Protecting the Workforce

Ensuring long-term care remains a stable, rewarding place to build a career.

Ontario’s long-term care transformation depends on a stable, supported workforce.

Long-term care is not just a place to work. It is where people build careers, form lasting relationships with residents and families, and develop deep expertise in caring for people with complex needs.

The province has made important investments in the education, recruitment, and retention of staff in long-term care. Budget 2026 must protect this progress by focusing on the conditions that allow people to stay, grow, and thrive in their careers over time.

Why long-term care workforce sustainability is at risk

More than 100,000 people work in long-term care in Ontario, including nurses, personal support workers (PSWs), allied health professionals, and the teams that support daily life in homes.

Their work is relational, skilled, and increasingly complex.

At the same time, demand for care is growing, and new and redeveloped homes will require additional staff. By 2029, long-term care homes will need at least 25,400 additional nurses and PSWs to meet care-hour requirements and staff new spaces.

While essential, bringing people into the sector is only part of the solution.

Without the right conditions in place, recruitment gains are fragile — and turnover undermines continuity of care for residents and stability for teams.

The Data

A strong long-term care workforce is built when people can see a future in the sector and feel supported to do their best work.

Sector-wide priorities include:

• Making long-term care a stable and rewarding career
• Supporting leadership, mentorship, and professional development
• Supporting teams caring for residents with complex needs

These priorities require collective effort — from employers, educators, professional bodies, and government.