Long-term care in Burlington: costs, waiting lists and your home

Families looking into long-term care in Burlington usually want to know what a room costs, how long the wait is, and what happens to the family home.

The challenge is not usually the monthly fee. It is the wait, and the decisions about the house that follow a permanent move. ReverseMortgageBurlington.ca explains how those pieces fit together for Burlington homeowners and their adult children.

The province’s 2026 room rates, the eight Burlington homes and their waiting lists, the reduced rate for basic rooms, and the rules for a reverse mortgage all have to be weighed. This page sets them out in plain terms.

How much does long-term care cost in Burlington?

From July 1, 2026, a long-term care home in Burlington, like every home in Ontario, has the same monthly ceilings: $2,129.17 for a basic room, $2,567.17 for a semi-private one and $3,041.97 for a private one. That payment is for accommodation and meals. Every resident gets the same level of care, whatever the room type.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care sets these maximums each year (Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care).

A short stay, such as a respite stay, costs $45.31 a day. Homes can also charge for optional extras such as hairdressing, cable TV, telephone, internet and transportation. You need the first month’s payment ready on the day you move in.

Can you pay less for a basic room in long-term care?

Yes, if your income is low. A resident in a basic room can apply for a reduced rate based on net income. The province says someone claiming no dependants or income exclusions would likely qualify with income under $27,338 a year. A house you own is not counted, and you keep $149 a month for personal needs.

The reduced monthly rate is your annual net income divided by 12, minus the $149 comfort allowance, minus any deductions for a spouse or child living in the community. Most people who get the reduction still pay part of the rate.

Timing matters

Apply within 90 days of moving in, and the reduction can reach back up to 90 days before your application. The program year is July 1 to June 30, so you reapply every year, between July 1 and September 28 to start on July 1 (Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care).

Reverse mortgage money is not income

The income test leaves reverse mortgage money out, because a loan is not income. Interest paid on money sitting unspent in a savings account is counted, though. That is one reason to take reverse mortgage money as it is needed rather than all at once.

How do you get a long-term care bed in Burlington?

You apply through Ontario Health atHome. A care coordinator assesses your health and care needs and completes most of the application with you. You then choose up to five homes in order of preference. When a bed is offered, you have 24 hours to accept and up to five days to move in.

Refusing an offer, or missing the move-in deadline, removes you from every waiting list you are on. You then wait 12 weeks before applying again, unless your condition or circumstances change significantly (Ontario.ca, applying for long-term care).

Ontario’s listings for Burlington homes direct applicants to the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant area of Ontario Health atHome. Only list homes you would accept, because a bed can be offered at any of them.

How long are the waiting lists for Burlington long-term care homes?

The lists are long. Burlington’s eight homes in the province’s listings had between 89 and 682 people on each waiting list on June 30, 2026, against 93 to 175 beds per home. People can be on up to five lists at once, so the numbers can’t be added together as the number of people waiting.

Waiting-list counts are from each home’s provincial listing, last updated June 30, 2026 (Ontario long-term care home listings). The ministry notes that waits vary widely and change often.

What happens to a reverse mortgage when someone moves into long-term care?

It depends on who is still at home. A permanent move into long-term care by the last borrower makes the mortgage due. The family then has six months to a year, depending on the product, to sell the home or pay off the loan. If a spouse who is also a borrower stays in the house, nothing changes. A temporary hospital stay or a dementia diagnosis doesn’t trigger repayment either.

Interest keeps adding to the balance until it is repaid. Some lenders lower or waive the early repayment charge after a permanent move into long-term care.

The debt has a ceiling. If the property taxes, the insurance and the upkeep were kept current, the amount owed can’t be more than what the home is worth on the open market at the time the mortgage becomes due. It’s typically called the no negative equity guarantee, and all four lenders offer it. The family keeps every dollar above the balance when the house sells, and recent Burlington home prices give a sense of what that could be.

Can a reverse mortgage help while you wait for a bed?

Yes. While you still live at home, a reverse mortgage can pay for private care on top of the hours Ontario Health atHome provides, with no required monthly mortgage payments. If one spouse moves into care and the other stays home, it can help pay the room as well. Property taxes, insurance and upkeep stay yours.

For example, a private room at $3,041.97 a month adds up to $36,503.64 over 12 months. A spouse at home could cover that from monthly reverse mortgage deposits instead of selling the house. Interest is charged only on the money taken.

The service page on paying for home care in Burlington shows how monthly deposits are set up. The guide to retirement home costs in Burlington covers the private alternative, and reverse mortgage costs in Burlington lists every fee.

The Burlington reverse mortgage calculator shows the most you could borrow at your age, what would be left after any debts, the figure five years older, and the cost of moving instead. If selling is the better route, the guide to the cost of downsizing in Burlington sets out what a sale costs.

The bottom line

For figures based on your own house, ask for a free Burlington estimate. There's no charge and no sales pressure.