Long-term Care Homes FAQ
Anyone with problems, concerns and/or complaints about a home should call the Long-Term Care Family Support and Action Line at 1-866-434-0144. It is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. They will take the information and pass along the complaint to an inspector who will contact you and determine whether it is appropriate to commence an inspection.
You can also write a complaint letter:
Director
Long-Term Care Inspections Branch
Long-Term Care Operations Division
119 King Street West, 11th Floor
Hamilton, ON L8P 4Y7
The Ministry has the authority to inspect on any non-compliance of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 or its regulations. Time frames for inspections differ depending on the urgency of the matter.
All long-term care homes must also have an internal complaint process. Information about that complaint process must be provided to the resident upon admission and must be publicly posted in the home. If a complaint is made to the licensee or any staff member of the home, the licensee must investigate and resolve where possible within ten business days of receiving the complaint, and where this is not possible, acknowledge the complaint and provide a date by which the complainant can reasonably expect a resolution. The licensee must keep a record of both written and oral complaints, including the nature of the complaint, date received, action taken to resolve, final resolutions, and responses to and by the complainant, in accordance with the legislation. Homes are also required to send copies of specified written complaints to the Ministry.
Complaints can also be made to outside bodies, such as the police, your MPP, a regulated health college, etc. You are not required to go through the long-term care home’s internal process before making a complaint. You may also make a complaint to the Patient Ombudsman’s Office; however, you must have already complained to the home and been unable to resolve the matter.
The Residents’ Bill of Rights #27 states that every resident must be informed in writing about how to make a complaint. Right #29 states that residents have the right to raise concerns with anyone without fear of interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal.
For more information about how to make a complaint, please see the Ministry of Long-Term Care – long-term care home complaint process: https://www.ontario.ca/page/long-term-care-home-complaint-process