Nunavut Elders' Homes by Community: Iqaluit, Arviat, Baker Lake, and Beyond

Qikiqtaaluk Region (Baffin)

Iqaluit Elders' Home provides Level 3 assisted living care — personal support, meals, supervision, and structured daily activities. It is operated through a funding agreement between the Department of Health and a regional non-profit society. The home runs at maximum capacity, and there is no public waitlist transparency for this facility specifically. Families apply through the territory-wide Single Entry Access system.

Igloolik Continuing Care Centre is a 10-bed facility owned and operated directly by the Government of Nunavut Department of Health. It provides both Level 3 and Level 4 care, meaning it can handle more complex nursing needs — wound management, ongoing clinical monitoring, and higher-acuity personal care — beyond what the Elders' Homes offer.

Kivalliq Region

Arviat Elders' Home (Andy Aulatjut Centre) serves the Kivalliq region with Level 3 care. Contracted to a local non-profit society and funded by the Department of Health, it operates at full capacity. Staff speak Inuktitut and integrate traditional country foods into daily meals — a critical consideration for elders maintaining their connection to Inuit food culture.

Baker Lake Elders' Home (Martha Taliruq Centre) also provides Level 3 care, operated by a non-profit society with clinical home care support integrated locally. Like Arviat, it runs at maximum occupancy.

Kivalliq Long-Term Care Centre, Rankin Inlet opened in May 2025 with 24 beds across Levels 3, 4, and 5. It is the first facility in Nunavut to offer secure dementia care (Level 5) in-territory. Jointly operated by Sakku Investments Corp. and Embassy West Senior Living under a 10-year, $150-million contract, this facility represents a major shift — some elders who would previously have been sent to Ottawa can now receive specialized care within the territory.

Naja Isabelle Home, Chesterfield Inlet is referenced in territorial care directories as a community-level elder support facility in the Kivalliq region. Families seeking placement here should contact the Territorial Continuing Care Coordinator for current bed availability and care level classifications.

Kitikmeot Region

Gjoa Haven Continuing Care Centre provides 10 beds at Levels 3 and 4, owned and operated by the Department of Health. It serves the western Kitikmeot communities.

Kitikmeot Regional Health Centre Long-Term Care Unit, Cambridge Bay has 8 beds at Levels 3 and 4, integrated into the regional health centre. It is the current continuing care option in Cambridge Bay.

Kitikmeot Long-Term Care Home, Cambridge Bay — a planned 24-bed facility with Levels 3 through 5 care — is under construction with a projected opening in 2028. Once operational, it will more than triple Cambridge Bay's continuing care capacity.

The Planned Iqaluit Expansion

A 48-bed Long-Term Care Home in Iqaluit is currently in the design phase. It will provide Levels 3 through 5 care and, once built, will be the territory's largest single continuing care facility. No construction timeline has been publicly confirmed.

How Placement Works Across Facilities

You do not apply to a specific facility. The Single Entry Access system assigns placement based on clinical need, bed availability, and — where possible — geographic proximity and language alignment. The Territorial Continuing Care Coordinator manages the territory-wide waitlist. Contact them at [email protected] to understand where your parent's file sits.

The Nunavut Elder Care Guide profiles each facility with its care capabilities, staffing model, and cultural programming, helping families evaluate a placement offer against their parent's specific needs.

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