Open Letter on Budget 2020 Priorities for the Home and Community Care Sector
Open Letter on Budget 2020 Priorities for the Home and Community Care Sector
Download PDFToronto - October 22, 2020
Dear Premier,
As Covid-19 case numbers rise and we reflect on the first wave of the pandemic, OCSA knows that the home and community care sector could be better utilized to support the province’s battle against the disease. Seniors and people with disabilities are safer at home.
For the home and community care sector to be able to alleviate capacity pressures on hospitals and long-term care homes the province should make the following investments:
• Annualize recent one-time COVID related investments for the High Intensity Supports at Home Program and the funding for the expansion of Meals on Wheels and delivery of essentials.
• Raise the wages of personal support workers (PSWs), nurses and other staff in the home and community care sector to create parity across health sectors.
• Create 2,500 additional Assisted Living spaces to reduce the number of people being admitted to long-term care prematurely.
• Provide a 3% funding increase for home and community care organizations to ensure they have the tools and capacity to meet their client’s increased needs.
Annualize Recent Investments
Covid-19 created tremendous strain on the health system. It also demonstrated that the home and community care sector can play a bigger role when properly supported. Investments such as the High Intensity Supports at Home program and the expansion of Meals on Wheels and delivery of essentials, must be continued to provide appropriate supports to vulnerable individuals. Investments such as this demonstrate that the home and community sector can keep people safely at home. With the continuing wave of new Covid-19 cases, we know that seniors and those with disabilities will benefit from these services. These investments should be annualized to ensure the people receiving these services don’t find themselves prematurely institutionalized.
Wage Parity
In our January 2020 pre-budget submission, we called for closing the pay gap of front-line workers between health sectors. At the time, we called for wage parity with long-term care homes to be achieved over a 5-year period, however the pandemic has made it clear that this needs to be achieved now across all sectors and positions. The pandemic pay premium and the most recent temporary wage enhancement for PSWs were welcomed and brought much needed recognition of the heroic efforts these front-line staff have made during this pandemic. However, we must ensure parity for front-line PSWs and nurses, which would cost the province approximately $164 million. This investment would considerably help to narrow the province’s current shortfall of 6,000 PSWs and create the capacity to treat and keep people well at home.*
Expand Assisted Living
A recent report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information confirms that there were over 2,800 people admitted to long-term care homes this year in Ontario who could have been kept safely at home with adequate home and community care supports. Keeping these people at home would have lowered their risk of exposure to COVID as well as generated health system savings of $31 million to up to $104 million.** These savings would go a long way in shoring up hours of care in LTC and front-line staff pay in community.
To better utilize the sector, we repeat our call for an investment of $57 million into the expansion of Assisted Living for Frail Seniors programs across the province and for the government to review its policy to ensure this program’s impact is maximized. An investment of this magnitude would enable an additional 2,500 seniors to live at home safely rather than in long-term care.
Infrastructure for Home and Community Care Organizations
Between 2003 and 2018 the proportion of home care and community support service clients who are high risk or very high risk of an adverse event has almost doubled.*** Providers supporting this population are in immediate need of increased funding to keep up with this growing acuity.
We are urging the province to ensure an adequate increase to the base funding of organizations by investing $125 million to address the growing acuity of their clients, to make up for the lack of base funding increases and to address the additional COVID related costs. Home and community care providers can help, but we need additional investments to keep hospitals and long-term care homes focused on patients that cannot be served elsewhere.
One of the key lessons learned during this first wave of the pandemic was that people are safest at home and that home is where Ontarians want to be. A public opinion poll conducted by Campaign Research for Home Care Ontario found that 95% of seniors believe that staying in their own home with the support of home care is the safest environment for them to live during a pandemic and 91% want to stay in their own home or apartment as long as possible.****
Premier, we recognize the magnitude of the economic realities that this province is facing going forward. Investing in the home and community care sector will help enable our province to weather the remainder of this pandemic and save money by diverting care out of hospitals and long-term care for years to come.
We would like to be able to discuss these recommendations with you at your convenience. To arrange a meeting please contact, Janice Bedore, Executive Assistant, at Janice.bedore@ocsa.on.ca or 416-256-3021 ext.224.
Thank you,
Deborah Simon,
CEO
Ontario Community Support Association
Cc:
Hon. Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine.Elliott@ontario.ca
Hon. Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance Rod.phillips@ontario.ca
Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, President of the Treasury Board Peter.Bethlenfalvy@ontario.ca
*Analysis of 2019 OCSA & Home Care Ontario Wage Reports. $164 million would allow home and community care PSWs wages to be brought up to $21 an hour to align with the average long-term care homes and for home and community care RN wages to be brought up to the starting ONA hospital rate of $31 an hour. A benefits premium of 22.5% is included.
**OCSA analysis based on CIHI Report
***Ontario Home and Community Care Client Profile, Prepared by InterRai Canada for OCSA, 2018
****Home Care Ontario Poll Research conducted by Campaign Research Inc
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Toronto, ON – June 30, 2026 – Nearly 700 Ontarians are currently waiting in hospital for home care or community support services to be arranged before they can safely return home, according to data available from Ontario Health. The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) says the figures demonstrate the growing urgency of investing in the services that make aging at home possible. These findings come as new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) highlight ongoing emergency department pressures across Canada and as more than 45,000 Ontarians remain on long-term care waitlists in the community. Together, these numbers point to a fundamental shift occurring across Ontario's healthcare system: more people are living longer at home, often with increasingly complex needs, while demand for community-based care continues to outpace available capacity. "Ontario has entered a new era of healthcare," said Lori Holloway, Chief Executive Officer of OCSA. "For years we've talked about aging at home as a goal. Today, it is the reality. More than 45,000 people are waiting for long-term care in the community, and nearly 700 patients are waiting in hospital for the home care and community support services needed to return home safely. The question is no longer whether Ontario needs more community capacity. The question is how quickly we can build it." Ontario's not-for-profit home care and community support organizations provide the services that make aging at home possible, including home care, transportation, Meals on Wheels, assisted living, caregiver supports, adult day programs, wellness services and hospital-to-home programs. Without these supports, seniors are more likely to remain in hospital longer, experience avoidable health crises, or require earlier admission to long-term care. “Community care is increasingly becoming healthcare's pressure valve," said Holloway. "Every hospital bed occupied by someone waiting for community services tells us the same thing: the demand for aging-at-home supports is growing faster than the system's ability to provide them. If we want to improve hospital flow, reduce pressure on emergency departments and help people remain independent longer, we need to accelerate investment in community capacity." OCSA is calling for continued investments in home care, community support services, caregiver supports; not just service volume increases but the necessary infrastructure funding to ensure Ontario can meet the needs of a rapidly aging population. "Ontario has made important investments across hospitals, long-term care and home care," Holloway added. "The next phase of healthcare transformation must focus on building the aging-at-home capacity that will determine whether our health system can meet future demand." For more information: Karla Sealy Manager, Advocacy, Policy and Community Engagement karla.sealy@ocsa.on.ca 416-256-3010/1-800-267-6272, ext. 242
Ontario's health system is at a crossroads. Nearly one in five Ontarians is over age 65, more than 2.5 million people are without access to primary care, and hospitals face persistent Alternate Level of Care (ALC) pressures. Meanwhile, long-term care (LTC) waitlists exceed 48,000 people and are projected to grow. The most cost-effective and compassionate solution is to invest in a comprehensive suite of services including community support services, home care and independent living services, which allows people to remain in their homes and communities while reducing system pressures.
Ontario, Canada — April 1, 2026 — The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) and the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society (Ontario SPCA) are launching a new partnership to support seniors and their pets by delivering pet food alongside Meals on Wheels deliveries. This collaboration brings together community support providers and animal welfare services to address a practical challenge faced by many older adults—accessing pet food due to limited mobility, fixed incomes, or transportation barriers. By leveraging existing Meals on Wheels routes, volunteers can now also deliver pet supplies donated by the Ontario SPCA during their regular visits. The initiative is being introduced through an initial pilot with a small group of participating providers, including Meals on Wheels Sudbury, and Meals on Wheels Cornwall, which has already completed its first pet food deliveries to local seniors. “Meals on Wheels programs do far more than deliver food, they are a vital connection point into the community,” said Lori Holloway, CEO of OCSA. “This partnership reflects how organizations can work together to respond to real, everyday challenges seniors face. It’s a practical example of how community-based care supports the whole person, not just clinical needs.” “Pets are family, and we know the positive impact they have on people’s mental and emotional health,” said Jennifer Bluhm, VP, Community Outreach, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “This partnership helps remove barriers so seniors can continue to enjoy the companionship of their pets.” The program is already making an impact at the community level, with local providers seeing firsthand how small supports can improve quality of life for clients. “Pets can play a powerful role in reducing the isolation many seniors experience,” said Tammi Lear, Executive Director, Meals on Wheels Sudbury. “Meals on Wheels Sudbury is excited to partner with the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society to help keep our seniors healthy, connected, and able to remain in their homes with their pets.” “Meals on Wheels Cornwall is proud to be the first organization to pilot this program with the Ontario SPCA,” said Andree-Ann Morin, Meals on Wheels Coordinator, Glen Stor Dun Lodge. “This pilot program recognizes that food security doesn’t stop with the individual — it includes the pets who bring comfort and companionship. Thanks to the Ontario SPCA, we’ve already been able to help clients who were struggling with the cost, access, and special dietary needs of their pets. Even with just a few clients so far, we’ve seen how removing this worry can improve overall wellbeing.” Evidence shows that pets can reduce loneliness and support mental well-being among older adults. Small, practical supports like this can play an important role in maintaining health, preventing more complex needs over time, and improving client outcomes. This new partnership demonstrates the potential of cross-sector collaboration to better support seniors aging at home, while strengthening connections between health, community, and social supports. OCSA and the Ontario SPCA will continue working together to explore opportunities to expand the program with additional community partners across Ontario. Media Contact: Karla Sealy Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) karla.sealy@ocsa.on.ca 416-256-3010 / 1-800-267-6272 ext. 242 About the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) is the leading voice for home and community care in Ontario, representing hundreds of not-for-profit organizations delivering both home care and community support services across the province. OCSA members provide essential services including nursing, personal support and therapies; Meals on Wheels, transportation, caregiver supports, and other programs that help people remain safely in their homes and communities. Serving over one million Ontarians each year, OCSA works with government and system partners to advance integrated, community-based care as a cornerstone of a sustainable health system. About the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity that has been operating for more than 150 years. The organization provides care, comfort, and compassion to animals in need in communities across Ontario, and works to keep pets and people together through a variety of community support services, education, and animal wellness initiatives.
