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Working in long-term care (LTC) lets you pursue a career that lines up with your interests and skills! Explore the different roles you could take on throughout this page. There is a high demand for skilled workers – could you meet this need and find a great career? We think so!
The information here is intended to help you understand the different options in LTC and provide an overview of each role. More details on each role can be found in the related resources or association pages
What is LTC?
LTC homes are residences for adults who rely on 24-hour nursing, personal care and other help because their care needs cannot be safely met in their communities or at their homes. Anyone aged 18 or older who needs help with everyday activities like eating and getting around can live in an LTC home.
These “residents” are more often 75 years or older and have gone through changes in their minds and bodies that can affect how they think, feel and act.
Learn more by reading ‘What is LTC Summary (.pdf)’ or watching ‘A day in the life of a resident in LTC‘.
Benefits of working in LTC
- Make an impact on a daily basis – Provide care and friendship to residents of diverse backgrounds and make a difference in residents’ lives EVERY day!
- Be in high demand – Careers in LTC are often in high demand and give you an opportunity to grow and move into leadership roles! You will find job openings in any LTC career path
- Create meaningful relationships – Build meaningful relationships with residents and share common interests.
Health and well-being
Want a career in health care? If you enjoy:
- Caring for older adults and people living with a disability
- Helping people live healthy lives as they age
- Talking with diverse people about their lives
- Helping people with everyday activities
Then consider a career supporting the health and well-being of long-term care home residents!
Explore these careers
Featured careers:
Food services
Interested in food and nutrition? If you enjoy:
- Cooking or preparing food for others
- Providing healthy and nutritious meals
- Helping people live healthy lives as they age
- Interacting with older adults and people living with a disability
Then consider a career in long-term care food services.
Featured careers:
Recreation and life enrichment
Interested in enriching people’s lives? If you enjoy:
- Interacting with older adults and people living with a disability
- Planning recreational activities and events
- Helping people feel a sense of purpose
- Engaging people in the arts
- Connecting with people on a spiritual level
Then consider a career in long-term care recreation and life enrichment.
Featured careers:
Environmental services
Do you like to keep things in order? If you enjoy:
- Cleaning spaces and keeping things tidy
- Fixing and maintaining equipment
- Feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment after cleaning or fixing things
- Interacting with older adults and people living with a disability
Then consider a career in environmental services in long-term care.
Featured careers:
Operations and Human Resources
Are you interested in business operations? If you enjoy:
- Crunching numbers
- Working with technology
- Organizing files, schedules, activities, supplies
- Leading people and projects
- Interacting with older adults, family members, visitors
Then consider a career in operations and human resources in long-term care.
Co-op or volunteer opportunities in LTC homes
- Looking for a volunteer or co-op opportunity in LTC? These resources for educators and students will help you get started.
- If you are a secondary school student interested in volunteering or doing a co-op placement in LTC, speak to your school’s co-op teachers or guidance counsellors to arrange a placement. Watch students share their experiences on placements in LTC homes!
- If you are a post-secondary student, your program will have information about co-op placements in LTC homes.
- Our Experiential Learning in Long-Term Care Guidebook provides secondary school educators with guidance on how to develop partnerships with LTC homes to facilitate co-op placements for students.
Find a job in LTC
- Jobs available in LTC homes in Ontario are posted on the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) and AdvantAge Ontario career page
- The Ontario government’s Find a Job in Long-Term Care page provides links to the Health Matching Portal and other resources.
The webpage is part of the Ontario CLRI at RIA’s Careers in Long-Term Care Initiative
