2. Make a complaint to the Ministry of Long-Term Care
You can complain directly to the Ministry of Long-Term Care if you do not want to complain to your long-term care home. You can do this by telephone or in writing.
Some homes might tell you that you must follow their complaint process and that you cannot complain to the Ministry directly. This is not true.
You can make your complaint to the Ministry at any time, even if you have started to follow the home’s complaint process.
You do not have to complete the home’s complaint process before contacting the Ministry.
You might want to make your own complaint to the Ministry. This could be because:
- the home may not report it to the Ministry, or
- the home may have a different opinion than you do about what happened.
Complain to the home first
For minor problems, you may want to try to find a solution by going through the home’s complaint process before you contact the Ministry.
For example, you might want to start with the home’s complaint process for things like:
- wanting more protein in your meals
- getting meat when you are a vegetarian
- having more activities for residents
The home may fix the problem after they get your complaint.
How to deal with urgent problems
The best way to report an urgent problem is to call the Long-term Care Family Support and ACTION Line at 1-866-434-0144. TTY users can call 1-800-387-5559.
A problem is urgent if a resident is being harmed or neglected, or is in danger.
Give the staff at the ACTION Line as much information as you can about the issue. Make sure to include:
- the name and address of the home
- a description of what happened and whether it is an ongoing problem
- when and where it happened
- who was involved
- what you would like done to resolve the complaint
The ACTION Line staff cannot answer detailed questions or give advice. When you call, they give you a number so you can keep track of your complaint.
They pass your information to a “triage inspector” who will call you. This might take several days or longer.
If the triage inspector thinks that the home might be breaking the rules, they send the information to a local inspector. The local inspector will go to the home to investigate.
If you leave your name and phone number, the local inspector will contact you later to let you know how the issue was handled.
If you do not leave your name and number, they still look into the issue. But they will not be able to contact you to let you know what happened.
How to deal with less urgent problems
If the problem is not as urgent, you can write to the Ministry. You might do this for less serious complaints, such as complaints about the meals or the activities and services the home provides for the residents.
Send your complaint to the Director, Long-Term Care Inspections Branch at:
Long-Term Care Operations Division
119 King St. W., 11th Floor
Hamilton, Ontario L8P 4Y7
Keep a copy for yourself.
See Getting legal help and information to find places to get legal help.
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