Across Ontario—and Canada more broadly—the cracks in the home care system are widening. Families are waiting weeks, sometimes months, for support. Practitioners are overworked, underpaid, and burning out. And seniors, the very people the system is designed to protect, are too often left without timely, reliable care.

This isn’t just a policy issue—it’s a lived reality for thousands of households.

The State of Home Care Today

• • Rising Demand: By 2031, nearly 1 in 4 Canadians will be over the age of 65. In Ontario alone, the number of seniors is expected to double from 2.5 million in 2019 to almost 4.5 million by 2046.
  • Growing Wait Times: In 2022, the Ontario Health Coalition reported that families are waiting an average of 2–6 weeks to receive home care support after hospital discharge. For many, that’s simply too long.
  • Workforce Strain: Personal Support Workers (PSWs) make up over 70% of the home care workforce. Yet, turnover rates exceed 40% annually due to low wages, unstable hours, and a lack of autonomy.
  • Cost Pressures: Families spend thousands each year on private home care. According to Statistics Canada, households spend an average of $7,000–$12,000 annually on out-of-pocket elder care services.

The math doesn’t add up. More seniors need care. Fewer practitioners are staying in the field. Families are left to patch together solutions in a system that no longer reflects today’s realities.

Why Change is Necessary

We can’t keep pushing the same model and expect different results. The current agency-driven system creates layers of bureaucracy, reduces flexibility, and too often puts both practitioners and families in lose-lose situations.

• • Seniors deserve better. Care shouldn’t feel like being on a waitlist. Families need to see options and make choices that work for them.
  • Practitioners deserve better. Care providers want more control over their schedules, clients, and pay—so they can deliver care with pride, not exhaustion.
  • Communities deserve better. When home care works, it reduces hospital overcrowding, supports aging at home, and eases pressure on the long-term care system.

The Path Forward

What if home care was built differently—centered on transparency, flexibility, and empowerment? What if families could connect directly with qualified practitioners? What if caregivers were recognized as professionals who can choose how, when, and where they work?

This isn’t a dream. It’s the direction the sector must take if we want sustainable, quality care for seniors and dignity for the people who provide it.

The time for change is now. And the solutions are already taking shape.