Long-term care

Updates from provincial and municipal partners

Our health care partners provide frequent updates to safety protocols in long-term care. Follow these resources to see the latest recommendations:

Ontario Ministries of Health and Long-term care

• Updates and directives for long-term care
• Ministry of Health website
• Phasing in visits to long-term care homes

Ottawa Public Health

• Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) information
• Professional guidelines for long-term care

Visiting long-term care homes

Older adults are especially vulnerable to serious and life-threatening complications from COVID-19. Staff are following best practices to ensure everyone’s safety, including screening all visitors and staff, as advised by the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Long-term Care and Ottawa Public Health.

On June 10 the government of Ontario introduced a phased approach to opening LTC homes to visitors. Details are on the Ministry of Long-Term Care website.

Care and services

Residents are receiving the same quality of care with very few changes or interruptions to their routines. Some examples include refinements to group activities and adjustments to dining procedures to allow for physical distancing. Homes on outbreak have more changes to reduce interactions between residents.

Infection prevention

The homes have plans in place for infection prevention and control to prevent, detect, and reduce the spread of infection. For example:

• All long-term care employees are restricted from working in other locations.
• Newly admitted or re-admitted residents are isolated for 14 days and tested.
• Increased and enhanced housekeeping
• Ottawa Public Health identifies and monitors individuals who may have had contact with an infectious person as a means of controlling the spread.

Testing for COVID-19

• Staff and residents are each screened for symptoms twice daily.
• Any resident with respiratory symptoms is isolated and tested. Staff showing symptoms are sent home and tested.
• Surveillance testing on all residents and staff has occurred on multiple occasions in all four City of Ottawa long-term care homes. More surveillance testing is completed as recommended by Ottawa Public Health.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19

If a case is confirmed, the homes have a pandemic plan to follow, with directives from the province and guidance from Ottawa Public Health:

• Staff will use protective equipment.
• Any residents and staff who have been in contact with cases will be tested; even those who do not have any symptoms.
• Staff and resident cohorting will be implemented to limit the spread of the virus in the home. Cohorting means that residents may be moved to a different location in the home and staff may be assigned to work with specific residents or to provide care for residents in a specific order.
• Residents with the virus are assessed and if hospitalization is required, a consultation with their power of attorney or substitute decision maker will occur prior to transfer.

New admissions

All new admissions and re-admissions are being tested for COVID-19 and placed in isolation for 14 days as a precaution. If the home is on outbreak, no new admissions or re-admissions will take place until the outbreak is over.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

The province has prioritized the supply of PPE to long-term care homes. The homes have an appropriate supply of equipment to support everyone’s safety, and we are working with the province and suppliers to maintain that inventory.

Staffing

Part-time and casual staff have been offered full-time hours to help meet staffing needs. A hiring campaign and partnerships with educational institutions have ensured we have enough staff so that we can maintain the level of care for residents. We continue to hire new staff in key roles, and we are also accessing redeployed City staff with key skills.

Volunteering

For safety reasons ,the homes are not currently accepting volunteers in the homes. At this time, we can meet care needs with available staff.

What is long-term care?

Long-term care homes provide adults whose needs can no longer be met in the community a place where they can live and get:

• Help with most or all daily activities
• Access to 24-hour nursing and personal care

Find a long-term care home

Start your search for a long-term care home by contacting your Local Health Integration Network’s (LHIN) Home and Community Care. Ottawa is part of the Champlain LHIN. Staff at the LHIN will:

• Determine if you or your family member is eligible for long-term care
• Tell you about the long-term care homes in your area
• Tell you how to get on the wait list and apply
• Meet with you to discuss options for care

Wait list

Many long-term care homes have waiting lists. The wait time for a bed in a long-term care home can vary based on the level of care needed, type of room and the number of beds available. The LHIN manages the wait list and prioritizes placement based on individual needs.

• There are 60 long-term care homes in the Champlain region, which includes Ottawa
• Apply for up to five long-term care homes anywhere in Ontario and up to 3 bed types in each home
• View the Long-Term Care Wait List [ PDF - 419 KB ] for the Champlain Region

For more information about eligibility and admission into a long-term care home, visit the Home and Community Care Champlain website or call 310-2222 (no area code).

Cost of long-term care

All personal and nursing care in long-term care homes in Ontario is funded by the government. Residents pay for room and board. Read more about the costs for long-term care.

Get help to pay for long-term care

If you don’t have enough income to pay for a basic room, you can apply for a government subsidy with the Ministry. Subsidies are not available for private or semi-private rooms. To apply for a subsidy, If you need help to fill out forms, contact your long-term care home or the Long-Term Care Action Line at 1-866-434-0144.

The City operates four long-term care homes:

• Carleton Lodge
• Centre d’accueil Champlain
• Garry J. Armstrong
• Peter D. Clark

The homes are accredited by Accreditation Canada.

Our care teams

All four of the City’s long-term care homes have registered nurses, registered practical nurses, and personal support workers on duty 24-hours a day to care for our residents. Our Hospitality team takes care of food services, laundry and housekeeping. Our Recreation team plans events and daily activities.

Services

We provide the following services in each of our long-term care homes:

• Nursing and personal care on a 24-hour basis with access to medical professionals and services
• Help with:
  • Daily activities including bathing, personal hygiene, oral care, dressing and grooming
  • Mobility, transferring and positioning
  • Bedtime and rest routines
• Meals including special diets
• Laundry and housekeeping
• Social work support
• Social and recreational programs
• Religious and spiritual services
• Individual care planning
• Shared dining room, TV rooms, country kitchen, faith centre and libraries
• Units for residents who benefit from a secure space
• Physiotherapy
• Palliative and end-of-life care

Other services for a fee include:

• Hairdressing and barber services
• Audiology / hearing care
• Optometry / eye care
• Foot care
• Dental care
• Occupational therapy assessments
• Mobility equipment repairs
• Day centre programs at Carleton Lodge and Centre d’accueil Champlain

Rooms

Each of our homes offer both private and shared rooms with washrooms. The average room is 150 to 300 square feet, including the washroom.

• Each resident has a bed, dresser or built-in cabinet, night table and small chair
• Residents can personalize their rooms with their own things

For more information about rooms, refer to each of the City’s homes and floor plans.

There are common areas for family visits. Families can also book space for private events.

Plan of Care

Every resident must have a written plan of care that:

• Sets out the goals and clear directions for staff and others who provide direct care to the resident
• Is based on an assessment of the resident’s needs and preferences
• Includes medical, nursing, personal support, nutritional, dietary, recreational, social, restorative, religious and spiritual care
• Is revised at least every six months or as needed

Short-stay respite care residents must have a 24-hour admission care plan.

Food and nutrition

All food is planned based on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care legislation.

Each home offers a 3- or 4-week seasonal menu. Menus are posted in the dining room area. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are served daily. Residents have a choice of two main entrées at lunch and dinner. Prepared plates are displayed in the dining area to help with the resident’s choice. Here is a sample daily menu.

Breakfast:

• Apple or cranberry juice
• Dry cereal or rolled oat cereal
• White / brown toast with butter / jam
• Scrambled egg

Lunch:

• Creamy coleslaw
• Tomato juice

Choice of roast beef and onion gravy or glazed chicken tenders

• Mashed potatoes
• Oriental mixed vegetables
• Bread and butter
• Banana
• Orange cake

Dinner:

• Chicken noodle soup
• Tomato juice

Choice of:

• Macaroni and cheese
• Pork coriander
• Mashed potatoes
• Stewed tomatoes
• Peas
• Apricots
• Lemon tarts

Activities

Each home plans weekly activities for its residents. Activities include arts and crafts, exercise, movies, games, guest entertainers, and more. Activity calendars are posted in the homes and are available by email upon request to help family members plan their visits. Here are some of the activities in the homes:

Exercise

• Fitness classes
• Sports
• Lawn games
• Dance programs
• Gardening and garden walks

Intellectual

• Trivia
• Mobile library
• Card and word games
• Reading and education groups

Social / emotional

• Tea time
• Pub Happy Hour
• Garden visits
• Bingo / musical bingo
• Baking / cooking groups
• Live music / entertainment
• Sing along
• Pet visits / zootherapy
• Manicures
• Doll therapy
• Art therapy
• Painting / colouring group
• Knitting club
• Sports bar / sports viewing
• Movie night
• Montessori activities
• Snoezelen Room
• Volunteer visits

Special events

• Family BBQs
• Holiday parties
• Monthly birthday celebrations
• Outings

Spiritual

• Church services (Catholic mass, Protestant service, and others by request)
• Hymn sing
• Pastoral care and spiritual care volunteer visits
• Other spiritual services may be offered on request

Adult Day Program

Carleton Lodge and Centre d'accueil Champlain offer Adult Day Programs for seniors who have dementia or face other barriers that prevent them from taking part in regular activities. Small group activities promote good health and social interaction. The programs also provide a break for caregivers.

To apply for an adult day program, contact the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) at champlain.on.ca/ or call 310-2222 (no area code).

Volunteers

We are always looking for volunteers to join our team. Volunteers work with our staff and help to improve quality of life for our residents:

• Provide company, friendship and support
• Help residents be more active and independent
• Give residents something to look forward to
• Share life events and stories

Volunteers can help in many ways such as:

• Recreation programs
• Spiritual and palliative care
• Friendly visits
• Mealtimes
• Tuck shop
• Special events

Student volunteers also make a valuable difference to our homes. Students can fulfill their volunteer hours for high school and add new skills to their résumé or college applications.

For information about our Volunteer program, contact one of our homes or ottawa.ca/volunteer and ‘Browse all volunteer opportunities’.

Residents’ Council

Each long-term care home has a Residents’ Council. We encourage residents to join. The council meets once a month to:

• Discuss concerns
• Suggest changes
• Plan social activities

Feedback from the Residents’ Council helps our care teams evaluate and change our services and programs to better meet the needs of our residents.

Family and Friends Council

Each of our homes has a Family and Friends Council where friends and family of our residents work together to improve the quality of life for all residents. The council provides information sessions and advocates to improve services. Family Councils are also a way for families to give each other support, encouragement and information.

Resident satisfaction surveys

Once a year, residents can take part in a resident satisfaction survey. This survey gives residents an opportunity to give feedback anonymously.

In Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care regulates, inspects and sets out the resident fees for all long-term care homes.

Provincial standards for long-term care homes are set out in the Guide to the Long-Term Care Home Act, 2007 and Regulation 79/10. This includes the Residents’ Bill of Rights.

The ministry conducts annual inspections of each home. All reports are public and displayed in the long-term care homes. Read reports on long-term care homes on the Ministry’s website.

Quality improvement plans

Each long-term care home in Ontario must develop a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). This document sets out a plan for change on key issues over the coming year. QIPs help enable high-quality patient care. Visit the Health Quality Ontario website to read the QIPs on our long-term care homes.

Health information

The City is responsible for protecting health information under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). The act has rules to protect personal health information while in the City’s care.

Complaints and concerns

All complaints are taken seriously. If a resident or family member has a complaint, they can inform the nurse or manager at the home over the phone, or in writing. All complaints are investigated, and a response and resolution are provided to the person who made the complaint. By law, some complaints must also be sent to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care by the home. For more information about types of complaints and how to make them, visit the Ministry’s website.

The City of Ottawa receives funding from the Champlain Local Health Integration Network. The opinions expressed on this website do not necessarily represent the views of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network.

Replica OC Transpo bus stops provide safe waiting spaces for persons with dementia

Bus stops are not found just on city streets and at transit stations anymore. In fact, Long-Term Care and OC Transpo recently partnered to create replica bus stops inside two of the City’s long-term care homes.

These stops provide safe spaces for conversation and intervention with residents who live with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

“When some of our community members are disoriented, fatigued or anxious, they want to leave our building and ‘go home,’” said Paula Edwards, Personal Support Worker and Behavioural Support Champion at the Peter D. Clark Centre. “They may not literally want to go back to their old residence, but they are seeking the same sense of comfort and relief that most of us experience when we enter our home after a long day.”

When residents are troubled, staff may encourage them to wait at the replica stops. The replica bus stops provide a secure, comfortable space where staff can patiently intervene by offering support and reassurance. The stops provide residents who are prone to wandering with a chance to sit down and rest.

“Best practice research recognizes replica bus stops as a valuable tool in dementia care. The stops add a point of reference for residents. Waiting at the bus stop is a daily activity that people remember from earlier in their lives,” explained Jacqueline Roy, Administrator of Centre d’accueil Champlain.

“OC Transpo worked collaboratively with Long-Term Care to re-create a bus stop at the Peter D. Clark Centre with all the amenities you would find on the street—a bench, stop flag, route schedule, transit map and even newspaper boxes,” said Kathy Riley, Transit Accessibility Specialist with OC Transpo Customer Services. “We have added a large poster of a bus and a book with historic transit photos. All of these elements combine to create a positive atmosphere for residents.”

One replica stop was installed in Peter D. Clark’s Bungalows unit and plans are in place to add more stops in the building. OC Transpo also worked with Long-Term Care staff to install a replica stop at Centre d’accueil Champlain. Like the one at Peter D. Clark, this stop has many elements that are visually interesting and contribute to an authentic neighbourhood feel in the home.

Long-Term Care is always striving to find creative ways to provide person-centred care and engage residents to meet their needs holistically. Other interactive activity stations, made to resemble nurseries or office spaces, have been created in the City-run homes and more spaces are planned for the future.

“Intervention with residents is not always needed,” added Ms. Edwards. “But, when it is, our replica bus stop provides a healthy space for a brief chat, a helping hand, or even an opportunity to reminisce.”

OC Transpo worked with staff at Élisabeth Bruyère Residence to install the first replica stop in the mid-2000s. Since then four more bus stops were created throughout the city—at Peter D. Clark Centre, Ottawa Grace Manor, Centre d’accueil Champlain and The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.

“Our team takes great pride in installing these stops for Long-Term Care and making them look as authentic as possible,” said Yves Ladouceur, Supervisor of Building Repair and Minor Construction with OC Transpo Fleet and Facilities Management. “We know it makes a positive difference in the residents’ lives.”

“Our Long-Term Care Homes are lucky to have the resources of OC Transpo available to make these projects happen. The historical touches and attention to detail adds to the atmosphere in the home,” added Ms. Roy.

Collaboration between many Long-Term Care and OC Transpo staff has been the key to the success of these installations and is yet another positive example of the City’s One City, One Team culture.

Social housing

The Social Housing Registry of Ottawa maintains the centralized waiting list for all social housing in Ottawa. To apply for a social housing unit, contact the Social Housing Registry at 613-526-2088 or visit 2197 Riverside Drive, 5th floor.

Property tax deferral

If you are 65 or older, own your home and your total household income from all sources is $42,749.00 or less, you can apply for a deferral of your current property taxes. Learn more about the full and partial property tax deferral program or call 613-580-2424, ext. 31490 for more information or to receive an application by mail.

Residential services homes or supportive housing

Residential Services homes provide permanent housing with some supports for daily living. The City of Ottawa subsidizes the cost of lodging and some care for adults residing in privately run domiciliary hostels.

Secondary dwelling units

If you own a home and wish to make room for a caregiver, a companion, a member of your family or earn extra income to meet financial obligations, you can create a secondary dwelling unit under certain conditions. The secondary dwelling unit must be a single, self-contained, rental apartment with its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom. Learn more about building a home within a home [PDF - 921 KB] or call 613-580-2424, ext. 13116.

Emergency housing

If you require emergency shelter, call 613-560-6000 Monday to Friday from 8:45 am to 4 pm or 3-1-1 after hours and on weekends.

Emergency financial assistance

In times of crisis and where no other financial resource is available, emergency assistance may be provided through the Employment and Financial Assistance branch. An emergency situation might include a health-related crisis, family violence, theft, fire, flood, pending eviction or other situations. Call 613-560-6000 to apply.

Help for people not receiving social assistance

If you are 65 or older with a low income and asset level, you may be eligible for the Essential Health and Social Supports program to help cover the cost of health-related items and services, such as prescription drugs, eyeglasses, dental care, diabetic supplies, incontinent supplies, bathroom aids, respiratory supplies, hearing aids and mobility devices. Call 613-560-6000 to apply.

Home Support Services