Why Choose Not-for-Profit?
In long term care, not-for-profit means that any extra dollars that
may be available are put back into the organization to enhance and
expand programs and services for residents/clients. This is important
for you to know and keep in mind as you begin to explore and investigate
various care and service options.
Not-for-profits have a very rich history of supporting seniors in
communities across the province. They have been leaders in providing
culturally-sensitive care, creating homes, housing projects and
community services to meet the specific religious, ethnic, and cultural
needs of the people in their communities.
Service clubs may be the catalyst behind a not-for-profit, or it may
be that the municipal government is the managing body (in fact, every
municipality in the province is required to maintain a not-for-profit
home for the aged, and they are also mandated to oversee many other
housing and social service agencies for the benefit of local
citizens).
Not-for-profits are truly developed by local people for local
people.
The providers that are members of OANHSS represent a dynamic and
innovative not-for-profit social services sector that is at the heart of
our cities, towns and villages. They are dedicated to providing the
services that help people make the very most of their lives. Every year,
over 140,000 seniors in Ontario benefit from the care and support
provided by OANHSS members.
There are many things that set not-for-profits apart:
-
Direct accountability
- local people, either appointed or elected, sit on the boards and
committees of management that govern not-for-profits, and their books
are open to the public.
-
Re-investment in care
- not-for-profits re-invest millions in donations and municipal
contributions in new services and improvements to care homes.
-
Strong volunteer base
- tens of thousands of people - young and old - volunteer their time to
help others and to support the trained professionals caring for seniors
in not-for-profits.
-
Spectrum of services
- together, OANHSS members provide the broadest range of housing,
support services and home care for seniors in the province.
The unwritten rule that generally exists for not-for-profits is to
expand the services they provide and to expect that all programs will be
of the highest quality, responding to local needs in supportive
environments. The focus is to reflect their communities’ wishes
with the services they undertake.
When you start to look at long term care homes, housing options, or
even community services and programs, be sure to ask whether they are
operated on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis. It is also good to ask
to see the mission statement to find out what the organization is all
about and what they are trying to achieve.
For more information, click here to download
"The Not-for-Profit Difference in Services for Seniors"
brochure.
Make an informed choice about LTC
services!