427-5551 (Toronto) or toll-free at 1-877-622-9968, or at info@fco.ngo.
B. Documenting Your Concerns
Effective advocacy in any institutional setting depends on clear, dated records. A practical approach:
Keep a Care Log
Keep a simple running log (a notebook or a shared document works well) of every visit, conversation with staff, concern raised, and response received. Include the date, who you spoke with, and what was said. If a concern is raised verbally and a commitment is made, follow up with a brief email to the Director of Care or charge nurse: “As discussed on [date], the team agreed to…” This creates a paper trail without being adversarial.
Put Key Requests in Writing
Verbal requests are easy to overlook in a busy care environment. Written requests – even a brief email – are harder to lose and create accountability. This is especially important for requests relating to care plan changes, specialist assessments, or medication reviews.
Know Your Contacts in the Home
The key people to know in any LTC home: the Director of Care (or Director of Nursing) – responsible for clinical oversight; the charge nurse on your parent’s unit; and the Social Worker, who can help navigate internal processes. Many homes also have a dedicated family liaison or resident relations role.
C. Asking the Right Questions
In any conversation about your parent’s care, the following questions tend to be most productive:
· “What does my parent’s current care plan say about [this issue]?”
· “Has the care plan been reviewed since [this change occurred]?”
· “What specialist assessments have been completed, and what were the findings?”
· “Has a referral been made to Behavioural Supports Ontario? If not, can one be initiated?” (relevant for dementia or responsive behaviours)
· “What is the home’s current staffing level on this unit?”
· “Who is the most appropriate person to speak with about this concern?”
Section 3: Government Programs Your LTC Home Can Access
Many families are unaware that the Ontario government funds a range of programs specifically designed to improve staffing levels and specialist support in LTC homes. These programs exist – and not every home will proactively discuss every available resource with families. Knowing what is available gives families the ability to ask informed questions.
A. Direct Care Staffing Funding
Ontario’s 2024–25 LTC Staffing Increase Funding Policy provides LTC homes with significant dedicated funding for frontline staff. The provincial government has committed to a target of 4 hours of direct care per resident per day – a substantial increase from historical averages.
The current funding envelope includes:
Program | Annual Funding | Rate per Bed |
Nurse & PSW Staffing Supplement | ~$1.67 billion provincial | approximately $1,800 per bed per month |
Allied Health Professional Staffing Supplement | ~$148 million provincial | approximately $160 per bed per month |
Supporting Professional Growth Fund (training) | $10 million annual | 45,000+ staff trained since 2021 |
This funding is allocated to homes based on licensed bed counts. Families can ask home management what staffing ratios look like on their parent’s unit, and how the home is using its provincial staffing allocation.
What This Means in Practice
Substantial provincial funding does not guarantee that every resident receives 4 hours of direct care every day – staffing shortages, absences, and the complexity of resident needs all affect actual care delivery. Knowing the target exists, however, gives families a concrete benchmark to reference in care planning conversations.
B. Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO)
Behavioural Supports Ontario is a provincially funded program that provides specialist teams to support LTC residents who exhibit responsive behaviours – the term used in Ontario for behaviours associated with dementia, mental health conditions, acquired brain injury, or other neurological conditions. These behaviours may include agitation, resistance to care, wandering, or verbal and physical expressions of distress.
BSO is a resource that many families and care teams find valuable, and it is available in all Ontario LTC homes:
· BSO teams accepted tens of thousands of new referrals across Ontario in 2024–25.
· BSO supported approximately thousands of LTC residents and thousands of family care partners every quarter in 2024–25.
· BSO teams work alongside existing LTC staff – they do not replace them – and can help develop non-pharmacological behaviour support strategies, reducing reliance on sedating medications.
· Families and homes can both initiate a BSO referral. If your parent is experiencing responsive behaviours and a BSO referral has not been discussed, you can ask the home to initiate one.
Behavioural Support Units (BSUs)
For residents whose behavioural needs cannot be safely or effectively managed in a general LTC unit, Behavioural Support Units (BSUs) provide time-limited, intensive, specialised care within Ontario LTC homes.
Ontario invested several million dollars in new 2024–25 funding to add additional BSU beds across the province.
BSU placement is typically time-limited – the goal is to stabilise the resident’s behaviour and return them to their home unit with a revised support plan.
Families can learn more about BSO through their home’s care team, or by contacting BrainXchange, the national knowledge exchange organisation that supports BSO implementation in Ontario.
C. Additional Nursing Capacity
Ontario has committed over $100 million to add up to 2,000 nurses to LTC homes by 2025–26, and a further $17 million (announced December 2024) for training 700 new PSWs and nurses specifically for LTC through programs including PREP LTC and PSW Learn and Earn at Humber College.
These investments are at the system level – individual homes receive funding through the mechanisms described above. If your parent’s unit appears to be consistently short-staffed, it is reasonable to raise this directly with the Director of Care and to ask how the home is managing its provincial staffing allocation.
Section 4: Crisis Scenario – When Your Parent Is Hospitalised
One of the most stressful situations for families of LTC residents is an unexpected hospitalisation. Beyond the immediate medical concern, families often worry: Will my parent lose their room? Their bed? Will they be able to come back?
Ontario’s Bed-Holding Policy: What the Law Says
Ontario Regulation 246/22 under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 sets out clear rules for medical absences:
Absence of 30 Days or Fewer
If your parent returns from hospital within 30 calendar days, they are guaranteed their same room and same bed. The home must hold that specific spot.
Absence of More Than 30 Days
If the hospitalisation extends beyond 30 days, the home may discharge your parent from their bed. However, they are then placed in the re-admission category on the waiting list when they are ready to return – which ranks higher than the crisis category and higher than the standard waiting list. The same home is typically the first destination if a bed is available.
Exception: Outbreak or Emergency in the Home
If the home itself is under a disease outbreak or declared emergency, a resident who has been absent for more than 30 days cannot be discharged during that period. The bed hold continues until the outbreak ends.
Leave Entitlements (Non-Medical Absences)
In addition to medical absences, LTC residents are entitled to:
• Casual absences of up to 48 hours per week;
• Vacation absences of up to 21 days per calendar year; and
• Psychiatric care absences of up to 60 days.
These are distinct from medical absences and do not consume the 30-day bed-holding window.
During the Hospitalisation: Keeping Care Continuous
Hospitals and LTC homes operate as largely separate systems, and the handoff between them can sometimes be uneven. During a hospitalisation, families often find themselves acting as the connective tissue – providing the hospital team with information about the resident’s baseline cognition, behaviour, medications, and preferences that may not travel reliably in a paper referral.
Practical steps during a parent’s hospitalisation:
· Bring a written summary of your parent’s current medications, allergies, diagnoses, and cognitive baseline to the hospital.
· Ask the LTC home to fax the most recent care plan and medication reconciliation to the hospital team.
· Ask the hospital team about the discharge plan as early as possible – ideally within the first 48–72 hours of admission.
· If discharge is expected before 30 days, confirm the bed-hold status directly with the LTC home’s social worker or administrator.
· If the hospitalisation extends and the transition home becomes complex, consider whether supplementary private home care (see Section 8) could support the return transition.
Section 5: Crisis Scenario – When Your Parent Falls in a Long-Term Care Home
Falls are common in LTC homes and among the most emotionally distressing events for families. They can range from minor tumbles with no injury to falls causing serious fractures. Understanding how homes are required to respond – and what families can ask for – is an important part of advocacy.
What the Home Is Required to Do
Falls resulting in injury or that are unexplained in circumstances are classified as critical incidents under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and must be reported through the province’s Critical Incident System. This triggers a mandatory internal investigation and reporting obligation to the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Beyond the reporting obligation, a thorough post-fall response should include a structured review of the factors most commonly associated with falls in older adults.
These typically include:
· Medications – sedatives, antipsychotics, sleep aids, and blood pressure medications are among the factors commonly associated with fall risk; a medication review is a useful post-fall step
· Orthostatic hypotension – a drop in blood pressure upon standing that can cause dizziness; lying and standing blood pressure readings should be checked
· Vision and hearing – undetected changes in either can affect balance and spatial awareness
· Foot health and footwear – poorly fitting shoes or untreated foot conditions contribute to instability
· Strength and balance – a physiotherapy assessment can identify specific deficits and recommend targeted interventions
· Environment – lighting, bed height, grab bar placement, floor surfaces, and call bell accessibility
· Infection or dehydration – urinary tract infections in particular can cause acute confusion that significantly elevates fall risk
· Behavioural factors – if responsive behaviours are contributing (e.g., a resident with dementia who does not recognise fall risk), a BSO referral may be appropriate
A Note on Bed Rails
• Bed rails are not a standard or recommended fall prevention tool in LTC homes and are classified as a physical restraint under Ontario regulations.
• Some evidence suggests that bed rails may not reliably reduce falls and could, in some circumstances, affect the nature of injury if a fall does occur.
• If bed rails are being proposed as a fall prevention measure, families can ask the care team to explain the rationale and discuss alternatives such as low-low beds, bed sensors, or fall mats.
What to Ask For After a Fall
Following a fall, families can reasonably request:
· A summary of the home’s fall review findings and the specific changes being made to the care plan;
· A physiotherapy assessment, if one has not already been conducted;
· A medication review by the attending physician or nurse practitioner;
· An occupational therapy assessment of the environment; and
· If responsive behaviours are a contributing factor, a referral to the Behavioural Supports Ontario team.
Put these requests in writing – a brief email to the Director of Care – and ask for a written response confirming which steps will be taken and by when.
Section 6: Crisis Scenario – When Your Parent Develops a New Condition After Admission
People do not arrive in LTC and stop changing medically. Dementia may develop or progress significantly after admission. A stroke may occur. Parkinson’s disease may advance. A chronic condition like diabetes or heart failure may deteriorate. Each of these developments has implications for the care plan, and families have the right to be involved in how the home responds.
The Care Plan Must Be Revised
Under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, the home’s obligation to revise the care plan is not limited to scheduled six-month reviews. The care plan must be reviewed and revised whenever:
· A care goal has been met;
· Care needs have changed (including due to a new diagnosis);
· A current care approach is no longer necessary; or
· A current care approach has not been effective.
A new diagnosis or a significant change in condition clearly triggers this obligation. If your parent has received a new diagnosis and you have not been informed of a care plan review, you can – and should – request one.
New or Progressing Dementia: Specific Considerations
If your parent develops or is newly diagnosed with dementia after LTC admission – or if existing dementia progresses significantly – a range of additional supports become relevant:
BSO Referral
Behavioural Supports Ontario teams specialise in responsive behaviours associated with dementia. If your parent is showing behaviours that the existing care team is finding difficult to manage – or that are causing distress to your parent or other residents – a BSO referral is one of the most effective steps a family can ask for.
Geriatric Psychiatry or Geriatrician Consultation
For complex dementia presentations, LTC homes can arrange a consultation with a geriatrician or geriatric psychiatrist. Ask whether such a referral has been considered if your parent’s condition is changing rapidly or the care team appears uncertain about management.
Dementia-Specific Programming
Many LTC homes offer dementia-specific programming and activities. If your parent has not been connected with these programs since a new diagnosis, ask the recreation or activity team about what is available.
Alzheimer Society Support
The Alzheimer Society of Ontario offers resources, education, and support for families of people with dementia regardless of care setting. Their First Link® program connects families to local services and is available even after a parent has moved into LTC.
Capacity and Decision-Making After a New Diagnosis
A new or significantly progressed diagnosis may affect your parent’s capacity to make their own health care decisions. If you have concerns about this, it is worth speaking with the home’s social worker and, if appropriate, consulting a lawyer or the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly about formalising or clarifying your SDM role.
Section 7: When You Have a Concern or Complaint – The Escalation Pathway
Raising a concern with a long-term care home can feel uncomfortable. Many families worry about triggering conflict that might somehow affect their parent’s care. This concern is understandable – but it is worth knowing that Ontario’s complaint system is designed specifically to protect residents and families who raise concerns, and that homes have a legal obligation to respond.
Important: Complaints Involving Risk of Harm
• Concerns that allege that a resident has been harmed, or is at risk of harm, must be investigated immediately by the home.
• The home is also required to report these concerns to the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
• You do not need to complete the home’s internal complaint process before contacting the Ministry if your parent’s safety is at risk.
Step 1 – Raise the Concern with the Home
The first step for most concerns is to raise them directly with the home. Contact the Director of Care (for clinical matters) or the Administrator/Executive Director (for operational matters). Put the concern in writing and request a written response.
Homes are required to respond to complaints within 10 business days.
Step 2 – Contact the Ministry of Long-Term Care
If the home’s response is unsatisfactory – or if you do not feel comfortable raising the concern with the home first – you can contact the Ministry directly at any time.
Ministry of Long-Term Care – Family Support and Action Line
Phone: 1-866-434-0144
Available Monday to Sunday, 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Calls are answered by Ministry staff who can receive complaints, provide information, and escalate concerns for investigation. You do not need to have spoken to the home first to call this number.
Information about the complaint process: ontario.ca/page/long-term-care-home-complaint-process
Step 3 – Patient Ombudsman
If the home’s response and the Ministry’s response are both unsatisfactory, the next escalation is the Patient Ombudsman. The Patient Ombudsman is an independent office with the authority to investigate complaints about Ontario’s public hospitals, long-term care homes, and home care providers.
Patient Ombudsman
Toll-free: 1-888-321-0339
Toronto: 416-597-0339
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Thursdays; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. all other business days
Online: patientombudsman.ca
Critical Incident Reporting: What Homes Must Report
Ontario’s Critical Incident System requires LTC homes to report certain events to the Ministry on mandatory timelines. Families should know that if an incident involving their parent falls into these categories, a formal reporting and investigation process is triggered automatically.
Incident Type | Required Reporting Timeline |
Unexpected or sudden death; resident missing 3+ hours; disease outbreak; drinking water contamination | Immediately |
Resident missing less than 3 hours and returns unharmed; environmental hazard lasting more than 6 hours; missing controlled substance | Within 1 business day |
Full investigation report | Within 10 days (preliminary report within 21 days if investigation is incomplete) |
Families can ask the home whether a critical incident report has been filed following any serious event involving their parent, and can request a copy of the investigation findings once complete.
Section 8: Where Private Home Care Can Help
Long-term care homes provide a foundational level of support – but they are staffed to manage a population of residents at scale, and there are limits to the individual attention any resident can receive, particularly at peak demand times. Private home care – specifically, a trained PSW or companion working one-on-one with your parent within the LTC setting – can address those gaps in meaningful ways.
Note on Private Care in LTC Homes
Private caregivers are permitted to work within LTC homes, typically during visiting hours. Most homes have a process for registering external care workers. It is worth confirming the home’s specific policy before arranging private care.
After a Fall: Recovery and Supervision
Following a fall, a resident’s recovery period often involves reduced mobility, a temporary increase in supervision needs, and sometimes significant anxiety about moving independently. LTC staffing is typically structured to serve a population of residents, and the level of one-on-one presence that early post-fall recovery can benefit from may not always be available.
A private PSW or companion can:
· Provide consistent, dedicated supervision during the highest-risk recovery period;
· Assist with mobility exercises and physiotherapy-directed activities between formal therapy sessions;
· Offer calm, familiar presence that may reduce anxiety and the associated fall risk; and
· Communicate daily observations to the family – a level of real-time detail that can be difficult for busy LTC staff to provide routinely.
During and After Hospitalisation
The transition from hospital back to the LTC home is a period of elevated vulnerability for a frail older adult. Medication changes, functional decline during the admission, and the disruption to familiar routines can contribute to a period of heightened vulnerability in the first days and weeks after return.
Private home care can provide:
· Additional support in the first days after return, when needs are highest and the LTC team is still reassessing;
· Familiar continuity for a resident who may be disoriented after the hospital stay; and
· Regular family updates, helping adult children who cannot visit daily stay informed.
Dementia Progression: Sustained Companionship and Engagement
As dementia progresses, the need for meaningful one-on-one engagement becomes more pronounced – and less easily met through group-model LTC staffing. Responsive behaviours often increase in the late afternoon and evening hours (a pattern known as sundowning), a time when staffing levels may be lower.
A private companion with dementia-specific training can:
· Provide meaningful engagement through conversation, reminiscence, activities, and simple tasks tailored to ability;
· Offer a familiar, calming presence during higher-anxiety periods; and
· Support the LTC team’s BSO-informed care plan strategies in practice.
General Companionship and Quality of Life
Not every need for supplementary care is crisis-driven. Many families simply want their parent to have more individual attention, conversation, and engagement than an LTC staffing model can consistently deliver. A companion who visits regularly provides social connection, mental stimulation, and a link to family that can have a meaningful impact on a resident’s wellbeing and sense of dignity.
Section 9: Quick Reference Checklist for Families
Your Core Rights
· Confirmed whether a Power of Attorney for Personal Care is in place and who holds it
· Requested a copy of your parent’s current care plan and reviewed it
· Confirmed your role as substitute decision-maker (SDM) with the LTC home
· Introduced yourself to the Director of Care, charge nurse, and social worker
Advocacy Foundations
· Started or connected with the home’s Family Council (or asked about starting one)
· Set up a care log to document visits, conversations, and concerns
· Have the home’s key contact names, emails, and direct phone numbers in writing
· Know the Ministry Action Line number: 1-866-434-0144
After a Fall
· Confirmed whether a critical incident report has been filed
· Requested a written summary of the fall review findings
· Asked whether a physiotherapy and medication review have been initiated
· Asked whether an OT environmental assessment has been completed
· Considered whether post-fall supplementary home care support would be appropriate
During a Hospitalisation
· Brought a written medication and diagnosis summary to the hospital team
· Asked the LTC home to send care plan and medication reconciliation to hospital
· Confirmed the 30-day bed-hold status with the LTC home’s administrator
· Asked the hospital team for a discharge plan within the first 72 hours
· Considered whether a private companion could support the return transition
New or Progressing Condition
· Requested a care plan review meeting following any new diagnosis
· Asked whether a BSO referral has been made or considered
· Asked about dementia-specific programming if relevant
· Asked about geriatric psychiatry or geriatrician consultation if appropriate
· Spoken with the home’s social worker about SDM implications if capacity is a concern
Complaint Pathway
· Raised the concern in writing with the Director of Care or Administrator
· Allowed 10 business days for a written response
· If unsatisfied, contacted the Ministry Action Line: 1-866-434-0144
· If still unresolved, contacted the Patient Ombudsman: 1-888-321-0339 or patientombudsman.ca
Key Contacts & Resources:
Organisation | Role | Contact |
Ministry of Long-Term Care – Family Support & Action Line | Complaints and concerns about LTC homes | 1-866-434-0144Mon–Sun, 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
Independent review of unresolved LTC complaints | ||
Family Councils Ontario (FCO) | Support for Family Councils in Ontario LTC homes | 647-427-5551 | Toll-free: 1-877-622-9968info@fco.ngo |
Supports Residents’ Councils; residents’ rights education | ||
Free legal advice for older Ontarians | 416-598-2656 | |
Dementia support, First Link® navigation, caregiver resources | ||
Publicly funded home and community care services | 310-2222 (no area code required)ontariohealthathome.ca | |
For families in retirement homes (not LTC) – licensing and complaints |
How Livia Care Supports Families in Long-Term Care
Livia Care is a Toronto-based private home care company specialising in companion care and personal support for older adults. Our team works within LTC homes during permitted visiting hours, providing one-on-one support tailored to each resident’s needs and care plan.
We are often contacted by families when a gap opens up between what their parent is receiving and what their parent actually needs. Some of the situations where we are able to help include:
· Post-hospital discharge support – the first days and weeks after a parent returns to their LTC home following a hospitalisation can be a period of heightened vulnerability. A private care worker can provide additional supervision, familiar continuity, and regular updates to family members during the adjustment period – bridging the gap between hospital-level attention and standard LTC staffing.
· Companionship and social engagement – meaningful one-on-one time – conversation, shared activities, reading aloud, or simply a familiar presence – can make a meaningful difference to a resident’s sense of connection and wellbeing, particularly for those who do not receive frequent family visits or who have limited social interaction within the home.
· Mobility support – for residents whose mobility has declined, or who need encouragement and physical assistance to move safely and regularly, a private care worker can supplement what the LTC team provides – helping with walks around the home, safe transfers, and the kind of consistent encouragement that can support function and confidence over time.
· Fall prevention and post-fall recovery – following a fall, a dedicated care worker can provide additional supervision during the recovery period, assist with physiotherapy-directed exercises between formal sessions, and offer a calm and consistent presence that may help reduce anxiety and the associated risk of further falls.
· Dementia care and engagement – a trained companion who visits consistently can provide the familiarity, calm, and one-on-one engagement that people living with dementia often respond well to. This may include structured activities, reminiscence, music, gentle redirection during periods of confusion, and support for the sundowning hours when distress is sometimes at its highest.
If you are concerned about the level of support your parent is receiving, or if you are navigating one of the situations described in this guide, we are happy to be a resource.
Livia Care | Toronto, Ontario
Personalized 1:1 Senior Care
www.liviacare.ca | 647-693-1504 | care@liviacare.ca
A Note on Sources
The information in this guide is drawn from Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and its regulations; the Ontario government’s 2024–25 LTC Staffing Increase Funding Policy; the Behavioural Supports Ontario 2024–25 Annual Report; the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s complaint process documentation; and Family Councils Ontario’s published resources. Government funding figures and program statistics reflect the 2024–25 fiscal year. Families are encouraged to speak with their parent’s LTC home, the Ministry, or a legal professional for guidance specific to their situation.
This guide is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. For legal questions related to your parent’s rights or your role as substitute decision-maker, please consult a qualified lawyer or contact the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly.
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