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Thursday, September 25, 2025
Ontario. Ministry of Long-Term Care

Ontario Investing $9 Million to Increase Access to Dementia Care

Province launches new dementia care program that will connect long-term care residents and their families to innovative care and supports

The Ontario government is investing $9 million over three years to launch a new program that will improve care for residents with dementia in long-term care homes. The Improving Dementia Care Program (IDCP) uses emotion-based models of care for residents with dementia and is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario’s long-term care system by making targeted investments that ensure residents get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve.

“Our government is proud to invest in innovative dementia care and supports to improve the well-being of long-term care residents, their caregivers and families,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Through initiatives like the Improving Dementia Care Program, we can improve the quality of care for residents while improving the work experience of staff.”

Emotion-based models of care are designed to improve the well-being of long-term care home residents with dementia through care that prioritizes resident needs and fosters close relationships between staff, residents and families. The IDCP will support staff training and new programs for residents and is expected to serve 1,800 people in its first year. Long-term care homes can apply to participate in the IDCP through their Ontario Health regional office.

Advancing dementia care is one more way the government is ensuring Ontarians get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve. The plan to improve long-term care is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe, and comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.     
         
Quick Facts:

  • Seniors — people aged 65 and older — make up the fastest growing age group in the province.
  • More than 60 per cent of residents in Ontario’s long-term care homes have a dementia diagnosis, and the number of Ontarians with dementia is expected to triple by 2050. 
  • In December 2024, the government announced a proposed suite of legislative and programmatic initiatives to enhance dementia care supports for seniors and long-term care residents in Ontario. 
  • As part of its plan to fix long-term care and address waitlists, the government is building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province. 
  • Ontario is offering incentives of up to $35,400 to PSW students and eligible PSWs to launch careers in long-term care homes and in the home and community care sector.
         
Quotes:

"These investments are one more way our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, is helping to protect Ontario’s seniors. The new dementia care pilot will help our seniors live with the dignity and respect they deserve."

- Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility

"The Alzheimer Society of Ontario supports the government’s three-year investment to improve the care for residents in long-term care homes living with dementia. Emotion-based models of care are crucial for enhancing the quality of life for residents living with dementia by improving the quality of care that staff in long-term care provide every day. The Improving Dementia Care Program recognizes the integral role that emotion-based care programs — such as the Alzheimer Society of Ontario’s U-First! training — play in delivering the person-centred care that people living with dementia require."

- Cathy Barrick, CEO, Alzheimer Society of Ontario    
         
Additional Resources:

         
Media Contacts:

Stuart Osborne
Office of the Minister of Long-Term Care
stuart.osborne@ontario.ca 

Ministry of Long-Term Care Media Line
Communications Branch
MLTC.Media@ontario.ca
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