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Home Publications The Cost of Waiting for Long-Term Care: Findings from a Qualitative Study

Seong-gee Um

The Cost of Waiting for Long-Term Care: Findings from a Qualitative Study

distressed senior man comforted by his wife

In Ontario, more than 38,000 people are waiting for long-term care placement and the waitlist is growing. While waiting for long-term care, many families continue to provide crucial support to address the needs of their loved ones at home, retirement home, hospital, or other places. Delayed admission can lead to negative health consequences for those waiting for care and create uncertainty, anxiety, and stress for them and their family caregivers.

The wait for long-term care can be just a day for some or more than several years for others. Wellesley Institute’s previous studies found significant disparities in long-term care wait times across various population groups. The findings highlight that wait times varied by the individual’s health status and urgency of long-term care admission, as well as where the person resides, which language one speaks, and whether the person was seeking specific cultural accommodation in long-term care. The wait was particularly long for those seeking placement in a religious, ethnic, or cultural home.

Building on the previous work, the research team conducted qualitative research to explore the reasons why some people choose to wait for long-term care homes with longer waitlists and to examine the experiences of family caregivers of older immigrants throughout their long-term care application and waiting journey. This research paper presents the findings from focus groups and individual interviews with family caregivers of older immigrants from five different ethnocultural communities, waiting for long-term care placement in the GTA.

We would like to thank the family caregivers who took part in our research study for generously sharing their time, stories, and perspectives with us. This project was conducted in collaboration with the Ontario Caregiver Coalition, Punjabi Community Health Services, and Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care. We would also like to thank Villa Charities, TAIBU Community Health Centre, Indus Community Services, and many other organizations for their support throughout this project.

Download The Cost of Waiting for LTC Findings from a Qualitative Study
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Seong-gee Um

Seong-gee Um

Seong-gee Um is a researcher at the Wellesley Institute. She received her PhD from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy at the University of Lethbridge. Her research interests lie in the areas of inequality, immigration, and health and social care. Her work explores social policy responses to emerging social risks and how they shape the experiences of vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. SeonggeeUm

Acknowledgement of Traditional Land

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the Wellesley Institute operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

Revised by the Ceremonial Committee at the University of Toronto Office of Indigenous Initiatives in April 2021.