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Q: What's the difference between retirement homes and long term care facilities?
A: Think of a retirement home as a rental unit geared for seniors. Sometimes they are referred to as retirement residences or seniors’ villages.
The accommodation in the facilities can consist of one room, a shared room or even a small suite. There may be a dining room, common indoor areas, hair salon, convenience/gift store and a common outdoor area. Some residences have social events that are held regularly in social rooms on-site. Swimming pools are sometimes available as are libraries. Each retirement home offers different amenities and accordingly, the rate charged varies a great deal. Most places will offer a package that can range from $1500/month to $5000 +. This will vary depending upon the size of the suite or room and the amenities that are offered at the retirement home. Some retirement residences are on the same grounds as long term care facilities.
A retirement home is certainly an option for a senior who does not require 24-hour supervision and is not prone to wander. They often have different levels of service such as housekeeping and laundry services and the seniors can opt in or out of different plans and levels of service.
The legal definition of a retirement home falls under the Landlord Tenant Act. Apart from public health issues such as food preparation, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care is not responsible for retirement homes.
By contrast, a long term care facility has more of the appearance of a hospital. There are nursing stations, Personal Care Workers to attend to the needs of the residents and an RN on staff. The facility may assign their own doctor but some long term care facilities (LTCF) will allow the resident to continue to use their family doctor. Residents of a LTCF may have chronic medical conditions and will need 24 hour supervision in order to live safely. Each home has to provide a Plan of Care for each resident.
In order to move to a long term care facility the senior must be assessed by a professional from the local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC).
In each LTCF there are different levels of accommodation. There are private rooms, semi-private rooms and basic or standard rooms (formally called wards) which might have several beds in them. The style of the basic room will vary depending on the age of the facility or when it was renovated. Costs will also vary according to the type of accommodation chosen: $1513.53 basic; $1756.87 for semi-private and $2061.04 for a private room.
The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care regulates both nursing homes and homes for the aged. Both types of facilities have standards that must be met and the rights of residents are safeguarded under the Nursing Home Act.
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