I Need Long-Term Care And Seniors Support
Dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of our senior populations
Independent living can be difficult due to advancing age, disability or declining health. To help you get the support you need, we want to ensure you understand all options available to you or your loved ones, whether that’s transitioning to a long-term care home or accessing supportive living services from home or within the community.
Our partners at Home and Community Care Support Services (HCCSS) are helping patients across the region access services, care and guidance to support your health and well-being. By assessing patient care needs, and delivering in-home and community-based services, they are there for you and your loved ones when you need it most.
Long-term care homes are residential homes that provide ongoing care to patients whose care needs cannot be met in the community. This includes those who need 24-hour access to nursing care and supervision.
More information on long-term care homes is provided by Home and Community Care Support Services.
Often times, seniors and people with complex medical conditions at any age can continue to live at home with the right supports in place. Home care includes a variety of health and wellness services such as:
- Nursing
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational therapy
- Nutritional counseling
- Speech therapy
- Social work
- Personal support
- Medical supplies and equipment
More information on home care is provided by Home and Community Care Support Services.
Our partners at Home and Community Care Support Services help patient and families explore alternate care options to support your safety and overall wellbeing. These supports can include:
- Adult day programs
- Assisted living
- Supportive housing
- Retirement homes
- Short-stay, respite or convalescent care
More information on supportive living is provided by Home and Community Care Support Services.
Support for Seniors
Providing support for people living with dementia, and their caregivers. Whether you want to learn more about the programs and services offered or find dementia-related information specific to your needs, the Alzheimer Society has the education and resources to help you.
Bayshore is a trusted provider of home health care services working together with health authorities, hospitals and health system planners to support better health outcomes and quality of life for patients and their families. Here’s just a few of the programs and services they provide:
The City of Barrie’s Allandale 55+ Centre and Parkview Centre for 55+ offer recreation, education and fitness opportunities along with events and workshops for individuals 55 years of age and better.
The Canadian Red Cross provides non-emergency transportation for those in need, such as older adults and adults with disabilities in the community, who are unable to use public transportation.
The Meals on Wheels program delivers affordable, nutritious and delicious meals to members of the community who are unable to prepare their own food.
Call 705-721-3313 to contact the Simcoe County Branch Meals on Wheels program.
A health care service provider offering home care and clinic-based health care services.
Services include:
- physiotherapy for pain management and rehabilitation
- occupational therapy for assistance to overcome or adapt to an injury, illness or disability
- dietetics for assessment of nutritional needs
- access to a registered social worker
- motor vehicle accident therapy for injuries affiliated with a car accident
SE Health provides health care services across many areas of the health system, including home and community care, long-term care, acute care and primary care.
Services include:
- home care
- rehab therapy
- resources for family caregivers and seniors
Specialized Geriatric Services
for Frail Seniors
Specialized Geriatric Services (SGS) are an organized system of hospital and community-based services that specifically support frail seniors and their caregivers.
Care is typically provided on a short-term basis by an interdisciplinary team of health care professionals. These professionals have expertise in geriatric medicine and geriatric psychiatry and are able to support the assessment, diagnosis and initial management of issues commonly seen in the frail senior population.
To register for any of the following services, please contact the North Simcoe Muskoka Specialized Geriatric Services Central Intake Team at 705-417-2192, ext. 5109
Working in partnership with you, your family member or companion and your family physician, the Aging Well Clinic is dedicated to helping seniors living at home, or in retirement residences, deal with the complicated medical conditions that can develop with age. The Aging Well Clinic uses an interprofessional approach meaning multiple health care providers work together to provide you with the best possible care.
Speak with your primary care provider to inquire about these services.
Seniors CARE (Collaboration, Activity, Rehabilitaion, Education) is a group rehab program available to older adults living with frailty. Classes are offered 2 times/week for up to 12 weeks, virtually or in-person, in the Barrie, Couchiching, North Simcoe and South Georgian Bay regions.
The program focuses on balance, coordination, upper and lower extremity strengthening, as well as health education and cognitive stimulation.
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s (RVH) Urgent Geriatric Clinic provides prompt geriatrics assessments for patients who require the support of a geriatric physician and/or nurse practitioner.
The goal is to provide a plan of care to prevent Emergency department visits, avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and reduce lengths of stay.
GeriMedRisk is a non-profit virtual clinical service that connects Ontario physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists with geriatric specialists to optimize medications, physical and mental health conditions in older adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Long-term care homes can provide a residential alternative for patients with high care needs, who meet the following criteria:
- 18 years of age or older;
- have a valid Ontario Health Card;
- have health care needs that cannot be met with any combination of caregiving in the home or community; and
- have health care needs that can be met in a long-term care home.
In Ontario, long-term care homes are regulated and funded by the provincial government. Government agencies determine who is eligible to be admitted to long-term care, and manage the wait lists.
The provincial government provides funding for all the staff and supplies related to nursing and personal care, resident social and recreational programs and support services, and raw food (used to make meals).
Residents pay an accommodation fee to the long-term care home that is used to pay for expenses such as non-care staff, utilities, and mortgages, as well as building maintenance and major capital repairs (like a new roof).
The government sets the rate for resident fees and provides subsidies for residents as needed.
Retirement homes are privately owned. You pay rent, plus fees for any extra services you buy.
Each retirement home is different, but most offer:
- private rooms or apartments
- full wheelchair access
- housekeeping, meals, laundry (for a fee)
- social and recreational programs
- shared dining rooms and common areas or lounges
- gift shop, beauty salon, chapel
- library, gardens
Retirement homes do not provide 24-hour nursing care. However, depending on the home, there may be a doctor, nurse or pharmacist on site to provide health services.
For more information on seniors supports not found on this page, please visit nsmhealthline.ca. This resource provides accurate, up-to-date information about health and social care services within our region.
Health811
Connecting you to non-urgent health advice and information from a registered health care worker.
Call 811 or visit Health811.
211 Ontario
Connecting you to non-emergency community programs and social services.
Call 211 or visit 211 Ontario.