The RHRA’s central role is to inform, educate and protect seniors living in retirement homes across Ontario. That’s why it’s important to fully understand the Retirement Home Act, 2010 (the Act) and encourage open dialogue with all stakeholders about its function and interpretation.
In this section, you’ll find resources that will help articulate the Act in clear and simple terms as well as a detailed summary of our partnerships and affiliations.
Understanding the Act
Plain Language Act
RHRA provides an overview of the Act in the plain language guide in order to give readers a basic understanding or familiarity with the Act. This guide explains the standards set out in the Act. Remember that it is an overview and you are still encouraged to consult the Act and its regulations.
Legislation & Regulations
In addition to the Act, legislation and regulations cover important areas like, resident’ rights, standards, safety plans, care services, etc.
Accountability
RHRA Response to Auditor General’s Follow Up Report
The Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) today, December 2, 2022, welcomed the Auditor General of Ontario’s acknowledgement that the public interest regulator has implemented or is in process of implementing nearly 90 % of its recommended actions.
RHRA continues to make the safety and protection of seniors living in Ontario licensed retirement homes our top priority. RHRA appreciates the Auditor General’s diligence in identifying and tracking recommendations to help us effectively and efficiently fulfill our public interest mandate on behalf of the nearly 70,000 Ontarians living in more than 780 licensed retirement homes.
RHRA has fully implemented 43 % of the Auditor General’s recommendations and made progress on another 46 % of recommendations since the publication of the December 2020 value-for-money report. The regulator remains committed to addressing the Auditor General’s remaining recommendations.
Highlights of recommendations RHRA has fully implemented include:
- Working with the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility to obtain necessary approvals to collect needed information to strengthen the oversight of staffing and care services provided in retirement homes;
- Putting processes in place to assess whether all retirement homes have appropriate practices on infection prevention and control;
- Publishing outbreak data by retirement homes; and
- Confirming that all licensees have complied with the fire sprinkler installation requirement.
Progress has also been made in areas that include but are not limited to:
- Communicating the complaints process to residents and their families for residents in subsidized beds
- Supporting retirement homes to incorporate pandemic plans in their emergency plans;
- Establishing criteria for making emergency funding available should managers deployed to a retirement home under a management order require justifiable financial resources.
In addition to implementing recommendations made by the Auditor General, RHRA continues to explore ways to proactively prevent and reduce harm through its risk model, inspection program and enforcement activities, by helping Ontarians make informed choices, and by working with the sector to create a strong culture of compliance and reducing regulatory burden where appropriate.
Additional Information:
Transparency
RHRA’s Commitment to Transparency
RHRA is committed to increasing transparency as a fundamental tenet of being a responsible and accountable regulator. We believe that transparency and openness is key to successful communication and collaboration with our stakeholders, and ultimately supports the health and wellbeing of retirement home residents and the sector as a whole.
RHRA’s Transparency Principles
- RHRA’s mandate is to protect and ensure the safety and well-being of seniors living in Ontario’s retirement homes. This includes ensuring the public has access to transparent, unbiased information that builds trust in RHRA’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
- RHRA is committed to providing information on its Retirement Home Database that gives current residents, prospective residents, and their loved ones the information they need to make informed choices about retirement homes, including a home’s history of compliance with the Retirement Homes Act, 2010.
- RHRA will continuously improve on its commitment to transparency through its ongoing dialogue with stakeholders, including residents and their families, loved ones and substitute decision makers, in order to assess how well RHRA is delivering on its commitments and to incorporate feedback.
- RHRA is committed to ensuring that the information it provides is timely and easy to find and understand.
- The objectives of informed decision making and RHRA accountability must be balanced with fairness, privacy, and the RHRA’s ability to effectively deliver on its mandate.
- The greater the risk of harm to residents, the more important transparency becomes and RHRA will ensure that the public is aware.
OUR PARTNERS
The RHRA’s network of partnerships spans a variety of stakeholder relationships. These relationships serve unique purposes such as providing awareness, understanding compliance, advice on best practices, and residential protection.
About RHRA
The Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) is responsible for licensing and regulating retirement homes on behalf of the government of Ontario.