Choosing A Home
At Kindera™ Living, we are here to help ease the stress and confusion that often comes with choosing a long term care home. When searching for a home for yourself or your loved one, it is important to determine whether the Home is a place where people are supported and encouraged to achieve all that they can be. To get a feel for the care, culture, and the general atmosphere of a Home, we recommend you visit all of the Homes that interest you. We invite you to come visit our Home, just click on the button below to book a date and time to visit our home. We have also provided a series of questions to consider when choosing a long term care Home.
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Here are some questions to think about as you get started and to ask about during your visit:
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Is the location appealing to you? Is it near stores, a park, a familiar neighbourhood?
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Is the location easily accessible for visits by family or friends?
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Ask to see a resident room, activity room, dining area and resident lounge.
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Stop and speak to a few residents and families about their impressions of the Home.
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Ask for copies of sample menus, monthly activity calendars, Resident and Family Council meeting minutes and newsletters.
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Are you introduced to the Administrator or any other managers?
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Is the team friendly?
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Are the team members warm and concerned when interacting with residents?
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Is the building clean, inviting and well-maintained?
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Is the type of room and the bathroom to your liking?
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Is there a way to have privacy, if the room is shared?
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Is there flexibility around visiting hours?
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Are the menus varied and appealing?
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Ask if you are able to sample a meal or participate in an activity at the Home.
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Are meals that are culturally familiar to you available?
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Is the Home able/willing to meet your religious, cultural, language, and dietary needs?
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Can family and visitors dine with the residents?
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How are families and residents involved in the planning for the resident’s care?
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How frequently are services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and foot care available?
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What special needs can be accommodated in this setting (e.g., diabetes, oxygen, scooters, specialized services for dementia)?
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What innovative programs, services and activities set this home apart from others?
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What extra charges are there, if any, for services or amenities (e.g., phone, television, hairdressing, transportation)
Admission Process
Through our years of service in long-term care, we have found our new residents appreciate understanding what to expect during the admission process; prior to, on the day of, and in the days following. We are pleased to provide you with some details below on the admission process to assist you with a smooth transition.
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You will be notified by your Ontario Health atHome Placement Coordinator that your application has been approved. Long-term care wait time information is provided for general information only. Click here to view the latest Long Term Care Waitlist Report. Be advised that wait times for admission to a long-term care home can change without notice and are not guaranteed. Please contact your Ontario Health atHome Placement Coordinator for more specific information.
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You will receive a welcome call by the Home once your application has been added to the Home’s waitlist.
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Once a bed is available at one of your Home choices you will be notified by the Ontario Health atHome Placement Coordinator and be given the option to accept or decline the bed offer.
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Once you have accepted the bed offer, you will be contacted by the Home to arrange a date and time prior to admission to complete all necessary paperwork. For financial information pertaining to long-term care please see the Accommodation page.
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Upon arrival at the Home on your day of admission, you will be greeted by the team. Loved ones are welcome and encouraged to join you.
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You will be assisted with bringing in your belongings, shown your new room and introduced to your roommate, if applicable.
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You will receive assistance with unpacking your clothes and having them labelled with your name.
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You will be introduced to the team. This provides an opportunity for them to get to know you, and for you and/or your loved ones to ask any questions.
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If you have not already had a visit of the Home you, and your loved ones, will be given the opportunity to do so with a team member to familiarize yourselves.
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Over the course of the next few days, you will meet with the Doctor, Programs team, Dietitian and Social Worker, along with many other team, residents and families.
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Within six weeks of admission, you and your loved ones will be invited to attend an Interdisciplinary Care Conference. At this meeting you will meet with the Home’s Health Care Team to discuss your care.
Accommodations
All resident rooms have an ensuite washroom and are furnished with a bed, night table, clothes closet, and chair. We encourage residents and families to decorate the room with personal items as well.
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Long Term Accommodation:
KinderaTM Living Care Centres offers two types of long term accommodation; these include Private and Semi-Private.
Private: 1 bed, personal bathroom
Semi-Private: 2 beds, shared bathroom
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Short Stay Accommodation:
Short Stay refers to temporary stay at a Home. Hawthorne Place Care Centre offers the following Short Stay accommodation:
Type of Short Stay
Respite Care Program: Provides the caregiver with a break from caregiving duties.
60 continuous days, or 90 days in a calendar year.
Convalescent Care Program:
Helps the resident to regain strength and confidence, usually following a stay in a hospital.
90 continuous days, or 90 days in a calendar year.
*Ontario Health atHome can extend a resident’s stay up to 60 days if certain circumstances are met.
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Accommodation Rates:
The cost of long term care accommodation is regulated by the Ministry of Long Term Care (MLTC). The amount paid by a resident for their long term care home accommodation is called a “co-payment”. These rates are reviewed annually by the MLTC and are standardized across Ontario. A breakdown of the current rates is available on the MLTC website or by clicking here.
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Rate Reductions:
If the resident’s income is not sufficient to pay for the Basic Accommodation rate, a subsidy is available to reduce their accommodation rate. Subsidies are only available for Basic Accommodation. To determine eligibility, the current Notice of Assessment from Revenue Canada must be submitted to the Home. Applications for the rate reduction subsidy must be submitted on an annual basis. A renewal reminder is sent out annually by the Business Manager thirty days prior to the renewal date.
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​​​​​Involuntary Separation:
If a resident is moving into a long term care home and their spouse requires financial assistance to remain in his or her home, there is a government benefit called “Involuntary Separation” for people with lower incomes or couples who have to live separately. Applications for the Involuntary Separation benefit must be submitted annually.
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Unfunded Services:
KinderaTM Living also offers some services for residents which are subject to charges above the monthly accommodation rate. These services are called “Unfunded Services”. The use of these services is optional and must be signed for on an annual basis.
Examples of unfunded services are:
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preferred accommodation
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transportation costs to appointments / clinics
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medications not covered under the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan
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medication dispensing fee
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private companion service
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foot care services
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dentistry services
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hairdressing services
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personal wheelchair maintenance/purchase
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dry cleaning
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glasses, hearing aids
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meals outside the Home
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special activities above and beyond our regular programming
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telephone connections and monthly fees
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cable television connections and monthly fees
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newspaper delivery
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internet connection and monthly fees
Admission FAQ's
Q: What should I bring with me to the Home on the day of admission?
Q: Can residents have a television, phone and/or internet in their room?
Q: Are special diets available?
Q: Can residents keep their own family physicians?
Q: Do you offer physiotherapy and rehabilitation services?
Q: When are visiting hours?
Q: Are there rules about vacation and leaves from the Home?​​​​​
Ontario Health atHome
Ontario Health atHome coordinates in-home and community-based care for over 400,000 patients every month. It also manages Ontario’s long-term care home placement process.
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When living independently in the community is no longer the best option, Ontario Health atHome care coordinators work with eligible patients and their families to find the long-term care home that best fits each person’s needs. Long-Term Care homes are licensed, regulated and funded by the Ministry of Long-Term Care. Application for admission into a provincially-regulated long-term care home can only be made through Ontario Health atHome. You can work with a care coordinator to determine whether you are eligible for admission to a long-term care home, identify homes appropriate for you and help with the application process.
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To find your local Ontario Health atHome, click on the link below and enter your postal code.