Can my attorney for personal care place me in a faith-based care facility?

Yes. An attorney for personal care in Ontario has authority over housing decisions, including where you receive residential care. If you have expressed a preference for a faith-based care facility — whether because of your religious observance, cultural background, or simply personal comfort — your attorney can and should seek out placement in a facility that reflects those preferences.

Under Ontario law, your attorney must make personal care decisions based on your prior capable wishes, values, and beliefs. A preference for a facility with a particular religious affiliation, specific cultural practices, dietary observance, or spiritual programming is exactly the kind of value your attorney should honor.

From a practical standpoint, publicly funded long-term care in Ontario is managed through Home and Community Care Support Services (formerly the LHIN), and placement availability is often driven by what beds are open at the time of need. Your attorney can express your preferences to the placement coordinator and request priority matching with facilities that meet your criteria, but availability cannot always be guaranteed.

If a faith-based preference is important to you, document it clearly in your wishes document so your attorney has written evidence of that preference to present to placement coordinators. You might also identify specific facilities you would prefer, which gives your attorney concrete information to work with rather than a general wish that may be harder to act on in an urgent situation.