More topics

Residential care facilities

Last updated on November 7, 2022

Residential care facilities provide accommodation, meals and care and supervision based on the persons needs. Facilities that provide care and supervision to three or more persons must have a licence, whether they receive funding (subsidized) from a health authority or another agency, or whether a person pays privately.

There are a wide variety of settings where residential care is provided such as small home-like facilities for persons with physical or developmental disabilities, to large-scale facilities primarily for frail elderly seniors (referred to as Long Term Care).

Licensed residential care types include:

  • Acquired Injury
  • Child and Youth Residential
  • Community Living
  • Hospice Care 
  • Long Term Care
  • Mental Health
  • Substance Use

Legislation and Standards of Practice

Seniors’ residential care facilities, including those that are private pay, are licensed under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, or are licensed or designated under the Hospital Act, and have regular health and safety inspections.

All types of licensed residential care must follow the Residential Care Regulation and Standards of Practice which have details about building requirements, staffing and management, recreation activities, record keeping, health and hygiene, nutrition and medication management.

Standards of Practice

Health Authority Community Care Facility Licensing programs issue licences and conduct inspections to make sure facilities are following the rules and are providing safe care to the persons who live there.

They are also required under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act to investigate any health and safety complaints of unlicensed care. Learn how to make a complaint about a residential care facility.

Questions about how to open a residential care facility, what rules to follow or how a facility is monitored?

Find your local Health Authority phone number or visit their website:

The director of licensing is appointed by the Minister as the steward for all Health Authority Community Care Facility Licensing programs. The director of licensing  has a number powers under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act to ensure the health and safety of persons in licensed residential and child care facilities.

Medical health officers work in health authorities and have duties assigned to them under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act such as issuing licences, inspecting facilities, suspending or cancelling licences and investigating complaints.  Medical health officers delegate their day to day responsibilities to health authority Licensing Officers.