Submit a Complaint

~ How to Submit a Complaint (page 1 of 5)

Please click the Save button on the bottom of each page, and use the Step links to navigate back to a previous section on the Submit a Complaint form. If you are logged into the portal and do not complete the final step, you may return at a later date to make changes and finalize.

You must complete the Complaint Details step before you can continue with the following steps.

Submitting a Complaint to RHRA

Do you have a concern related to a licensed retirement home in Ontario? If so, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to help!

This form is used to collect information from you so that RHRA can look into your complaint and follow-up with you (we look into every complaint we receive). We will also give you details about the complaint process and any next steps.

Include as much information as you have or are comfortable providing. Please note some information is required (the information you must include is marked by the red asterisk).

To help make it easier for you, we’ve included instructions below for each section. If you have questions or want us to help you fill out this form, just give us a call: 1-855-ASK-RHRA (1-855-275-7472).

Authorization

Are you a retirement home resident making a complaint about your care or experience in a retirement home? If so, you can skip this section and go to the ‘Information about Person Submitting this Complaint’ section.

Sometimes complaints contain information about a resident that is personal, such as health information. To protect the rights and privacy of retirement home residents, you may need to fill out one or more forms. Please see below.

If you are not a resident, RHRA can’t share any personal information about the resident unless the following documents are provided (these documents can be found below, the red icons):

If the resident is capable* - Please provide an Authorization Form signed by the resident.

If the resident is not capable* - Please provide the appropriate Power of Attorney (POA) or Guardianship document. Please note: depending on the nature of the complaint (e.g. if it involves personal health information, such as care services being received, or financial-related information), RHRA may need the POA for Personal Care or POA for Property document to share the resident's personal information. If you are not the resident's Attorney or Guardian, please also provide an Authorization Form signed by the Attorney/Guardian.

If the resident is deceased - Please provide documentation of the resident's Estate Trustee. This can be either the resident's Will or the Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee. If you are not the resident's Estate Trustee, please also provide an Authorization Form signed by the Estate Trustee.

* Capable means that the resident is legally able to make their own decisions.

Note: Residents who are capable but whose first language may not be English or French, or may need assistance communicating, can give their verbal consent over the phone to have a family member or loved one assist with providing information to RHRA about the complaint.

Before filling out the rest of this form, please take a moment to check that you have filled out and signed the necessary authorization forms mentioned above that correspond to the resident's status. You can attach forms on the following page. You only have to do this if you are making this complaint on behalf of a resident. Please know that even if you do not attach additional forms, we will still move forward with reviewing your complaint.

Authorization Form

Third Party Consent - Executor: Resident is deceased

Third Party Consent - POA: Resident is not capable

If you have any questions about the authorization forms, please feel free to give us a call at 1-855-ASK-RHRA (1-855-275-7472) and someone can help you.

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To change Case Contact Details, please navigate to your Profile page first.

I understand that, under the authority of the Retirement Homes Act, 2010, the RHRA may collect and use information relevant to the complaint I am submitting, including the personal health information of the resident(s) involved, from the retirement home complained about, health care professionals, or other individuals who may have relevant information, for the purposes of reviewing, inquiring into, and processing, this complaint. The RHRA may share and provide information and documents it collects through the complaints process, including the personal health information of the resident(s) involved, with the retirement home complained about, and in some circumstances as appropriate, with other relevant regulatory and law enforcement agencies (e.g. police, College of Nurses of Ontario, Office of the Chief Coroner, etc.). The information collected by the RHRA in processing this complaint will be used and retained in compliance with the RHRA's Access and Privacy Code.

The first step is to let us know who you are and how to contact you. We will need your first and last name and your email address. If you do not have an email address, just put in notifications@rhra.ca and provide your phone number and we will call you.

I understand that, under the authority of the Retirement Homes Act, 2010, the RHRA may collect and use information relevant to the complaint I am submitting, including the personal health information of the resident(s) involved, from the retirement home complained about, health care professionals, or other individuals who may have relevant information, for the purposes of reviewing, inquiring into, and processing, this complaint. The RHRA may share and provide information and documents it collects through the complaints process, including the personal health information of the resident(s) involved, with the retirement home complained about, and in some circumstances as appropriate, with other relevant regulatory and law enforcement agencies (e.g. police, College of Nurses of Ontario, Office of the Chief Coroner, etc.). The information collected by the RHRA in processing this complaint will be used and retained in compliance with the RHRA's Access and Privacy Code.

Now please click on the down arrow below on the right-hand side of the box to chose whether you prefer we contact you by phone or email.

If you’re comfortable providing more information about where you live, please click on the field that says, “start typing to search for address”. Or just click on the box beside “cannot find address” and type it in yourself. The full address should automatically appear in the rest of the fields below. Your address will be used to mail any correspondence and a copy of the decision if that is your preferred way for us to communicate with you.

Again, using the down arrows below on the right-hand side of the box, let us know if you are a resident. If you are not a resident, please let us know the status of the resident. Please also tell us how you know the resident if you are making this complaint on their behalf. Again, you will be able to choose from a list of options when you use the down arrow.

Now we need some information about the retirement home you have a complaint about. We understand you probably may not know the retirement home’s licence number – in this case, click on ‘no’ and then click on the teal-coloured magnifying glass. A window will pop up that will let you search the name of the home (the search function is at the top, right-hand side of the pop-up window).

In this section, please let us know more about the resident that this complaint relates to. It’s OK if you don’t know the suite number, whether the resident is in a subsidized suite (meaning they receive financial help from the government, a hospital or other program to pay for their suite) or other information - just fill out as much as you can. We will contact you for more information if needed.

You only need to fill out this section if there was more than one resident involved or impacted by this complaint. If you are not comfortable or do not know if other residents were involved, you can leave this section blank.

Let us know what your complaint is about. Please provide as much detail as you can – this could include what happened, when it happened, who was involved or impacted, where in the retirement home it happened (e.g., in your suite, in the dining room) and any reasons you think it happened. If you want, you can also attach as a separate document on the next page.

Now, if you have tried to resolve this complaint with the retirement home, let us know what you did and how the retirement home responded to you.

If you want to attach any other documents that will help us better understand the reason for your complaint, let us know the file names in the box below and then you can attach them on the next page. These documents could be emails with the home’s management, a tenancy agreement or photos that show what your complaint is about.

If there is anyone who witnessed the events you described, please provide their name and contact information. If you are not comfortable providing this information or don’t know, you can leave this section blank.

This section will give us your consent to contact the retirement home to share information about your complaint.

I understand RHRA may share some or all of the information and documents that it receives from me and other parties with the retirement home complained about.

I agree to RHRA sharing copies of information and documents it receives from me with the retirement home complained about.

I understand that RHRA may not be able to help if not enough information is provided in this form or by email/telephone.

Only applies if you’ve attached additional documents: I have attached copies of documents about my complaint.

Notice
RHRA's Information Access and Privacy Code applies to the information provided to RHRA through this form. The Code is available on RHRA's website here (hyperlink: https://www.rhra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RHRA-MOU-EN-FINAL-SIGNED-June-2023.pdf#nameddest=Schedule_H ). RHRA will restrict its use of any personal information or personal health information collected through this form for the purpose of carrying out its duties under the Retirement Homes Act, including responding to the report and communicating with the person who made the report.

RHRA appreciates hearing from you. We would like to have your feedback about this complaint form and how we handled it. You may or may not be contacted by a third party company, Innovative Research Group, to complete a survey. Please know that you do not need to consent to a survey – it’s only to help us improve how we interact with complainants. If you do not want to be contacted, click on ‘no’. This will have no impact on your complaint.

I am agreeing to share some or all of the information and documents in this complaint with a third-party surveying company, Innovative Research Group Inc.

I am also agreeing to the third-party surveying company contacting me by phone for the purpose of providing feedback for improvements to RHRA's complaint process. I am aware that whether or not I consent, it will have no impact whatsoever on the processing or determination of my complaint

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