Families often worry about how their loved one with dementia will be supported in long-term care. This week, the Ontario government announced new funding and programs aimed at improving dementia care in long-term care homes across the province.
Here is what you need to know about it:
Improving Dementia Care Program (IDCP)
The Ontario government has announced a $9 million investment over three years to launch the Improving Dementia Care Program (IDCP).
The program is starting with 17 long-term care homes in 2026, with plans to expand to nearly 50 homes by 2027–28.
The goal is simple: help staff better support residents living with dementia by focusing on how people feel, not just their medical needs.
What makes this program different?
The IDCP focuses on emotion-based care, which means:
- Understanding a resident’s personal history and preferences
- Building stronger relationships between staff, residents, and families
- Reducing stress, confusion, and responsive behaviours
- Improving overall quality of life inside the home
Staff in participating homes will receive specialized training to better understand dementia and respond in ways that support dignity and comfort.
Organizations across the seniors’ sector, including the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, have welcomed the investment, highlighting how staff training plays a critical role in delivering person-centred dementia care.
Who is receiving Improving Dementia Care Program funding in 2026?
The following 17 long-term care homes have been selected for the first year of the Improving Dementia Care Program:
Central Region
- Cooksville Care Centre, Mississauga (Butterfly)
- Grove Park Home for Senior Citizens, Barrie (BSO 5STaR)
- Union Villa, Unionville (BSO 5StaR)
- Vera M. Davis Community Care Centre, Bolton (Butterfly)
East Region
- Extendicare Medex, Ottawa (BSO 5StaR)
- Glebe Centre, Ottawa (Butterfly)
- Glen Hill Strathaven, Bowmanville (BSO 5StaR)
- H.J. McFarland Memorial Home, Picton (BSO 5STaR)
- Lakeview Manor, Beaverton (Caring Connections Durham)
Northeast Region
- Algoma Manor Nursing Home, Thessalon (Butterfly, BSO 5 STaR)
- Temiskaming Lodge, Temiskaming (Butterfly)
Northwest Region
- Princess Court, Dryden (Eden Alternative)
- Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care, Kenora (Butterfly)
Toronto
- Isabel and Arthur Meighen Manor (BSO 5STaR)
- The O’Neill Centre (Butterfly)
West
- Lee Manor Home, Owen Sound (Colour It Your Way)
- The Elliott Long Term Care Residence, Guelph (Butterfly)
Examples of Emotion-Based Dementia Care Models in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes
As part of Ontario’s new Improving Dementia Care Program, some long-term care homes will begin adopting emotion-based models of care. These approaches are designed to improve the well-being of residents living with dementia by focusing on their experiences, relationships, dignity, and sense of belonging.
Rather than treating dementia care as only a medical issue, these models recognize that how a person feels each day matters just as much as clinical care.
Here are some of the models families may start hearing about in long-term care homes across Ontario.
Butterfly Model
The Butterfly Model, originally developed in the United Kingdom, focuses on creating smaller, home-like living environments inside long-term care homes.
Homes using this approach often redesign spaces to feel warmer and more familiar, including colourful environments and fewer institutional features.
Key benefits:
- Creates a more comfortable, home-like atmosphere
- Helps reduce confusion and stress
- Encourages meaningful daily interaction
- Supports emotional well-being for residents living with dementia
The goal is to make residents feel like they are living in a home, not an institution.
BSO 5STaR Model
The BSO 5STaR model, developed by Behavioural Supports Ontario, focuses on strengthening staff skills while improving the living environment for residents.
This approach promotes adaptable and familiar spaces that help reduce distress while supporting residents’ remaining abilities.
Key benefits:
- Staff receive specialized dementia training
- Environments are designed to reduce anxiety and agitation
- Care adapts as resident needs change
- Encourages independence wherever possible
This model helps care teams better understand behaviours and respond in supportive ways.
Caring Connections Durham
Caring Connections Durham was designed specifically for long-term care homes across Durham Region.
This relationship-focused model places emotional well-being at the centre of care and works to build strong connections between residents, staff, and families.
Key benefits:
- Strong focus on relationships and community
- Improved communication with families
- Greater sense of belonging for residents
- More supportive and collaborative care environments
The model recognizes that connection and familiarity play an important role in dementia care.
Eden Alternative
The Eden Alternative, created by American physician Dr. Bill Thomas and his wife Jude Thomas, aims to address three common challenges in institutional care:
- Loneliness
- Helplessness
- Boredom
Unlike some models, this approach does not require physical renovations. Instead, it focuses on changing the culture of a home using what are called the Seven Domains of Well-Being:
- Identity
- Growth
- Autonomy
- Security
- Connectedness
- Meaning
- Joy
Key benefits:
- Improves overall quality of life
- Encourages resident choice and independence
- Promotes meaningful activities and relationships
- Creates a more vibrant home culture
Many homes adopt Eden principles to shift how daily life is experienced by residents.
Colour It Your Way
Colour It Your Way, developed in Grey County, is a resident-centred approach that empowers staff to provide compassionate and personalized care.
The focus is on understanding each resident as an individual and adapting care to meet their unique needs.
Key benefits:
- Highly personalized care experiences
- Greater flexibility for staff to respond to residents
- Supports dignity and individuality
- Encourages compassionate caregiving practices
This model reinforces the idea that no two dementia journeys are the same.
Why This Matters When Choosing a Long-Term Care Home
Not every long-term care home follows the same dementia care approach. As programs like the Improving Dementia Care Program expand, families may begin to see more homes adopting these models.
When touring a home, it can be helpful to ask:
- Which dementia care model does your home use?
- Are staff trained in emotion-based care?
- How does the home support relationships and daily quality of life?
Understanding a home’s care philosophy can help families choose an environment where their loved one will feel respected, supported, and truly at home.
More Specialized Dementia Supports: Behavioural Specialized Units (BSUs)
Alongside the new Improving Dementia Care Program, Ontario is also expanding Behavioural Specialized Units (BSUs) in long-term care homes across the province.
The government is investing:
- $3.35 million in 2025–26, and
- $9.82 million annually starting in 2026–27
This funding will add 153 specialized dementia care beds designed to support residents with more complex dementia-related needs.
Long-term care homes receiving new BSU funding
The expansion will take place in five long-term care homes:
- Algoma Manor in Thessalon: 13 new BSU beds
- Bruyère Health Saint-Louis Long-Term Care in Ottawa: 24 beds (pending completion of renovations and designation approval)
- Cassellholme in North Bay: 24 beds
- The Village of Ridgeview Court in Milton: 32 beds
- Baycrest’s Apotex Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged in Toronto: 60 new BSU beds, bringing the home’s total to 83 BSU beds
These specialized units play an important role in supporting residents living with dementia who may experience responsive behaviours such as severe anxiety, wandering, or agitation.
What is a Behavioural Specialized Unit?
A BSU is a dedicated area within a long-term care home staffed by teams with advanced dementia training. Care is tailored to each resident’s physical, emotional, and cultural needs.
Benefits of BSUs include:
- Individualized therapies and care plans
- Staff trained specifically in dementia and behavioural supports
- Safer and calmer living environments
- Reduced need for hospital transfers
By expanding BSUs, Ontario aims to help more residents receive the right level of dementia care within long-term care homes instead of hospitals, improving comfort for residents while also helping free up hospital beds for acute care needs.
Why Dementia Care Matters in Long-Term Care
Dementia is one of the most common health conditions affecting people living in long-term care homes.
Today, more than 60% of residents in Ontario long-term care homes live with dementia, and that number is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades. Experts predict the number of Ontarians living with dementia could triple by 2050.
Because of this, improving dementia care has become a major focus for Ontario’s long-term care system.
What This Means for Families
For families navigating long-term care, these investments signal an important shift.
Dementia care is moving toward a more person-centred approach, where quality of life, emotional well-being, and meaningful connection are just as important as medical care.
For caregivers, this may lead to:
- Better trained staff supporting loved ones
- Fewer hospital transfers
- Improved communication between families and care teams
- More personalized daily care experiences
Emotion-focused care aims to help residents feel safer, more understood, and more connected in their day-to-day lives.
Part of Ontario’s Larger Long-Term Care Plan
These dementia care investments are part of Ontario’s broader plan to strengthen long-term care, which includes:
- Hiring and training more staff, including PSWs
- Improving quality and oversight in homes
- Building modern and safer long-term care homes
- Expanding access to services for seniors and families
The province is also working toward 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds to help address growing waitlists.
What Caregivers Should Do Next
If your loved one is living with dementia or may need long-term care in the future, it can help to:
- Ask homes about their dementia care approach
- Learn whether staff receive specialized dementia training
- Ask if behavioural or specialized supports are available
- Stay involved in care planning conversations
Not all homes offer the same programs or environments, and understanding these differences can make a big impact on quality of life.
How Elderado Helps Families Navigate Long-Term Care
Finding the right long-term care home can feel overwhelming. On Elderado families can search and compare long-term care homes across Ontario.
Explore long-term care options near you with the Elderado Long-Term Care Map.
