Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Ontario Expanding Access to Culturally Appropriate Long-Term Care
Placement model will consider the religious, ethnic and linguistic needs for residents at 30 additional long-term homes
The Ontario government is expanding access to care aligned with religious, ethnic and linguistic needs for residents at 30 additional long-term care homes across the province, while still prioritizing applicants with the greatest needs on waiting lists. This expansion is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario by investing in public services and ensuring long-term care residents get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve.
“Culturally appropriate care enhances quality of life and patient outcomes for residents,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Expanding this model to more homes will ensure that more Ontarians can receive the quality of care they deserve, tailored to their unique cultural, religious, ethnic and linguistic needs and preferences.”
This expansion of a new long-term care placement model addresses the religious, ethnic and linguistic needs of crisis applicants on the waiting lists for long-term care homes. For example, a home may provide culturally tailored activities and programming, culturally appropriate food and meals, and staff and volunteers who speak a specific language. This placement model helps people in crisis get better access to long-term care homes that reflect their cultural, religious, ethnic and language needs and preferences. Together, these measures create an environment where residents can maintain their customs, traditions and language in daily life.
“Ontario is committed to ensuring seniors receive culturally responsive care that respects their identity, traditions and linguistic needs,” said Graham McGregor, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. “This change reflects our government’s efforts to build a long-term care system that supports residents in feeling truly at home, while receiving the care they need.”
Since April 2025, this model has been successfully tested at 29 long-term care homes throughout Ontario that serve a particular religious, ethnic or linguistic community. Results from the testing period have shown that residents of these homes have better access to care that meets their needs and preferences without negatively impacting the placement of other crisis applicants.
As of November 2025, there are 59 long-term care homes that are recognized as serving a specific religious, ethnic or linguistic community. This expansion would implement this placement model across all 59 homes, incorporating the 30 homes that were not part of the initial testing period.
While the government is expanding access to care aligned with religious, ethnic and linguistic needs, the number of designated Reunification Priority Access Beds (RPABs) is concurrently increasing across the province. RPABs are designated beds for long-term care applicants who are in crisis and seeking to be reunited with a spouse or partner who resides in a particular long-term care home. On the date additional beds are designated, homes will have up to four RPABs, enhancing resident experience and quality of life, and ensuring more residents are connected directly with their loved ones.
The government is improving long-term care to ensure long-term care residents get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve. The plan to improve care for residents is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe, and comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.
Quick Facts:
- Long-term care applicants and their families work with Ontario Health atHome placement coordinators to manage their admission into long-term care.
- Ensuring resident-directed, safe, quality care that responds to a resident’s physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual and cultural goals and needs is an obligation under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.
- As part of its plan to fix long-term care and address waitlists, the government is making continued progress towards its commitment to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province.
- Ontario Health determines whether to recognize a long-term care home as being primarily engaged in serving the interests of persons of a particular religion, ethnic origin or linguistic origin.
- The Ontario government is protecting Ontario’s long-term care system by increasing annual funding to a record $1.92 billion to support the significant increase in staffing in the province’s long-term care homes over the past four years.
Quotes:
"At Copernicus Lodge, we see every day how deeply seniors benefit when care honours their language, culture and faith. This expansion of the placement model will help more residents find a home where they feel understood, safe and connected to their community. We are grateful for the province’s recognition of the importance of culturally appropriate care and proud to continue serving the Polish and broader community with compassion and dignity."
- Aleksandra Grzeszczuk, CEO, Copernicus Lodge
"We applaud the Ontario government for expanding this placement model to all recognized long-term care homes across the province. Today’s announcement will help ensure more seniors can access care that reflects their language, faith, food and traditions, while still prioritizing those with the greatest needs for placement. As the provincial association representing the vast majority of Ontario’s not-for-profit cultural homes, AdvantAge Ontario has long advocated for admissions policies that protect and strengthen culturally appropriate care, and we look forward to continuing to work with the government to support residents, families and the communities that sustain these homes."
- Lisa Levin, CEO, AdvantAge Ontario
"Today’s announcement reinforces person-centred care and helps protect seniors by providing the right supports, in the right place at the right time. Increasing reunification spaces and expanding the placement model to all recognized homes are meaningful changes for homes and for the communities they serve. For many families, these changes make all the difference. They help keep loved ones together and ensure seniors receive care in settings that honour their language, culture and community. We’ll continue working alongside the government and our members to achieve the successful implementation of these measures in support of our seniors, their families and their cultural communities."
- Donna Duncan, CEO, Ontario Long Term Care Association
"We are excited to see the Ontario government’s dedication to expanding access to culturally appropriate care through the new placement model. This initiative deeply resonates with our mission, as it supports individuals in finding a home where their language, traditions and cultural identity are honoured. We firmly believe that personalized care is essential to ensuring every resident is treated with the dignity and respect they truly deserve."
- Olya Vovnysh, CEO, Ivan Franko Homes
Additional Resources:
Media Contacts:
Stuart Osborne
Office of the Minister of Long-Term Care
Stuart.Osborne@ontario.ca
Ministry of Long-Term Care Media Line
Communications Branch
mltc.media@ontario.ca
|