We support Toronto seniors and people in long-term care to have the healthiest, most fulfilling lives possible through exceptional care and services. Find highlights below from the past year that show our ongoing commitment to care.
Since coming to Seniors Services and Long-Term Care in February 2025, I have been deeply moved by the dedication and commitment of the team.
On behalf of the entire Seniors Services and Long-Term Care team, we acknowledge all long-term care residents, program clients, their families and caregivers, volunteers, staff members, community, academic, government, research and healthcare partners, who collaboratively support us.
We acknowledge and thank those who make what we do possible. We receive strong support and funding from the Province of Ontario, Ministry of Long-Term Care, Home and Community Care, Resident/Client user fees and the City of Toronto.
Please enjoy the 2025 Annual Accomplishments Report, which shares and recognizes some of the past year’s many achievements.
Your Opinion Counts, the annual satisfaction survey, received input from more than 1,590 individuals. Results from residents, clients and families show strong satisfaction across programs and services:
Thank you for all the ways you care.
Nicole Welch,
General Manager
The Long-Term Care Homes directorate oversees planning, operations and service delivery for the City’s ten LTC homes. It makes sure residents receive good care and services, and the efficient control of staff time, space, information and money. All work is done in line with provincial laws, City bylaws and policies and the Division’s goals.
Seniors Services & Community Programs leads the planning for municipal services that support seniors. It works with City agencies, boards, corporations and divisions to help meet the needs of seniors. It also runs two community-based programs that support older adults and seniors. These are the Supportive Housing Program and the Homemakers and Nurses Services Program. These programs help seniors stay independent and continue living in their own homes.
Management Services oversees divisional programs and services in support of operations. This includes financial management and trusts, facility management, Ministry reporting, technology services, vendor and contract management, divisional procurement, business analysis and decision support.
Resident Care & Services coordinates resident care and programs. This includes nursing, personal care, resident services, volunteer programs, pharmacy, infection prevention and control, compliance activities, and specialty medical and dental services. It also involves directing the nursing and program support management teams. This work happens in collaboration with the Administrators and Directors of Nursing. It helps the City maintain high standards of resident care and creative programs to meet diverse resident needs.
Workforce Management oversees the divisional aspects of Human Resources. This includes Employee & Labour Relations, Organizational Development, Recruitment, Training & Development, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Employee Well-Being and Health & Safety.
An organized program of medical services for long-term care homes. Responsible for the oversight, leadership and support of medical directors, attending physicians and nurse practitioners. The Corporate Medical Director works with senior leadership and operations on standard operating procedures and clinical protocols to improve care and resident experiences.
In 2025, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care (SSLTC) continued the CareTO culture change in the City’s long-term care homes. This built on the pilot at Lakeshore Lodge and progress in the Wave One homes – Bendale Acres, True Davidson Acres and Wesburn Manor. Teams worked on local improvements to help residents and staff.
Action plans, engagement sessions and regular updates to practices through CareTO guided these efforts. A full review began to improve training and rollout plans and ensure care meets the diverse needs of Toronto’s communities.
To support the next phase, SSLTC onboarded a CareTO Senior Project Lead and LTC Home-Level Project Leads. These leaders will guide changes in the remaining six homes and keep progress going in the Wave One homes and at Lakeshore Lodge.
We are working towards the average of four hours of direct care per resident per day. By 2024, City LTC homes averaged 3.27 hours of care and for the first and second quarters of 2025, 3.88 hours of care.
Want to learn more? Watch the CareTO video.
Every year, the food and nutrition team source, prepare and serve over 2.8 million resident meals. Food is a common topic at Residents’ Council meetings and in the Your Opinion Counts survey. Each year, we host Residents’ Food Shows, inviting vendors to showcase their dishes. Residents and their loved ones sample the food and share their preferences. This was key to shaping the 2025 resident menu, which reflects the diversity of our residents.
When the City signed the Cool Food Pledge, it promised to cut greenhouse gas emissions from City food purchases by 25 per cent. This was a challenge for SSLTC, one of the City’s biggest food buyers. We created tasty recipes that residents tested and approved. These recipes use less beef, which is the top source of food-related emissions. Blended beef dishes mix beef with plant-based proteins. They are familiar, flavourful and sustainable – without compromising taste.
More than 1,000 residents live in City LTC homes with on-site childcare centres. These homes include Bendale Acres, Kipling Acres, Lakeshore Lodge and Seven Oaks.
Intergenerational programming provides many beneficial outcomes for both age groups. They create joy, friendship and connection through shared play and activities. Both groups learn from each other and explore new things. These programs also build a sense of community and belonging.
Highlights included friendship bracelet making, a petting zoo, a Halloween house, Pride and a fire truck visit.
Residents continue to enjoy visits from therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers. Always the centre of attention, well-trained pet Bourbon is shown here at a visit to Seven Oaks. Therapy pets spread joy and comfort in LTC, brightening the day for everyone they meet.
In June, the Long-Term Care Committee of Management held its first meeting at City Hall. Councillors Bravo, Carroll and Morley led the meeting. The Fixing Long-Term Care Act requires an annual declaration of compliance by a local board. The Long-Term Care Committee of Management serves in this capacity for the City of Toronto.
Toronto Public Health’s Dental and Oral Health Services and SSLTC have partnered to provide oral health care for seniors. Without dental care, seniors may experience dental-related pain and other health risks. This can affect their ability to eat, drink, sleep, take medications and socialize. Through this program, a mobile dental van visits long-term care homes. It brings dental care to seniors and removes barriers to treatment. The van has everything a regular dental clinic has, including a dental chair and full equipment for treatment.
The inter-professional team have improved resident and client outcomes. These initiatives made an impact:
Toronto’s population is aging and increasingly diverse. To prepare for the future, the City is developing Toronto Seniors Strategy 3.0. This 10-year plan will help seniors age safely, independently and comfortably in their homes and communities. To help inform the plan, the City engaged more than 5,400 seniors through an online survey. It then hosted six community workshops, five adapted workshops and 20 focus groups. The City also interviewed 25 experts and held 12 meetings with Community Coordination Plan Clusters. This engaged a diverse range of perspectives across the community-based seniors’ services sector.
The City made sure to include voices from Indigenous, Black and other equity‑deserving communities. Sessions were held in accessible places where people felt comfortable. In total, there were more than 60 consultation activities. In the coming months, SSLTC will develop goals, actions and recommendations for the new strategy.
Survey results show that 73 per cent of survey respondents plan to age in place where they live now. However, 44 per cent want to age in place and are unsure they will be able to do so. When asked where they would prefer to age in place, 49 per cent preferred to age at home independently.
In July, Scarborough Community Council met to approve the Zoning By-law Amendment for 4610 Finch Avenue East. This will allow the City to build a 378-bed long-term care home in Scarborough North.
Community members supported creating specialized care, services and programs for Black seniors. This focused specifically on seniors who identify as Caribbean and African. They shared this feedback as plans move forward for the new long‑term care home at Brimley and Finch.
This is an exciting opportunity to support Black applicants on the waitlist, those living in LTC and their loved ones. It will help them have the best quality of life with safe, culturally significant care. This project recognizes the diverse and unique needs of Black seniors.
The City held public consultations on the George Street Revitalization (GSR) project. This will replace the Seaton House men’s shelter with a new building that co-locates essential services. This includes a 124‑bed long‑term care home, shelter services, supportive housing and a community service hub. The project aims to remove barriers and support equity‑deserving groups who rely on services in Toronto’s Downtown East.
Council approved moving ahead with Phase 1 using a City‑delivered approach. This keeps the project aligned with the original vision and within the approved budget. Phase 1 is fully funded, covers two‑thirds of the site and will preserve three heritage buildings. Phase 2 remains a future opportunity for affordable housing.
The Director of Seniors Services and Community Programs shared an update at the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee. It highlighted the accessible consultations for the third Toronto Seniors’ Strategy.
In spring 2025, SSLTC launched a city-wide consultation. The goal was to learn about the needs and priorities of seniors and older adults in Toronto. Four methods were used:
Accessibility was built into every part of the consultations. Venues had TTC/Wheel‑Trans access, ramps, elevators and accessible washrooms. Language support included translation, interpretation and plain‑language materials in large font.
The Toronto Seniors’ Forum is a program advisory body that helps the City support age equity. Members provide advice, education and guidance to City staff on key issues faced by seniors.
This year, the City released an updated print edition of the Directory of Services for Seniors and Caregivers. It was available at City agencies, seniors centres and Toronto Public Library branches. Funded by The Rotary Club of Toronto, the Directory lists government and community resources. It covers housing, health, recreation, food, elder abuse and support for diverse senior communities. A downloadable and accessible version is available online. Multilingual service information is available through 211, 311 or the Toronto Seniors Helpline.
This year, more than 2,050 clients received essential homemaking services. This helped them live on their own and stay in their homes and community. Around 400 seniors living in designated buildings received support to age in place. This included personal care, light housekeeping and meal preparation. They also received medication reminders, education, referrals and help navigating the healthcare system.
We worked with Toronto Paramedic Services (TPS) to create training videos on safe lift handling. Filmed at Kipling Acres, the videos show SSLTC staff and paramedics move a resident named Peter from his bed to a stretcher. Bed‑to‑stretcher transfers are high‑risk and can cause injuries for paramedics. By working together, SSLTC and TPS aim to reduce these injuries through safe transfer techniques.
In 2025, we added two Health and Safety Officers to support all Occupational Health and Safety matters. These officers help guide our health and safety program by creating policies and resources. They give direction on work refusals, critical injury investigations and inspections. They also provide guidance during visits or orders from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. They do this in partnership with People & Equity, divisional People Leaders and Joint Health and Safety Committees.
Each long-term care home now has an Infection Prevention & Control (IPAC) Manager. They lead infection monitoring programs, reduce risks, prevent outbreaks and improve resident health. This year, IPAC leads strengthened the hand hygiene program, reaching 96.9 per cent audit compliance. They also put in place policies and screening tools to help manage Antibiotic-Resistant Organisms (AROs) in LTC.
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) play a vital role in improving care. They help reduce emergency department transfers and support palliative and end‑of‑life care. NPs treat wounds, prevent falls, manage pain and improve medication safety. They also help ensure the appropriate use of antipsychotic medications. NPs train nurses on infection prevention, urinary tract infection management and antibiotic safety. This education helps strengthen clinical practices and supports better health for residents.
We support a culture of continuous learning so staff and people leaders can build on their skills and help meet organizational goals. This year, about 3,000 employees finished all required training modules. We onboarded 59 new people leaders and added a Learning Management System (LMS) Administrator to manage the Enterprise Learning Initiative (ELI). This helps support learning across SSLTC and improves the user experience.
During the 2024/25 school year, we hosted 387 post‑secondary students. This was a 31 per cent increase from the year before. Students came from programs such as Social Work, Social Service Worker, Food and Nutrition Management, Nursing, Medicine, Practical Nursing, Personal Support Worker and Paramedicine.
The student placement program is an important part of workforce development. It gives staff preceptors a chance to develop leadership skills and helps prepare new talent for long‑term care. More than 95 per cent of students reported satisfaction with their placement. They benefited from strong preceptor support, hands‑on learning and a better understanding of SSLTC.
During Toronto Public Service Week, we recognized staff for their commitment to care and service excellence. We held events like Service Milestone Awards, games and team activities to bring teams together. Long‑term care homes also hosted trivia games, themed dress days, displays and community celebrations. These events celebrate the incredible contributions of staff and foster connections. We thank all staff members for their proud service to Toronto!
We recognize the dedication and excellence of staff who provide compassionate care and service to thousands of residents and clients every day. This year, 26 staff celebrated 30 years and 29 staff celebrated 35 years of dedicated service. An exceptional seven staff members were honoured for 40 years of service:
These milestones reflect the deep commitment and lasting impact of our team. Thank you to all SSLTC staff – your contributions are valued and appreciated every day!
We received the City Manager’s Innovation Award for our efforts to meet the World Resources Institute’s Cool Food Pledge. We are one of the largest food procurers at the City, sourcing, preparing and serving 2.8 million meals per year. With support from our food vendor, Sysco, the 10 long-term care homes added more plant-based and non-beef protein options to the menu.
This change lowered annual ground beef use by more than 2,300 kilograms this year. It also helps Toronto reach its goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions from municipal food purchasing by 25 per cent by 2030. To create new and tasty recipes, we partnered with George Brown College. Students worked with SSLTC cooks to develop original plant-based dishes. These dishes were then judged by LTC residents and Chef School faculty. To learn more, watch Blending Plant-Based Protein and Beef for Resident Meals in Long-Term Care Homes.
At the City’s Joint Health & Safety Committee Recognition Event, SSLTC received the 2024 Dr. Sheela Basrur Occupational Health and Safety Award. This award recognizes our strong progress in reducing injuries and illnesses.
Every year, this goes to a City division that has lowered injuries through health and safety improvements. In 2024, the long-term care homes reduced lost-time claims related to exposure to infectious agents by 27 per cent. Claims dropped to 115 in 2024 from 158 in 2023. This is due to our improved health and safety program and joint work between management and labour.
At the 2025 AdvantAge Ontario Convention, three exceptional students received Student Volunteer Awards. This recognized their dedication and work with long‑term care residents. Emily Mobbs of Seven Oaks earned first place, Anna Sebastian of Wesburn Manor received second place, and Kenya Sider of Lakeshore Lodge was awarded third place. These awards are open to students from elementary school through postsecondary. They celebrate the young volunteers building vibrant and supportive communities in long-term care.
We celebrated twelve volunteers at our annual Excellence in Volunteering Awards Ceremony. Held at City Hall, it matched this year’s National Volunteer Week theme, “Volunteers Make Waves.” The event recognized the powerful impact volunteers make across SSLTC.
Congratulations to the 2025 award recipients:
Learn more by reviewing our Excellence in Volunteering Awards video.
Dr. Mireille Norris, Medical Director at Bendale Acres, received the Mentorship in Advancing Education Strategic Priorities Award. This award from Sunnybrook recognized her research and mentorship program for underrepresented medical students.
Mayor Olivia Chow visited Kipling Acres to tour the long-term care home. This included a tour of Beaumond Heights, a 17-person short-term Behavioural Support Unit. She also visited the on-site Adult Day Program, the Early Learning & Child Care Centre and the West Acres Seniors Recreation Centre. She also used the opportunity to engage with residents, families, volunteers and staff.
The Hon. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care, visited Kipling Acres, True Davidson Acres and Wesburn Manor. During these visits, she met with staff to hear about resident needs and care approaches, including CareTO. This also showed how Ministry and sector initiatives like Clinical Pathways are being used in resident home areas.
MPP John Jordan (Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston), Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care, attended Castleview Wychwood Towers’ 50th anniversary celebration on behalf of the Province of Ontario.
Kipling Acres hosted a group of visiting government dignitaries led by Ms. Chien-Fang Chu, Director-General of the Department of Long-Term Care, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan. The delegation was in Canada, meeting with long-term care homes, government agencies, and non-government organizations to exchange views on policy and best practices.
Je suis tres satisfaite le personnel est courtoi. Ils ont un respect pour tous les residents, la propriete est vraiment la, je ferrais vraiment une recommandation pour les futur residents.
Bendale Acres Resident
Kosher meals meet my expectations and there is a good amount of variety. I have no complaints.Carefree Lodge Resident
This is a very lovely place, the lodge is beautiful and the staff are very nice and helpful.
Lakeshore Lodge Resident
I have a volunteer who visits, and I have met new friends doing activities.
Seven Oaks Resident
It is clean here and I feel safe.
Wesburn Manor Resident
I am so thankful for this service and assistance. It makes my life so much easier, and I can cope better with a lot of things.
Homemakers and Nurses Services Client
I am really satisfied with the service. Please continue the good work so that vulnerable people like me can live comfortably.
Homemakers and Nurses Services Client
I struggled for a very long time with the task of cleaning due to my health. Now I feel refreshed with a new sense of self-worth.
Homemakers and Nurses Services Client
Thank you for this great service and for the lovely people helping us seniors.
Supportive Housing Client
Bendale Acres is the best home I could have chosen for my mother.
Family Member
Castleview Wychwood Towers provides a great and welcoming atmosphere for my family member. The staff are friendly, nice and diligent in fulfilling their tasks. They work with commitment. The food offered to the resident is good/excellent quality.
Family Member
The experience at Cummer Lodge is beyond expectations and almost everyone we touch are really committed to the CARE goals of the administration. Cummer Lodge is striving to always be the best, keep up the good work.
Family Member
Fudger House has helped a truly challenging individual to become more peaceful, happy and better cared for than she has been in years.
Family Member
Kipling Acres is excellent, and my mom is safe, content and comfortable there. Our family feels comfort at her living in this home, and with her room and the care she receives. We visit three times weekly, and staff are kind and helpful and respectful of our family and help us as they can when we visit.
Family Member
The entire staff at True Davidson Acres are very accommodating and respond quickly to any requests or questions we have. The staff are excellent.
Family Member