Residents’ Bill of Rights

Understanding your rights as a resident

The Retirement Homes Act, 2010 is a piece of legislation designed to protect the residents of Ontario’s retirement homes.

The Act includes you or your loved one’s right to:

• live with dignity in a safe and clean environment;
• know what care services are provided and their costs;
• fully participate in care planning and decision making about care.

By making both the rights of residents and responsibilities of retirement home operators clear and easy to understand, the Act makes Ontario’s retirement homes a safer place to live for everyone. An equally important part of the Act relates to standards for:

• care services (i.e. administration of drugs, assistance with bathing, dementia care);
• the safety of residents in the home (such as evacuation plans, building maintenance, infection prevention and control);
• consumer protection provided by the retirement home.