A Guide to Programs and Services for Seniors in Ontario

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THE ONTARIO SENIORS’ SECRETARIAT

Ontario is home to about 1.5 million seniors – 40 percent of Canada’s seniors. By 2028, the number of senior citizens in Ontario will double.

The Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat functions to improve the quality of life for Ontario’s seniors by:

• Undertaking and influencing policy initiatives for seniors with a multi-ministry focus and make value added contributions to policy activities in other ministries.
• Developing and supporting public education efforts
• about the programs and services to which seniors are entitled,
• about healthy aging/lifestyles, and
• about the ongoing contributions Ontario seniors make to families, communities and country.
• Maintaining a close working relationship with Ontario’s nine largest seniors organizations, and partnering with them on both policy and public education initiatives.

Policy initiatives include:

• Implementation of Ontario’s Strategy for Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
• Implementation of Ontario’s Strategy to Combat Elder Abuse with the Ministry of the Attorney General.
• Federal, Provincial, Territorial (F/P/T) Ministers Responsible for Seniors projects, which included hosting in Toronto, June 2002, the 6th Meeting of F/P/T Ministers Responsible for Seniors.
• Public education and staff training on our Guide to Advance Care Planning to help seniors make choices, while they are still capable, about how they wish to be cared for in the future.

Public Education and Awareness initiatives include:

• Continuing to implement the Memory Project to recruit 1,000 volunteer veterans to provide a living history to over 50,000 students.
• Launching a series of “Ontario Seniors’ Seminars” to educate seniors about safe and healthy aging, and increase awareness amongst seniors of the programs and services to which they are entitled. Ontario Seniors’ Seminars will be offered in communities across Ontario and topics will include safe medication use for seniors, safe driving for seniors, avoiding financial scams, advance care planning.
• Providing this booklet, A Guide to Programs and Services for Seniors in Ontario, a comprehensive directory to government and community programs and services for seniors.

For more information about the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat and its activities please write or call:

Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
777 Bay Street, 6th floor
Toronto ON M7A 2J4
Phone: 416-326-7076
Web site: www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/seniors

Seniors’ INFOline
Toll-free: 1-888-910-1999
Phone: 416-314-7511
TTY Toll-free: 1-800-387-5559

Introduction

The Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration is committed to improving seniors’ quality of life, and to educating seniors, their families, caregivers, and colleagues about programs and services to which they are entitled. A Guide to Programs and Services for Seniors in Ontario aims to bring together into one resource the wealth of programs and services provided to Ontario seniors by the government, as well as by community organizations and service providers.

This Guide has been developed in consultation with both provincial and federal government ministries, major seniors' organizations and service providers and members of the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat Seniors Liaison Committee. The Ontario Seniors' Secretariat wishes to acknowledge the many hours spent by staff, ministry officials and seniors themselves in helping to review and edit the Guide to ensure the Guide's relevance and accuracy.

Please note: programs and service providers can vary greatly from one community to another. Wherever possible, this guide identifies a central information source that can direct you to the appropriate organization or regional office to contact in your area.

How to Access this Guide

To view the online guide: Look through the Contents at the top of this page for the general area of interest to you. Click the chapter title to see the detailed chapter contents list. Click the topic you wish to read. To go back and forth between the pages you’ve already seen, click the Back or Forward arrow on your browser toolbar, or click Back to Guide in the upper right corner of your screen.

To change the size of type on your screen: Most browsers will allow you to increase or decrease the size of the type you see on your screen to make it easier to read. Click View from the menu bar, choose text size, then choose a larger or smaller text or font size.

To link to other sites: Underlined or coloured text represents a “hyperlink” or “link” that, with one click, takes you to another page either within this guide or elsewhere on the World Wide Web. You can easily go back and forth between the link and this page by clicking the Back arrow on your browser toolbar.

To print the guide from the Internet: Most printers can print exactly what you see on your screen, including the text, pictures and graphics. Click the printer icon on the browser toolbar, or select File from the menu bar, and choose Print, then choose the specific page numbers or range of pages you wish to print.

This guide is available in print. For copies, contact the Seniors’ INFOline:
Toll-free: 1-888-910-1999
Phone: 416-314-7511
TTY Toll-free: 1-800-387-5559

How to Improve this Guide
We welcome your comments on how to improve this booklet to make it more useful. Please click on the following e-mail link and send a message or complete the survey on the last page of the guide and mail or fax it to:

e-mail: SeniorsGuideFeedback@mci.gov.on.ca