The front door
The rules pull both ways.
“Every resident has the right to be treated with courtesy and respect and in a way that fully recognizes the resident’s inherent dignity, worth and individuality, regardless of their race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability.”Residents’ Bill of Rights, s. 3(1), para. 1
All doors leading to stairways and the outside of the home other than doors leading to secure outside areas that preclude exit by a resident, including balconies and terraces, or doors that residents do not have access to must be,O. Reg. 246/22, s. 12(1), para. 1
- kept closed and locked,
- equipped with a door access control system that is kept on at all times, and
- equipped with an audible door alarm that allows calls to be cancelled only at the point of activation and,
A. is connected to the resident-staff communication and response system, orB. is connected to an audio visual enunciator that is connected to the nurses’ station nearest to the door and has a manual reset switch at each door.
Dignity vs. Control
Source: Ontario Long Term Care Association, The Data: Long-Term Care in Ontario (2026), citing Canadian Institute for Health Information, Profile of Residents in Residential and Hospital-Based Continuing Care, 2024-2025 (2025).
SourceThe phone call
Language standard
Home, never facility. Getting lost, not wandering.
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