• What is a long-term care (LTC) home?
• Why is the government doing web-based Public Reporting on Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes now?
• Is a retirement home a long-term care home?
• What is Public Reporting on Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes?
• Can I choose and apply for a home for my loved one or for myself from the Public Reporting on Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes website?
• What will Public Reporting on Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes tell me?
• What are the next steps in selecting a long-term care (LTC) home for a loved one or for myself?
• What will Public Reporting on Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes NOT tell me?
• Can I register a concern/complaint through this website?
• Is the Ministry ranking or rating long-term care (LTC) homes in Public Reporting?
• How does Public Reporting differ from the compliance report(s) posted in each home?
• Where did the Ministry get the information for Public Reporting on Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes?
• Is the information on the Public Reporting website current?
• What is a sanction?
• What are the different types of sanctions?
• What do these santions really mean?
• Why should a long-term care (LTC) home be placed under a sanction?
• Once sanctions have been imposed on a long-term care (LTC) home, how long do they stay in place?
• What can I do to ensure that my loved one is safe in a long-term care (LTC) home that is currently under sanction? What are my options?
• Does the information on the Public Reporting website tell me whether or not a home is meeting care standards or is providing good care?
• Who issues Inspection Findings?
• What will the Inspections Findings section tell me?
• What does it mean when a home has an "unmet" standard or criterion?
• What happens after an "unmet standard or criterion" is issued by a Ministry inspector?
• How are unmet standards/criteria or findings resolved?
• What is the difference between a concern/complaint and "unmet" standards/criteria?
• What does the "provincial average" mean?
• Why is some information presented as actual numbers and still other information is presented as percentages?
• Where can I find a description of what Residents have to say about their experience when living in a long-term care (LTC) home (i.e. first-hand resident experience)?
• Will the Public Reporting information change in the future?
• Who did the government consult when developing Public Reporting on Long-Term Care homes?
• How can I receive a printed copy of the information on the website?
• How can I access a long-term care (LTC) home's information on Public Reporting, in another language?
• How can I, as a consumer, provide feedback to the government about the information on the website?

A LTC home is a home-like facility that provides care and services for people who no longer are able to live independently or who require onsite nursing care, 24-hour supervision or personal support. LTC homes are government-funded and regulated by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

The government made a commitment to protect residents and improve the quality of life in LTC homes. Public Reporting of LTC homes is an important part of the reform of LTC homes because it will strengthen public accountability and transparency.

Other health sectors in Ontario already have public reporting; for example, hospitals have the annual Hospital Report.

This first stage of Public Reporting makes information about LTC homes available on the public website of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The goal is to provide everyone with accessible information about these homes.

No.  Retirement homes are NOT regulated nor funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and are NOT included in the information contained on the website Public Reporting on Long-Term Care Homes.

The Public Reporting on Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes website is designed to provide information about the more than 600 homes in the LTC system. This website is provided by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and contains information collected on all LTC homes. You can print the information by clicking on "print" at the top right hand corner of the page. Alternatively, you can call the Ministry's Long-Term Care Action Line at 1-866-434-0144 for assistance in printing these materials.

No.  Information on the public reporting website is intended as an early step to help consumers gather information about LTC homes. Your local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) will determine whether you are eligible and help you to complete an application and choose a LTC home. You are also encouraged to visit each home that you are considering before making a final decision.

The Public Reporting website is a searchable database of all LTC homes in Ontario with information about each one. You can find LTC homes within a desired area and see a list of features in a home, like the home's accreditation status. In addition, inspection findings and verified concerns for each LTC home for the period of January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004 are compared with a provincial average.

However, the information provided in Public Reporting is NOT enough to determine if a home is the best one for you or your loved one. You are also encouraged to visit each home that you are considering before making a final decision.

You should contact your local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) for more information about eligibility for admission and choosing a LTC home. You are also encouraged to visit a number of LTC homes in order to determine, first-hand, which one is best suited to meet the needs and lifestyle for you or your loved one. There are a number of checklists available when visiting a LTC home. This website provides links to some of these checklists.

When considering a visit to a home, you should telephone the LTC home operator or Administrator ahead of time to book an appointment. This is also a good time to discuss any questions about the home, including any information about the home you may have found on this website.

Public Reporting on LTC Homes will NOT :

• recommend a LTC home to you;
• rank or rate homes against one another;
• issue a report card that grades LTC homes on their current status in meeting Ministry standards.

No.  If you have a concern about a long-term care (LTC) home, you are encouraged to follow the complaint process posted in each home. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may call the Ministry's Action Line at 1-866-434-0144 to register your concern(s) about a LTC home.

No.  The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is providing the public with access to information about the performance of each LTC home operator in meeting Ministry legislation, regulations and standards as outlined in the Long-Term Care Home Program Manual, for a specified period of time.

The performance of a home operator is measured against its ability to meet the standards and policies of the Ministry during inspections. Information on the performance of a home operator is found in the Inspection Findings section of the website. This section includes findings issued during an annual inspection, post-sale inspections, post-occupancy inspections, follow-up inspections and inspections conducted to investigate concerns.

The compliance report(s) posted in each long-term care home is/are a summary of one particular inspection conducted by Ministry inspectors. The Public Reporting website provides information from inspection findings issued over a specified reporting time period, and may contain findings from a number of inspections conducted by Ministry inspectors within that time period.

Information for the Public Reporting on LTC Homes website was derived from a number of sources :

• The information contained in each Home Profile was provided by each LTC home.
• The Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA) provided accreditation information. LTC homes voluntarily apply to be accredited through the CCHSA. Accreditation determines the extent to which the home is meeting CCHSA's national standards for care delivery and operations and is used by a home and other organizations to better the quality of their services.
• Information about the Inspection Findings and Verified Concerns was obtained from the inspection database of the Ministry and includes only information obtained during the specified reporting time period.

No. There are sections in Public Reporting that have different reporting periods. The section on Home Profile uses the most up-to-date information available as provided by each long-term care (LTC) home operator.

The sanctions alert is current status about the LTC home operator's performance.

The Inspection Findings and Verified Concerns includes information collected over the specified reporting time period of January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004 and is not up to date.

A sanction is a penalty or mechanism of enforcement that the Ministry can legally apply to long-term care home operators to persuade them to comply with applicable legislation, regulations, standards and policies.

Sanctions vary according to the category to which a long-term care (LTC) home belongs. In Ontario, long-term care homes fall under THREE categories, governed under different pieces of legislation :

1. "Nursing Homes" are homes governed under the Nursing Homes Act (NHA).
2. "Charitable Institutions" are homes governed under the Charitable Institutions Act (CIA).
3. "Homes for the Aged" are homes governed under the Homes for the Aged and Rest Homes Act (HARHA).

In addition, all the above categories of homes are also subject to the Health Facilities Special Orders Act (HFSOA).

When a long-term care (LTC) home operator fails to comply with the Ministry's legislation, regulations, standards or policies, the Ministry may impose one or more of the sanctions listed below, as applicable, on the operator :

• Cease Admissions Applies to all three categories of LTC homes, namely Nursing Homes, Charitable Institutions and Homes for the Aged.
• Revoke or refuse to renew the LTC home's license: Applies only to Nursing Homes.
• Reduce or withhold funding Applies to all three categories of LTC homes, i.e. Nursing Homes, Charitable Institutions and Homes for the Aged.
• Occupy, Operate or Take Over Applies to all three categories of LTC homes, i.e. Nursing Homes, Charitable Institutions and Homes for the Aged.
• Suspend or revoke approval to operate Applies only to Charitable Institutions.
• Cease carrying on Activity Applies only to Nursing Homes.
• Suspension of License Applies only to Nursing Homes.

The various types of sanctions that the Ministry can impose on a long-term care home (LTC) operator have the following effect :

• Cease authorization to admit No new residents can be admitted into the LTC home until the problem(s) is/are resolved.
• Revoke or refuse to renew the LTC home's license The LTC home's license is not renewed until the problem(s) is/are resolved.
• Reduction or withholding of funding The Ministry may reduce or withhold the LTC home operator's funding.
• Occupy, Operate or Take over The Ministry may take over and operate the home.
• Suspend or revoke approval to operate Continued operation is in the Ministry's opinion is an immediate threat to the public interest.
• Cease carrying on activities The Ministry may direct that an activity or certain activities be stopped.
• Take over the operation of the LTC home The Ministry may take control of, occupy and manage the operations of the LTC home.

Long-term care (LTC) homes are required to abide by provincial legislation, regulations, standards and policies to ensure residents receive the best possible care. To this end, the Ministry arranges regular inspections of every LTC home to verify that they are in compliance with the Ministry's requirements. The Ministry may impose sanctions on a home in a variety of circumstances, including, but not limited to: (i) recurring or ongoing non-compliance; (ii) presence of severe problems that put residents at significant risk; (iii) a demonstrated lack of due diligence on the part of the home operator to correct deficiencies that have already been identified.

The Ministry recognizes that an LTC home operator may require some time to take the corrective steps necessary to bring their home into compliance with the Ministry's legislation, regulation, standards and policies. A key factor considered when determining the duration of any particular sanction is the degree of risk to the health, safety and security of residents. Sanctions imposed on a home are lifted once the Ministry is assured that all necessary requirements are in place.

• Seek clarification relating to any of your concerns from the local regional office of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care;
• Contact the local CCAC to discuss the possible transfer and relocation of your loved one to another home; or
• Request that your loved one be removed/discharged from the LTC home into the care of a trusted relative.

Information available on the website does not rank or rate homes. It is NOT a Report Card that grades long-term care (LTC) homes on their current status in meeting Ministry standards.

The information shows a LTC home operator's performance according to Ministry legislation, regulations and standards (based on the specified data and specified reporting period).

Information provided in Public Reporting is NOT enough to determine if a home is the best one for you or your loved one. Please contact the LTC home operator or Administrator, or your local Community Care Access Centre for other types of information available about the home. You are also encouraged to visit any LTC home that you are considering, before making a final decision.

Inspectors employed by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care issue inspection findings during their visits to long-term care (LTC) homes when they identify that the home operator is not compliant with the minimum Ministry legislation, regulations, standards or criteria. Ministry legislation, regulations, standards and criteria exist to ensure proper resident care and resident safety in a LTC home.

There are two types of Inspection Findings : "Citations Under Legislation" and "Unmet Standards/Criteria".

Citations under legislation or regulation are issued when a LTC home operator is in violation of legislation that governs that home.

A finding of an unmet standard/criteria is issued when a LTC home operator fails to meet the minimum standards set out in the LTC Facility Program Manual. In the web-based Public Reporting, the unmet standards/criteria are presented in accordance with the 18 sections of the LTC Facility Program Manual.

The LTC Facility Program Manual has 18 sections, which include 37 specific standards and 426 supporting criteria that may be audited during a Ministry inspection of a home. All standards are made available to LTC homes, with the expectation that they are met. Long-term care (LTC) home operators must comply with all standards. These standards support the safety and proper care of residents living in a LTC home.

The Citations under legislation and Unmet Standards/Criteria for each home are presented as Inspection Findings, and are reported as the number of findings for each home. Inspection findings are compared to the provincial average per LTC home.

Inspectors from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care issue Inspection Findings for unmet standards or criteria by during the course of any inspection, including follow-up visits and complaint investigations.

When a Ministry inspector issues an unmet standard or criterion, the long-term care (LTC) home operator must submit a Plan of Corrective Action within a short period of time, together with a timeframe for making the correction. Ministry inspectors continue to inspect the LTC home until the home operator demonstrates that the standards are being met.

Ministry inspectors issue a finding when a long-term care (LTC) home operator has failed to meet Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care legislation, regulations, standards or criteria. Once a home operator is issued a finding, the home operator must develop and implement a Plan of Corrective Action within a specific period of time, depending on the risk to residents. Ministry inspectors conduct one or more follow-up inspections of the LTC home to see if the Plan of Corrective Action has been implemented and if the action taken meets the legislation, regulation, standards or criteria.

The information reported on the website is a measure of LTC home operators' performance during the specified reporting time period. Inspection findings reflect how a home operator has been performing according to Ministry legislation, regulation, standards and criteria. This means the number and type of findings issued at an inspection do not necessarily reflect the current quality of care and service in a home.

Please contact the LTC home operator or Administrator if you want to obtain additional information about the current performance of the home operator. Alternatively, you may contact the local Community Care Access Centre for information available about a LTC home, or Long-Term Care Action Line at 1-866 434-0144, to obtain further information or forward a concern about a home operator.

When a concern/complaint about a long-term care home is received, a Ministry inspector investigates to determine whether it is true or not. If the concern is found to be true, the inspector may issue an unmet standard/criterion or citation (reported under Inspection Findings) if the home operator has not met the requirements in Ministry legislation or regulation, and the minimum expectations as outlined in the Long Term Care Facility Program Manual. Inspectors may also issue Findings during any Ministry investigation if the home operator does not meet the minimum expectations.

For Inspection Findings, the provincial average is the average number of findings issued per home (for all long-term care homes) within the specified reporting period. For Verified Concerns, the provincial average is adjusted to 100 beds because of differences in number of beds between homes.

The information provided in Public Reporting includes the home operators' performance measured against Ministry standards within a specified time period. It does not reflect the current status of whether a home operator is meeting standards or whether the home operator has taken corrective action.

To obtain information about a specific LTC home, please contact :

• Your local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) for information available; or
• The LTC home operator or Administrator.

To forward a concern about a specific LTC home, please call the Ministry's Long-Term Care Action Line at 1-866-434-0144.

The numbers made available on the website are reported in two different ways :

Actual count : Inspection findings for each home are reported using the actual number of unmet standards/criteria and citations received by the home. Consumer groups reviewing web-based Public Reporting requested that the actual numbers of inspection findings be listed for each home. There are also actual numbers of Verified Concerns.

Number "per 100 Beds" : In addition to the reporting of the actual number of Verified Concerns, the Verified Concerns for each home are reported as a number adjusted as if the home had 100 beds. For example, a 50-bed home and a 300-bed home will each have their rate adjusted as if they were a 100-bed home. Verified concerns are reported in this way for comparison purposes.

More details about residents' experience in a LTC home will appear in the future stages of public reporting. It is currently not available on the website.

Yes.  The government will provide regular updates and expand the information provided in Public Reporting in the near future. Future stages will also include :

• The results of satisfaction surveys of residents.
• More information on indicators to measure the quality of resident care in each long-term care home.

The information provided in the first stage of Public Reporting was developed by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care with the advice and cooperation of sector partners :

• Representatives from the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors (OANHSS), Ontario Long-Term Care Association (OTLCA), Concerned Friends of Ontario Citizens in Care Facilities (Concerned Friends), Ontario Association of Residents' Councils (OARC).
• Expertise was provided by representatives from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Studies (ICES) and The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

You can obtain a printed copy of the information available on the website by using any one of the following ways :

• Print it from this website;
• Call the Ministry's toll-free Long-Term Care ActionLine at 1-866-434-0144; or
• Contact your local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC).

You can contact the Ministry's Long-Term Care ActionLine toll-free line at 1-866-434-0144 to request the translation of a LTC home's information on Public Reporting.

Public Reporting on Long-Term Care Homes is a step in the right direction towards strengthening public accountability and transparency. Your feedback is important. Here are ways to communicate with us :

• General feedback/questions
  The website has a "comment" section with a link to forward general comments or questions to the website Administrator at the Ministry. Note, however, that this "Feedback" section is not intended to support feedback about a specific home. Look for "Feedback" in the "More Information" section on the website.



• Questions about a specific home
  For comments, questions or concerns about a specific home, please call your local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) for the type of information available, or telephone the Ministry's Long-Term Care Action-line at 1-866-434-0144.

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