“Lost in Transition”: A Call to Action We Can’t Ignore

The Ontario Ombudsman’s newly released report, Lost in Transition, shines a bright light on an issue our team at Ottawa Foyers Partage knows all too well: adults with developmental disabilities are spending far too long in hospitals, not because they need medical care, but because the essential community supports they require simply aren’t available.

For years, we have witnessed the emotional, physical, and social toll that prolonged hospitalization can have on individuals. A hospital bed is not a home. Extended stays often lead to loss of independence, heightened anxiety, disrupted routines, and isolation from meaningful community connections. Families feel this strain as deeply as the individuals themselves, watching their loved ones wait in limbo for services that should exist.

The Ombudsman’s findings confirm what frontline providers, families, and advocates have been saying for over a decade: the system is not working as it should. The gaps between ministries, the lack of coordinated planning, and the shortage of appropriate housing and support options leave too many people stuck in places that cannot meet their long-term needs.

At Ottawa Foyers Partage, we believe that every person deserves the dignity of living in a safe, supportive environment where they can thrive, not just survive. This report reinforces the urgent need for sustained investment in person-centred housing and community-based supports. It is a call to action for all of us: policymakers, service providers, and communities alike.

We remain committed to advocating for meaningful change and to creating spaces where people with developmental disabilities are truly included, valued, and supported.

Ontario can—and must—do better. Lives depend on it.

Read the full Ombudsman report: https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/en/our-work/investigations/lost-transition