Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority Risk Officer Annual Report 2021 - 2022 - May 2022

Sep 12, 2026

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Annual Report 2021/2022 by the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) Risk Officer details the statutory role established under the Retirement Homes Act, 2010, including duties to review and assess the effectiveness of RHRA’s administration and licensing-related oversight. The report outlines the scope, approach, and COVID-19-related challenges, then examines RHRA’s licensing processes and evaluates whether requirements are clear and whether competent entities operate retirement homes. It presents recommendations to refine and update licensing practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Overview, Scope and Approach

Recommendations

Background

Recommendations

Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority Risk Officer Annual Report 2021 / 2022 Submitted by Nav Sandhawalia Risk Officer, RHRA May 2022 Introduction The Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority,(“RHRA” or “Authority”) was established under the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 (“Act”) and, while it is considered an independent body from the provincial government, it is subject to government oversight through a written Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility (“Ministry”) . The Authority administers the Act and regulations and oversees the enforcement of provisions contained within. The Act requires that an independent, statutory officer (i.e. Risk Officer) be appointed by the Authority. The duties of the Risk Officer are set out in section 24(3) of the Act as follows: The Risk Officer: a) shall review and assess the effectiveness of the Authority’s administration of this Act and the regulations, including the Authority’s activities and proposed activities related to ensuring that licensees meet the care standards and safety standards set out in this Act and the regulations, and respect the rights of residents set out in the Act and regulations, and; b) shall perform the other duties and exercise the other powers that are prescribed. The Risk Officer is appointed by the Board of Directors of the RHRA (“Board”), in accordance with provisions set out in the Act, the MOU between the RHRA and the Minister responsible for Seniors and Accessibility, and RHRA’s By-law Number 1 . They are accountable to perform such duties and issue reports to the RHRA Board through its Governance, Regulatory Affairs, and Nominations Committee (“Governance Committee”) . Notwithstanding these reporting requirements, the Risk Officer role is established as both a statutory but also an independent position, with clear expectations that the Risk Officer carries out their duties in an independent manner. Overview, Scope and Approach This report was developed while the COVID-19 pandemic remained active which created challenges given the continued issues and workload the RHRA was managing. However, RHRA management and the Board remained committed and supportive of the Risk Officer’s work. During the scoping exercise for this year’s report, time was spent reviewing previous Risk Officer and other RHRA reports, speaking with RHRA staff, and conversing with the Governance Committee. Through this process, a defined scope was formulated and is the subject of this report. The focus of this report is: Reviewing RHRA’s licensing processes Part III of the Act outlines licensing parameters, which includes the requirement that “no person shall operate a retirement home unless the person is licensed under this Act to operate that specific home”. This fundamental requirement provides RHRA the ability to review“documents and information specified in the regulations and the other documents and information that the Registrar reasonably requires.” In this context, RHRA has the authority to assess the documentation received to issue, terminate, add conditions, or otherwise decide on licensing applications. The licensing process was previously reviewed by the Risk Officer seven years ago in 2014/2015 . The RHRA has matured, and related processes, have significantly changed since that time. Prior to beginning fieldwork, fundamental questions were developed which helped guide and focus the review process. Specifically, the questions guiding the review were: o Are the licensing processes efficient? Is there room for improvement? o Do applicants have a clear understanding of licensing requirements? Is there room for improvement? o Is the licensing process helping assess whether competent persons/companies are operating retirement homes? The work undertaken to arrive at the recommendations noted within this report were a result of several discussions with RHRA management and staff, consultation with licensees/ope

FAQs

What statutory responsibilities does the RHRA Risk Officer have?

The Risk Officer reviews and assesses the effectiveness of RHRA’s administration and regulations, including licensing and safety standards, and ensures residents’ rights are respected. The officer also performs other prescribed duties and exercises other prescribed powers.

What was the focus of the 2021/2022 review?

The focus was reviewing RHRA’s licensing processes, including how documentation is assessed for licensing decisions such as issuing, terminating, adding conditions, or otherwise deciding applications.

Why were recommendations mainly aimed at updating, not restructuring, licensing?

RHRA uses a risk-based licensing approach that directs resources to applicants and licensees with the greatest risk. The recommendations are intended to refine and update processes rather than propose significant structural changes.

Sep 12, 2026

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