Let’s get long-term care right

The federal government has a chance to improve long-term care in Canada with the Safe Long-Term Care Act. The act has the potential to secure the dignity, safety, and high-quality care that every senior deserves, while addressing critical challenges faced by health care workers.

Why we need the Safe Long-Term Care Act

Millions of Canadians rely on long-term care homes, yet the current state of care is failing both residents and health care workers. The Safe Long-Term Care Act offers an opportunity to:

Set enforceable national standards for long-term care homes

Improve working conditions for health care workers, leading to better outcomes for residents.

Phase out for-profit long-term care models that prioritize profit over care.

Key Recommendations

Here's how we can get the Safe Long-Term Care Act right.

Create mandatory national standards

The Act needs to adopt the Health Standards Organization (HSO) and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) guidelines, including a minimum of 4.5 hours of direct care per resident daily.

Support workers

A robust national workforce strategy, aligned with the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 5R Framework, must address precarious employment, ensure fair compensation, and attract skilled caregivers to the sector.

Increase accountability

Federal funding should be tied to compliance with standards, with transparent reporting through annual provincial and territorial updates. Canadians deserve insight into long-term care quality through a yearly national report.

Eliminate for-profit homes

By phasing out private, for-profit long-term care facilities and staffing agencies, federal resources can be redirected to public and non-profit care models that prioritize residents over profit.

Read our open letter.

Canadians deserve safe, high-quality long-term care—and health care workers deserve fair conditions to make it possible. Read our full open letter to learn how the Safe Long-Term Care Act can transform care for seniors and support workers across the country.

Read the letter