Worried someone isn't answering? When to call 911, and what a wellness check involves

When a parent or friend who lives alone stops answering, a lot of worries arrive at once. Is this an emergency? Am I overreacting? What will the police do? Will they break the door down? Who pays for the ambulance?

This guide pulls together what official sources say, so you can act quickly and calmly. It is general information, not legal or medical advice. Rules and services vary by province and city, so we have noted where things differ.

If it might be an emergency, call 911

Don't wait to try a list of people first. Call 911 if you think someone may be in immediate danger or having a medical emergency, for example:

• Chest pain or trouble breathing.
• They are unconscious, or you can see them on the floor and they are not responding.
• Severe bleeding or a serious injury.
• Signs of a stroke: a drooping face, trouble raising both arms, or slurred or jumbled speech.
• Fire, a suspected gas leak, violence, or a risk of self-harm.

Not sure if it counts? London Police Service advises calling 911 if you are unsure whether a situation is an emergency.

If it's a worry, not an emergency

Sometimes there is no sign of an emergency. The person just isn't answering, and that isn't like them. These steps can help, in whatever order makes sense:

• Call both their home phone and their cell, and send a text.
• Contact someone nearby you trust, especially anyone with a spare key.
• If they live in an apartment, call the building superintendent or manager.

There is no set waiting time. If at any point you think it might be an emergency, call 911.

If you still can't reach them, call the police non-emergency number for the community where they live and ask for a wellness check. For example:

• London Police Service: 519-661-5670
• Toronto Police Service: 416-808-2222
• Ottawa Police Service: 613-236-1222

Elsewhere, look up your local police service's non-emergency number. Asking for a check does not guarantee that officers attend, or attend by a certain time. That depends on what else is happening.

What to have ready when you call

• Their full name, and their exact address including any unit number.
• When someone last spoke to them.
• Why the silence is unusual for them.
• Any health conditions that matter, like a heart condition, diabetes or a recent fall.
• What you have already tried.
• Who has a key, or how to reach the building manager.

What a wellness check involves

A wellness check is meant to find out whether someone is safe. Officers may try to contact the person, or go to their home. There is no single script, and what happens depends on the circumstances.

In one documented case in Toronto, officers knocked, identified themselves, kept trying to talk to the person, and got a passkey from the building manager before going in. That shows one possible approach. It isn't a rule every service follows.

Will they break the door down?

Police can enter a home without a warrant in an emergency, when it is justified to protect someone's life or safety. The Supreme Court of Canada set out this power, and its limits, in a 1999 case called R. v. Godoy. But asking for a wellness check doesn't automatically mean a door will be forced. If someone has a key, tell the dispatcher who has it and how to reach them.

What it can cost

The police visit

London Police Service's published fee schedule (effective January 1, 2026) does not list a fee for a routine wellness check. It does list fees for other services, like copies of reports and records. We couldn't find a rule that covers every police service in Canada, so if cost is a worry, ask your local service.

An ambulance in Ontario

If someone is taken to hospital by ambulance, the cost is for the ambulance service, not for the phone call. In Ontario:

• Usually $45 for a medically necessary ambulance trip from home to hospital, for someone with valid OHIP coverage. The doctor at the hospital decides whether it was medically necessary.
• $240 for land ambulance service if the trip is judged not medically necessary, or the person does not have valid Ontario health coverage.
• The hospital usually sends the bill to the patient.

Some people are exempt from the $45, including people on Ontario Works or ODSP, people receiving certain publicly funded home-care services, and residents of long-term care homes. Being a senior does not, on its own, make you exempt. If you are unsure, ask the hospital that sends the bill.

An ambulance in other provinces

Fees are set by each province and change from time to time. As published when we checked in October 2026, for residents:

• British Columbia: $80 for emergency transport. A $50 fee may apply if you are seen but not transported.
• Alberta: $385 with transport, $250 without. Some seniors with eligible provincial coverage are exempt.
• Saskatchewan: a basic charge of $245 to $325, with possible extras. Eligible residents 65 and over pay at most $135 per trip.
• Manitoba: $250 for land ambulance transport.
• Quebec: generally $125 plus $1.75 per kilometre. People 65 and over may be covered, subject to the doctor's approval.
• New Brunswick: $130.60 for transport. Some groups are covered, including Guaranteed Income Supplement recipients.
• Nova Scotia: $146.55 for medically essential transport.
• Prince Edward Island: generally $150. No fee for residents 65 and over taken to a PEI hospital emergency department.
• Newfoundland and Labrador: a $115 response fee, which can apply even without transport.

Check your province's ambulance billing page for current rates and exemptions.

A damaged door

There is no single answer to who pays if a door is damaged during an emergency entry. Some police services, like Ottawa's, publish a process for property damage claims, but having a process doesn't mean repairs are paid. If it happens, ask the police service about its claims process, and talk to your home insurer.

Plan ahead, so help can get in

Most of the worry in this guide shrinks with a little planning. The Government of Ontario recommends arranging for someone to check on you, and making sure someone in your local support network has an extra key.

• A spare key with a trusted person. Toronto Police recommends leaving a duplicate key with someone you trust, rather than hiding one outside. See giving a neighbour a spare key.
• A registered lockbox, in London and Middlesex. Middlesex-London Paramedic Services runs a Paramedic Access program that registers a lockbox code with ambulance dispatch, so paramedics can get in when 911 is called from that address. Ask them about it at 519-679-5466, extension 1145.
• Medical information on hand. Middlesex-London Paramedic Services also offers a Cool Aid form for keeping up-to-date medical information where paramedics can find it.
• Building access in Ottawa. Ottawa Police's Operation Access lets building owners and managers register emergency entry information confidentially.
• A daily check-in. So someone notices early if a day goes quiet. More on that below.

Your local paramedic or police service can tell you what's available where you live. If you use a lockbox, check with your home insurer about anything they require.

211 and Health811: what they are for

• 211 is a free, confidential, 24/7 line that helps you find community and social services. It does not send someone to the house.
• Health811 is Ontario's free 24/7 line for health advice from a registered nurse. It replaced Telehealth Ontario. It does not replace 911, and it can't check on someone at home.

Where MyDailyCheck fits

MyDailyCheck is a daily check-in call or text. If it goes unanswered, we contact the people you chose, one at a time, so someone nearby can check, often a neighbour with a key. That gives your family an early heads-up when a day goes quiet.

Sources

We checked these official sources on October 6, 2026:

• London Police Service: Make a report
• London Police Service: Fee update
• Toronto Police Service: Mental health
• Toronto Police Service: Break and enter prevention
• Ottawa Police Service: Contact us
• RCMP: 2023 public disclosure occurrence report
• Supreme Court of Canada: R. v. Godoy (1999)
• Special Investigations Unit: Director's report 26-TCD-154
• Government of Ontario: Guide to programs and services for seniors, health and well-being
• Government of Ontario: Regulation 552
• Government of Ontario: Ensure everyone's safety during an emergency
• Middlesex-London Paramedic Services: Paramedic Access
• Middlesex-London Paramedic Services: Calling 9-1-1
• Ottawa Police Service: Operation Access
• Ottawa Police Service: Professional Standards
• 211 Ontario: FAQ
• Ontario Health: Health811
• Alberta: Ambulance and emergency health services
• BC Emergency Health Services: Fees
• Saskatchewan: Ambulance services
• Manitoba: Health coverage
• Québec: Cost of ambulance transportation
• Ambulance New Brunswick: Billing
• Nova Scotia: Ambulance fees
• Prince Edward Island: Ambulance services
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Emergency health and paramedicine services