What Long-Term Care Costs in Ontario in 2026, and What Happens If You Can't Afford It

Since July 1, 2026, a long-term care home in Ontario can charge up to $70.00 a day for a basic room, which works out to $2,129.17 a month. Semi-private rooms cost up to $2,567.17 a month and private rooms up to $3,041.97, according to the Government of Ontario.

That fee pays for the room and meals. The nursing and personal care are funded by the province, and the level of care is the same whichever room you choose.

This post covers the 2026 rates, who pays for what, how the rate reduction works if the fee is too much, what happens to savings and the family home, and how to apply.

How much is long-term care per month in Ontario?

Long-term care in Ontario costs up to $2,129.17 a month for a basic room, $2,567.17 for semi-private and $3,041.97 for private, at the rates in effect since July 1, 2026. The province sets these maximums. Only the basic room qualifies for the rate reduction, which lowers the fee for residents with low incomes.

Here are the numbers in one place.

Source: Government of Ontario, "Paying for long-term care" (updated July 10, 2026) and the Ministry of Long-Term Care's 2026-27 co-payment letter. Rates in effect from July 1, 2026. Checked September 28, 2026.

The basic rate is the same in every home. Semi-private and private prices depend on when the bed was built, with newer beds at the top of each range, so ask the home for its rate sheet before you choose.

The basic rate went up $1.44 a day this year, from $68.56, an inflation increase of 2.1 percent set by the Ministry. Homes can charge extra for optional services such as hairdressing, cable TV, a phone line, internet and transportation.

If you are comparing long-term care with staying at home or moving to a retirement residence, our breakdown of home care versus retirement home costs in Canada sets out the other side of the ledger.

Who pays for long-term care in Ontario?

The province pays for the care. The resident pays a co-payment for the room and meals. The Government of Ontario says every long-term care resident is entitled to the same level of care, whatever room they are in, so the room type changes the price of the accommodation, not the care.

The province funds each home through what it calls a level-of-care per diem. As of April 2025, the Ministry of Long-Term Care's base funding was about $212 a day per bed, split between nursing and personal care, programs, food, and other accommodation costs, before adjustments for each home.

That is why the real cost of a bed is much higher than what a family sees on the bill. On September 26, 2026, Saskatchewan health policy analyst Steven Lewis told CJME that once care is added to the cost of building a nursing home, "you're looking at $150,000 a year per person." That is a Saskatchewan estimate of the full cost to the system, not what anyone in Ontario pays. In Ontario, the resident's share for a basic room is capped at $2,129.17 a month.

What if you can't afford long-term care in Ontario?

Apply for the rate reduction. It lowers the fee for a basic room based on income. The Government of Ontario says a person with no dependants and no special income exclusions would likely qualify if their income is less than $27,338. The resident always keeps a $149 monthly comfort allowance for personal needs.

The formula is set out on ontario.ca:

1. Take the resident's annual net income. That is line 23600 on the most recent Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), plus any new income not shown on it.
2. Divide it by 12.
3. Subtract the $149 monthly comfort allowance, which the resident keeps for things like clothing, phone, cable and the Ontario Drug Benefit co-payment.
4. Subtract any deduction for dependants.

What is left is the reduced monthly rate.

Here is an example we worked out from that formula. A resident with a net income of $20,000 a year and no dependants: $20,000 divided by 12 is $1,666.67, minus $149 leaves $1,517.67 a month. That is about $611 a month less than the full basic rate. Your own figure will depend on your income, so treat this as an illustration, not a quote.

A few rules decide whether the reduction works for you:

• It only applies to a basic room. Regular semi-private and private rooms are not eligible. Spouses sharing a two-bed room are charged no more than the basic rate, and both can apply.
• You apply through the home, after you move in. The home gives you the form, and you send it back with your Notice of Assessment. Apply within 90 days of moving in, because the reduction can reach back up to 90 days before the date you apply.
• You re-apply every year. The program year runs July 1 to June 30. For the reduced rate to start on July 1, the province says to re-apply between July 1 and September 28. For 2026, that window ended on September 28. A later application still works, and the reduced rate reaches back up to 90 days before it. If you do not re-apply at all, the home can charge the full basic rate.
• Claim every benefit first. The province asks residents to make sure they receive all the income they are entitled to, such as Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement and the Canada Pension Plan, before applying.

People receiving the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works can also apply; the province uses a different method to count their income. Questions go to the rate reduction team at LTC.RateReduction@ontario.ca or the Long-Term Care Family Support and Action Line at 1-866-434-0144.

Money for the rest of the household matters too. Our guide to the Guaranteed Income Supplement covers the federal top-up most low-income residents should already be getting, and our Ontario Trillium Benefit guide covers one of the province's own credits for seniors.

What happens to your savings and house when you go into long-term care in Ontario?

Going into long-term care does not mean the province takes your savings or your house. The rate reduction is based on income, and the Government of Ontario says the calculation "will not include your assets," giving a house you own as the example. If you do not qualify for a reduction, you pay the full rate from income and, if needed, savings.

Savings and property do not disqualify anyone from the rate reduction, but they do not lower the fee either. A resident with a modest pension and a paid-off house can still qualify for a lower basic rate, because only income is counted.

When one spouse moves into care and the other stays home, three things are worth asking about:

• The dependant deduction. A spouse or partner who lived with the resident before admission, and who is not receiving the Old Age Security pension, can count as a dependant. The Government of Ontario says the amount depends on the dependant's own net income.
• The Guaranteed Income Supplement living-apart form. Service Canada says that if you live apart for reasons beyond your control, such as long-term care, you may be able to get a higher Guaranteed Income Supplement payment. The form is called "Spouses or Common-law Partners Living Apart for Reasons beyond their Control" (ISP-3040). You mail it to your nearest Service Canada office.
• A two-bed room. If both spouses move in together, a shared two-bed room is charged at no more than the basic rate.

For anything involving a will, a house sale, or who owns what, speak to a lawyer. The rules above cover the fee, not the estate.

Who qualifies for long-term care in Ontario, and how do you apply?

You apply through Ontario Health atHome at 1-833-515-1234. A care coordinator assesses the person and helps with the forms. Generally, you must be 18 or older, be covered by OHIP, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, and need 24-hour nursing care, frequent help with daily activities, or frequent supervision that home and community services cannot meet.

The steps, as the Government of Ontario and Ontario Health atHome describe them:

1. Call Ontario Health atHome. A care coordinator arranges an assessment, usually in person.
2. Choose up to five homes, in order of preference. The limit of five does not apply in the crisis category. You can change your choices later.
3. Wait for an offer. When a bed opens, you have 24 hours to accept or refuse, then up to five days to move in. You pay from the move-in date.
4. Think before you refuse. If you turn down an offer while waiting at home, you are taken off every list and must wait 12 weeks to reapply, unless your condition changes.

The rules are different for someone waiting in hospital. Under Ontario's More Beds, Better Care Act, a placement coordinator can choose a home for a hospital patient who no longer needs hospital care, without the patient's consent, though no one can be physically moved without consent. Ontario Health atHome says a discharged patient who stays in hospital more than 24 hours past the discharge order is charged $400 a day. If a parent is in that position, ask the hospital's care coordinator exactly which homes are on the table and what the timeline is.

How long is the wait for long-term care in Ontario?

Ontario Health's figures, last updated in March 2026, put the median wait for a long-term care bed at about 200 days for people waiting at home and about 72 days for people waiting in hospital. Half wait less than that and half wait longer. More than 45,000 Ontarians are on the waitlist, by advocacy and industry group counts.

The Ontario Community Support Association says more than 45,000 people are waiting in the community. The Ontario Long-Term Care Association puts the total at more than 50,000 as of March 2026. Neither is a figure the government publishes itself, and they measure slightly different groups.

Supply is growing, but slowly. Ontario had 82,128 long-term care beds in 2025-26, according to the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, which projects that beds per 1,000 people aged 75 and older will slip from 59 to 57 by 2028-29. New homes are opening: on September 23, 2026, the province marked the opening of The Village of Ridgeview Court in Milton, with space for 192 residents.

Ontario is not alone. In British Columbia, the Office of the Seniors Advocate reported in January 2026 that long-term care beds grew 5 percent since 2019/20 while the population aged 65 and older grew 19 percent, leaving a shortfall of about 2,000 beds.

Six months or more is a long time to wait at home. Many families spend it rearranging the house and the week so a parent can stay safely where they are, and our safety guide for seniors living alone in Canada covers what tends to help most in that stretch.

Can you claim long-term care fees on your taxes?

Generally, yes. The Canada Revenue Agency says you can claim the entire amount paid for full-time care in a nursing home as a medical expense, including food, accommodation, nursing care and administration fees. If you do, no one can also claim the disability amount for that person, so compare both options before filing.

The CRA counts regular fees for full-time care, but not extras such as hairdressing. Medical expenses are claimed on line 33099 or 33199, and only the amount above a threshold counts: for 2025 returns, that is the lesser of $2,834 or 3 percent of net income.

The choice between the medical expense claim and the disability amount is worth running both ways. Our guide to Disability Tax Credit eligibility for seniors explains the second option. A tax professional can tell you which saves more in your case.

What to gather before you apply for the rate reduction

• The resident's most recent Notice of Assessment (line 23600 is the figure that matters)
• Statements for every income source: Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Canada Pension Plan, workplace pensions and Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) withdrawals
• Proof of any new income since the last tax return
• A spouse's or dependant's income details, if you plan to claim the dependant deduction
• The ISP-3040 living-apart form, if one spouse is staying home (this one goes to Service Canada, not the home)
• The home's own rate reduction form, which it supplies after move-in

Frequently asked questions

Is long-term care free in Ontario?

No. The care itself is funded by the province, but residents pay a co-payment for the room and meals. Since July 1, 2026, that is up to $2,129.17 a month for a basic room. Residents with low incomes can apply for a rate reduction on a basic room, and they always keep a $149 monthly comfort allowance.

Is home care covered by OHIP in Ontario?

Yes. Ontario Health atHome says its home and community care services are covered through OHIP. After an assessment by a care coordinator, eligible people can get nursing, personal support such as help with bathing and dressing, and therapy at home at no cost. How many hours you get depends on your assessed needs.

What is the least expensive type of long-term care?

Based on the published fees, staying at home with publicly funded home care costs nothing for the services you qualify for, although hours are limited. If someone needs 24-hour care, a basic long-term care room is the lowest-priced option, at up to $2,129.17 a month, and less with the rate reduction.

How is a retirement home different from long-term care?

A retirement home is private rental housing where you pay for your suite and any care you choose. Long-term care homes are publicly funded for care, and you pay a province-set fee. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) last surveyed this in 2021 and put the average rent for a standard Ontario retirement space at $3,999 a month, before care. CMHC has stopped collecting this data, so expect today's figure to be higher.

Where to start this week

If a move into long-term care is on the horizon, the first call is to Ontario Health atHome, and the first document to find is last year's Notice of Assessment. Those two things answer most of the money questions above.

For the wider picture of paying for care as a family, read our comparison of home care and retirement home costs in Canada, and check that your parent is receiving the full Guaranteed Income Supplement before the rate reduction application goes in.