Frequently asked questions

The Veterans Centre provides long term care to eligible Veterans. To determine eligibility and to make an initial application, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) directly at 1-866-522-2122 and ask to speak with the Veteran Service Agent in the Toronto Area Office responsible for Sunnybrook. Wait time for a bed is variable, depending on the type of care required.

***Please note that the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre is not part of the Ontario Health at Home facility choice list for long term care placement. All applications must go through Veterans Affairs Canada.

Each resident’s care needs are reviewed on admission to best match each resident to one of our care units. In the Veterans Centre there are mostly shared two bed rooms, as well as some single rooms. The room that you will live in is based on your needs as determined by the care teams as well as room availability. As care needs change over time, residents may need to move to another room, either on the same unit or to another care unit.

No, as rooms are assigned on the basis of health need. There is no opportunity to purchase preferred accommodation such as a single/private room.

The monthly rate is a co-payment that is determined by Veteran and Veterans Affairs Canada.

Residents should bring toiletries such as body wash, body lotion, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, denture cleaning tablets, mouthwash, facial tissue, nail clippers, hair brush or comb and an electric shaver.

Please ensure that you bring an adequate supply of clothing. All clothing should be machine washable and items that are easy to put on and take off. You will also need to bring a twin size comforter, books, personal photos, a few wall pictures, wall calendar, a radio and a television. We encourage the use of personal head phones for TV and radio use to reduce noise for other residents. Linens, blankets, pillows and towels are provided.

A bed, dresser, bedside table, and chair are provided. Due to limited space, we do not have space for additional furniture. For safety reasons please do not bring: irons, kettles, microwaves, electric blankets, space heaters, floor rugs, candles or room scents (spray or plug in). We also recommend that you do not bring large sums of money or valuable items that cannot be replaced.

Your Care Team will include the Patient Care Manager (PCM), Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), Staff Nurses, Physician, Pharmacist, Recreation Therapist, Social Worker, Registered Dietitian, Chaplain and support staff. Depending on your needs, you may also be seen by Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology and Creative Arts Therapists, who will assess you and provide treatments to meet your specific goals. In addition, you have access to our Dental Clinic as well as basic and advanced foot care as needed. All team members work together with you to help you achieve your best possible life experience here in the Veterans Centre.

We value residents and their families as partners in care. We welcome your input to help us understand your care needs. We offer family conferences with the care team annually and as needed. Residents may wish to attend monthly Residents Council meetings, while family members are welcome to our monthly Family Advisory Council.

When you arrive at the Veterans Centre, we will want to start getting to know you. We will want to learn about your health and what is most important to you. It may be helpful to think about the following questions before you arrive:
What is your life’s story: your experiences, your family & friends, your hobbies? What are your likes and dislikes?
What are your fears and concerns? What do you hope your life experience will be in the Veterans Centre?

Visiting hours are between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please consult with the nursing staff to discuss any special circumstances.

Each resident or their family is responsible for coordinating private telephone service by directly contacting your provider of choice. Phone charges, bills and installation fees are the responsibility of the resident. If you have a hearing, speech, vision or other physical disability, please contact Bell Accessibility Call Centre. They can provide information about special equipment available to assist you with telephone use.

BBasic cable TV service is provided free of charge. Additional specialty channels are available by calling Rogers. Residents and/or their family are responsible for specialty channel purchases. Please note that there are guidelines regarding the appropriate use of televisions on all units. In an effort to keep noise to a minimum it is suggested that headphones be worn by residents sharing a room.

Shortly after arrival to the Veterans Centre, a Food Services Supervisor will meet with each resident and/or substitute decision-maker to discuss food preferences according to specific dietary needs.

For residents living in L-Wing on the First and Third Floors meals will be served in the dining room located at the north end of each unit. Meal times and daily & weekly menus are posted outside each dining room.

For residents living on units in K-Wing and on the Ground and Second Floor of L-Wing, a tray service model is offered. Residents can enjoy their meals in their room or the dining room. Scheduled meal times are provided by the nursing staff.

Sunnybrook Food Services and Aramark Healthcare Food Services meet with both Residents’ Council and the Family Advisory Council to share new menu items for tasting and to receive feedback. There is a four week menu system offers fresh, flavourful food and in-house items from scratch cooking to provide optimum nutrition.

Various recreation and creative arts therapy programs and activities are available to residents each weekday, evening and on weekends. These activities improve the quality of life of residents. Sunnybrook’s team of professionals consists of recreation therapists, recreation therapy assistants, art therapists, horticultural therapists and music therapists. Each unit has a designated therapist who will be in touch with each resident upon their arrival to discuss his or her interests and needs.

Warrior’s Hall (K-Wing) offers residents a place to congregate and enjoy a variety of entertainment, special events and lectures. Afternoon and evening entertainment is offered; the calendar of events is posted in Warriors Hall and on unit bulletin boards. The Games Room located in K-Wing has a variety of games for residents and their visitors. Residents can enjoy, air hockey, chess and a variety of board games. In addition, there are two computers in the Games Room for residents to use at their leisure. Activities also occur on the resident care units, in music and art therapy studios, and outside in the beautifully maintained garden areas.

Each month there are planned outings for residents such as trips to the, legion halls, restaurants and sporting events. There are two buses designated for planned outings: The Legionnaire and Freedom for AlI. These buses were generously donated by the Royal Canadian Legion.

All residents in L-Wing, K-Wing and the Dorothy Macham Home are required to carry with them a personalized Food and Travel Pass that identifies their needs and concerns about food and drinks. This pass is used at all hospital-sponsored functions at the Veterans Centre or on recreation therapy outings in the community.

The grounds of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, including the Veterans Centre, are designated as a smoke-free environment for all visitors and staff. There is a designated smoking area for Veteran residents. Veteran residents must complete a Smoking Assessment for safety and follow the smoking policies in effect.

There is an alcohol policy in place. When residing on a physical support unit, a resident may have alcohol at their bedside. They must be capable of serving themselves and drinking responsibly. There is no alcohol permitted on the secured units for cognitively impaired residents. The Johnny Bowers Pub is located in the basement of K-wing (KB 21) for residents and their visitors. Residents will be served after presenting their Food and Travel Pass. Hours of operation are from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Residents may bring their own power scooters but they are required to undergo a training process and pass an annual driving assessment arranged by Occupational Therapy. Power mobility devices are not permitted on cognitive support units.

Residents are not permitted to bring pets with them. However, family pets are permitted to visit. Please consult with the nursing staff ahead of time. Prior to bringing a pet to visit, the person bringing the pet must complete our pet visitation agreement and pet information and indemnity form. Pets are not permitted in any of the indoor common areas. Families are requested to keep their pets on a leash at all times and to clean up after them. A pet therapy program is offered at the Veterans Centre through Recreation Therapy. Information regarding this is available on resident care units.

Sunny’s Cafeteria is located between L-Wing and K-Wing on the ground floor. Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and weekends/holidays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Other food outlets located on the Sunnybrook campus include: M-Wing Food Court (Second Cup, Swiss Chalet and Extreme Pita) located near the main entrance of the hospital. Hours: Seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Harlequin’s Cafeteria is located in E-Wing on the first floor. Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tim Horton’s in C-Wing is located on the first floor. Hours: Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A second Tim Horton’s outlet is located in H-Wing on the ground floor. Hours: Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Resident laundry will be labeled free of charge upon admission and laundry services are provided at no extra cost. Please use the Labeling Drop Box located near the L Ground elevators. Labeling forms are available there. The white copy of the form goes into the bag with the clothing to be labeled, and the yellow copy is to be returned to the unit. Unit staff will help complete the forms or drop off clothing at the drop box for those who are unable to do so.

A bank machine is located on the ground floor of L-Wing. The Resident Accounts Office is located on the ground floor of K-Wing. Veteran Residents can set up a petty-cash account here. Parking permits can also be renewed at Resident Accounts. Office Hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (closed daily from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.).

The Barbershop located in K-Wing is available to residents, their families and staff for haircuts and a . To book an appointment with the barber please call 647-802-3202 to arrange. For women’s hair services please call 647-838-1800 to arrange.

The Artisan Marketplace gift shop is located on the ground floor of K-wing. Clothing, gifts, toiletries, greeting cards, stamps, and confectionary are available here. Unique crafts made by the residents are also available for purchase. Hours: Open 4 days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is also another gift shop located in M-Wing near the main entrance of the hospital.

A Toronto Public Library branch is located on the ground floor of L-Wing. Books, magazines and DVDs / videos may be borrowed as in other public libraries. It is open to all Monday to Friday 9:00 to 5:00 p.m. (closed between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.) call ext. 62624 to speak to the librarian.

Some residents enjoy having a hired companion who provides one-to-one social interaction and may accompany the resident to off-unit activities. A hired Companion is a privately funded employee of a Resident and/or their Substitute Decision Maker. If you are planning to hire a companion, please inform your unit Social Worker who will review our Privately Contracted Companions Policy with you.

Volunteers play a valuable role in supporting and enhancing the care and quality of life of Residents at the Veterans Centre. All people wishing to become a volunteer are required to follow an application process that includes but is not limited to an interview, reference check, orientation and a training process. Individuals interested in volunteering at the Veterans Centre may contact the Volunteer Resource Department at 416-480-4129. If you have a family member living at the Veterans Centre, your placement will be in another area of the hospital other than the Veterans Centre.

Sunnybrook offers free Wi-Fi. You and your guests are able to connect to our wireless network called SW_Guest. The first time you access the Wi-Fi you will be required to enter a password (SunnybrookGuest).

The Family Information Update (FIU) is an email communication that is sent to interested family members once per month. To be added to the FIU email list, please send your name, telephone number, email address and the name of the resident (your loved one) to veterans.experience@sunnybrook.ca. We do not share your email address outside of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

There is parking for family members in Garage2 (located on the west side of L Wing). Reduced rate parking permits are available to family members of residents in K and L Wings, and the Dorothy Macham Home. Permits can be shared among three family members. There is a refundable deposit for each entry card.

PLEASE NOTE: There is no space for parking of resident owned vehicles on the campus.

To purchase an initial parking permit:
Please visit the Parking Services Office in C-Wing, ground floor, room 01 (CG01). Have the license plate information of all vehicles with you (the permit may be shared among up to three family members).

Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m./ weekends 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closed on statutory holidays.

Telephone: 416-480-6100 ext. 64123

To renew a parking permit:
➊ Visit the Resident Accounts Office at K-Wing, Ground floor
➋ Online via Online Parking Permit Renewal.

Reduced rate weekend and statutory holiday coupons are available to visitors at the L-Wing reception desk when a Volunteer is on duty, or in the Artisan Market located in K-Wing.

The reduced rate coupons are good for one visit per coupon. The cost decreases to $3.25/day when using this coupon and is only valid on weekends and statutory holidays.

If parking in Garage 1 (located between the Veterans Centre and the main hospital) the coupon must be presented to the attendant as you exit. If parking in Lot 20 (located at the southwest corner of Raab Blvd and Wellness Way) there is an automated pay station situated at the Lot 20 entrance.

Various locations around the Sunnybrook campus offer meter parking for short-term parking. Please do not park in front of L-Wing or K-Wing at any time.