Policy
Long-Term Care vs. Retirement Home vs. Assisted Living vs. Home Care: What's the Difference in Ontario?
In Ontario, long-term care (LTC) is government-funded, medically-assessed 24-hour nursing care with a set co-payment. A retirement home is entirely private-pay rental housing with optional services, no medical eligibility test. "Assisted living" isn't its own regulated category — it's a service tier inside a retirement home. Home care is publicly funded support delivered in your own home, capped by assessed need.