CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario)
Last Updated February 2025
Residents’ Bill of Rights: Your rights if you live in a long‑term care home in Ontario
In Ontario, long-term care homes must follow a law called the Fixing Long‑Term Care Act, 2021, which includes a Residents’ Bill of Rights. This resource explains these rights in language that’s easy to understand. It lets residents know what they can do if their rights are not being followed and includes a list of places that give legal help and information.
Every long-term care home must post the Bill of Rights where people can easily see it.
They must also include it in the information package people get when they move into the home. The Bill of Rights tells staff at the home that they must respect your rights while you live there. It tells them to remember that you are in your home. And it reminds everyone that residents of long-term care homes are valued members of the community.
Every long-term care home must have a way for residents and others to complain if the Bill of Rights is not being followed. Inspectors from the Ministry of Long-Term Care enforce the Bill of Rights by inspecting the homes for various reasons. This includes when someone makes a complaint.
There are 29 rights that are divided into 5 sections. You will see the legal wording first and then what it means in plainer language.
Since 1974, CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario / Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario) has developed clear, accurate, and practical legal rights education and information to help people understand and exercise their legal rights. Our work focuses on providing information to people who face barriers to accessing the justice system, including income, disability, literacy, and language. As a community legal clinic and part of Ontario’s legal aid system, we work in partnership with other legal clinics and community organizations across the province.
CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario)
