FAQs
ABOUT 2022 BURSARIES
The 2022 bursary application window closed on September 7, 2022. All applicants have been notified of the outcome.
Please check back in 2023 bursary program.
ABOUT THE FUND
1. What is the Senior Living CaRES Fund?
The Senior Living CaRES Fund (the Fund) was established in May 2020 by founding partners Chartwell Retirement Residences, Revera Inc., Extendicare and Sienna Senior Living to provide financial support to Canada’s senior living sector employees facing exceptional circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. How many senior living sector employees have received a grant to date?
Since May 2020, the Fund has awarded more than $2.9 million in emergency financial assistance to 872 senior living sector employees across the country.
3. What kind of financial support can employees apply for?
In 2022, the Fund shifts from crisis funding for economic hardship to bursaries for senior living sector employees to pursue relevant post-secondary educational opportunities to advance their careers within the sector.
4. Why is the Fund no longer providing grants for economic hardship?
As the pandemic moves into the endemic phase, the Fund is transitioning to providing bursaries to front-line senior living sector employees. As the Fund evolves, it will always be rooted in the history of COVID-19 so that Canadians will never forget the heroic contributions and the resiliency of senior living sector employees.
5. When is the Fund accepting applications?
On July 15, 2022, the Fund launched its bursary program, and the window for submissions closes on September 7, 2022.
6. Who is eligible to apply?
Front-line senior living sector employees (casual, part-time or full-time) of a senior living operator in Canada, looking to pursue post-secondary educational opportunities relevant to the sector.
7. Can my child apply?
No, the bursary program is currently designed for senior living sector employees, not their children.
8. Can I apply for a course that I am already enrolled in?
No, the bursary program is currently designed for future courses not to cover past expenses.
9. How much do recipients receive?
The Fund is providing up to 100 bursaries this year, worth $2,500 each. Up to 1,000 submissions will be accepted for consideration.
10. Can I apply more than once?
Applicants can submit one application during each review cycle to receive a lifetime maximum of $10,000.
11. Do recipients need to pay back the amount provided?
The Fund provides grants, not loans, therefore the amount provided does not need to be re-paid.
12. Does the Fund count as taxable income?
Yes, bursaries are taxable income. Recipients will receive a T4A from the post-secondary education institution they are attending.
13. What is the CaRES Education Community?
The CaRES Education Community will provide support, for example, free webinars, to assist bursary recipients in their education journey while they balance continued employment in the sector. There is no cost for bursary recipients to participate.
14. Why did the Fund start?
The Fund was conceived by the CEOs of Chartwell Retirement Residences, Revera Inc., Extendicare and Sienna Senior Living to recognize the heroic efforts of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the vision to support senior living sector employees.
15. Where is money for the Fund coming from?
The Fund was founded in May 2020 by Chartwell Retirement Residences, Revera Inc., Extendicare and Sienna Senior Living who mobilized together to create and finance the Fund. It was launched with a two-million-dollar donation from its founding partners.
Since 2021, the Fund welcomed the RBC Foundation and Southbridge Care Homes as Platinum sponsors and OMNI Health Care as a Gold sponsor and received financial support from the RBC Foundation and the Canadian Alliance to Protect and Equip Seniors Living.
16. Why aren’t you just paying employees more money?
The Fund is a registered charity that does not pay employee salaries. The majority of employees in the senior living sector are unionized and would negotiate salaries as part of their Collective Bargaining Agreements.
17. Can other senior living sector operators partner with the Fund?
Operators that are interested in providing financial support to the Fund are welcome and can email info@seniorlivingcares.ca.
18. Where can senior living sector employees learn more about the Fund?
Employees can find information online at seniorlivingcares.ca.
ABOUT ELIGIBILITY & APPLICATION
1. Who is eligible for the Fund?
All casual, part-time, or full-time employees of a senior living operator in Canada, employed for at least three months at long-term care or retirement home as of the application date are eligible to apply, including care staff, support services, dietary teams, administrative staff, and others.
2. Can senior living sector employees in all provinces apply?
All front-line senior living sector employees across the country are invited to submit applications.
3. What are the criteria that applicants need to meet to qualify for the Fund?
Applicants must:
- be a front-line employee (casual, part-time or full-time) of a senior living operator in Canada, employed for at least three months at long-term care or retirement home as of the application date,
- consent for the review committee to contact the applicant via email and/or phone, and
- agree to employment verification with the human resources department of their employer.
4. How do employees apply?
Applicants must access the online application portal at seniorlivingcares.ca to register. They must first create an online profile. Then complete the “New Bursary Form” application and provide supporting documentation, which includes two letters of reference from an employer and either a co-worker, resident or resident’s family member.
Letters of support should focus on how you are a positive addition to the team and reference your commitment to helping seniors.
The signed letter of support from your manager should include the manager’s name, title, contact information (telephone and email), home name, and location.
Once the application is complete, applicants must agree to the terms and conditions of the application.
Applicants should go to the Application Portal button in the upper right corner of the home page to start the application process.
Step 1: Register to create a profile. The user name is your first and last name, not your email address. Please keep this in mind if you log back in.
Step 2: Choose “New Bursary Application” to submit an application.
5. How will the Fund communicate with applicants?
Upon successful online submission, applicants will see a notice on their screen with the message “Submission successfully completed” and be contacted regarding the status of their application, for example:
- qualification of the application and direction on the next wave of consideration,
- successful approval of the application and next steps for validation (i.e., contacting their employer to confirm employment status),
- denial of the application, and/or
- request for additional information.
6. How long does the application process take?
Applicants will receive an email confirmation of receipt of their submission. The review and verification process will be completed by mid-October 2022. Applicants will be notified as of:
- the successful approval of the application and next steps for validation (i.e., confirmation of employment),
- confirmation of the qualification of the application and directing the application on the next wave of consideration, and
- rejection of the application including specific reasons or exclusions as to why the application was rejected.
7. Can applicants who were unsuccessful re-apply?
Applicants are invited to re-submit their application during the next application cycle.
8. Who decides which applicants will receive bursaries from the Fund?
Applications are reviewed and evaluated by a volunteer evaluation committee, which recommends to the board of directors the bursary recipients.
9. How will applications be evaluated?
Applications undergo a blind evaluation process – i.e., applicant name, employer name and other identifying information will initially be hidden from the review panel to ensure fairness across employers, regions etc.
10. How will applicants be notified about the status of their application?
Upon successful submission, applicants will see a notice on their screen with the message “Submission successfully completed”.
ABOUT PAYMENT
11. How soon will successful applicants receive payment?
The review and verification process will be completed by mid-October 2022 and payments will be processed by education institutions after this time.
12. How will payments be processed?
As a registered charity, the Fund is unable to send money directly to recipients. Bursaries will be administered and distributed via the post-secondary education institution.
13. What if my course fees and associated fees with the post-secondary education institution are less than $2,500?
If relevant, the institutions will distribute back to the recipients the difference between the course fees, books, student fees etc. and the $2,500 bursary total for recipients to cover their out-of-pocket expenses.
If you have questions about the application, eligibility, or process, please contact us at applications@seniorlivingcares.ca
For more information or to partner, please contact info@seniorlivingcares.ca