Guide for families · checked at source on 9 October 2026

My parent can no longer live alone. What now?

A fall, a missed week of pills, a stove left on. When it’s clear a parent needs more help, the choices can feel overwhelming. Here is the first call to make, the three main options in Ontario, what each one costs and how to start, in plain words.

Start with the first call

General information for Ontario, not medical or legal advice. Every fact links to the government page it comes from.

Is it time? Questions to ask together

There’s rarely one moment. It’s usually a pattern. These questions help a family talk about it honestly, with your parent in the conversation:

Are meals being skipped, or is food going off in the fridge?
Are medicines being missed or doubled?
Have there been falls, or near falls?
Are bills or mail piling up unopened?
Is your parent getting lost, or confused about the day?
Is the house, the stairs or the garden simply too much now?
Is your parent lonely, or stopping going out?

One yes doesn’t mean a move. It may mean a bit more help at home. Several yeses are a reason to make the first call.

Step 1: call Ontario Health atHome

In Ontario, publicly funded home care and every application to a long-term care home go through Ontario Health atHome. Call 1-833-515-1234 to reach the office nearest you. If your parent is in hospital, ask for the hospital’s Ontario Health atHome care coordinator before discharge.

The first call decides whether a care coordinator should visit for an in-person assessment of your parent’s health and needs. Then the coordinator talks through the options. Often the answer is more support at home first, such as personal support worker visits or community paramedicine.

In Toronto, the Toronto Seniors Helpline, 416-217-2077, also connects seniors and caregivers to community supports, care at home and crisis services.

Step 2: the three main options

1. More help at home

If your parent qualifies, Ontario Health atHome can arrange nursing, personal support, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nutritional counselling, social work, and medical supplies and equipment at home. Ontario says some home and community services are government funded, some require a client co-payment, and others are offered by private companies for a fee. Many families mix publicly funded care with some private help. Read more in home care in Ontario.

2. A retirement home

Retirement homes are typically privately owned. They rent housing to seniors and offer services like meals and help with dressing. There are no eligibility criteria: you apply directly to the home, and your parent pays the full cost of accommodation, plus any care services they choose to buy. Ontario has nearly 780 licensed retirement homes, all regulated by the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority, whose retirement home database shows whether a home is licensed and its inspection reports.

3. A long-term care home

Long-term care is for people who need nursing care on site 24 hours a day and help with daily living. You don’t apply to the home: Ontario Health atHome arranges every application and admission, and your parent can choose up to five homes in order of preference. The province sets the most a home can charge for accommodation, and the same maximums apply at every home.

Compare the two in detail: retirement home or long-term care.

Step 3: the money

Long-term care. The Ontario government pays for nursing and personal care. Residents pay a co-payment for accommodation and meals. The maximum fees effective July 1, 2026 are $70.00 a day ($2,129.17 a month) for a basic room, $84.40 a day ($2,567.17) for semi-private and $100.01 a day ($3,041.97) for private. A resident in a basic room who can’t afford the fee can apply to the Long-Term Care Rate Reduction Program after moving in. See paying for long-term care.

Retirement homes set their own prices. A home should give an itemized list of its accommodation and care services with prices to anyone who asks, so ask for it before you visit.

Benefits and tax credits. Make sure your parent is getting every benefit they’re entitled to. Our free Benefits Finder shows which programs are worth checking, including the Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit for people 70 and over.

Step 4: the papers, before you need them

Long-term care homes ask for power of attorney documents on move-in day, along with the health card and a list of medicines. If your parent hasn’t named someone to make decisions about money and about personal care, it’s far easier to do it while they can. Our free readiness score takes about two minutes and shows what’s missing.

Keep your parent at the centre. While your parent is able to decide, the decision is theirs to make. Families do best when they go first with questions, not answers.

Common questions

Who do I call first when a parent can no longer live alone in Ontario?

Ontario Health atHome, at 1-833-515-1234. It arranges publicly funded home care and every long-term care application, and a care coordinator can assess your parent’s needs. If your parent is in hospital, ask for the hospital’s Ontario Health atHome care coordinator.

Is home care free in Ontario?

Some of it. Ontario says some home and community services are government funded, some require a client co-payment, and others are offered by private companies for a fee. A care coordinator decides what publicly funded care your parent qualifies for.

What is the difference between a retirement home and long-term care?

Retirement homes are typically private, have no eligibility criteria and charge the full cost of accommodation; you apply directly. Long-term care is for people who need nursing care 24 hours a day; you apply through Ontario Health atHome, and the province caps the accommodation fee. Compare them in detail.

How much does long-term care cost in Ontario?

The maximum accommodation fees effective July 1, 2026 are $70.00 a day for a basic room, $84.40 for semi-private and $100.01 for private. The government pays for nursing and personal care. A rate reduction is available for basic rooms.

How many long-term care homes can we apply to?

Up to five, in order of preference, on the choice form. When a place is offered, there are 24 hours to accept and up to five days to move in. Turning down an offer removes your parent from every waiting list for 12 weeks, unless their condition or circumstances change significantly.

What if my parent refuses help?

While your parent is able to decide, the decision is theirs. Start with small steps, such as one service at home, and ask what they want rather than telling them. A care coordinator can talk it through with them too.