How long is the wait, and what does it cost?
Ontario publishes the long-term care rate. It does not tell you what the wait costs, which is the number that decides what actually happens in the meantime.
Your situation
Most families start at three or four hours a day and increase as the wait goes on.
Likely wait
11 months
Most families in this situation wait between 8 months and 15 months.
Based on published regional wait-list data, adjusted for room type, priority and how many homes you list. It is an estimate, not a place in a queue.
What the wait costs
- Private care, 4 hrs/day
- $4,013/mo
- Over the estimated wait
- $44,241
- Then, once a bed opens
- $2,076/mo
Nobody at the point of application tells families this number. It is the main reason a long-term care plan quietly turns into a home care plan.
Two things that shorten it
- List five homes, not one. Waiting for a specific home is the single biggest multiplier on the wait.
- Basic accommodation moves fastest, and a rate reduction is available on it if income is low.