August 4, 2021 - Toronto Star

Fixing long-term care in Canada could cost $13.7B, budget watchdog estimates

A report published this morning by parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux estimates ending wait lists, increasing staff pay and benefits, providing more hours of care each day and expanding home care could cost around $13.7 billion.

Dr. Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald, a Director of Financial Security Research at the NIA, said nobody should be surprised by the size of the figure, but added it’s time for Canadians to have a conversation about “what kind of Canada do we want people to age in.”

MacDonald said that report confirmed what those familiar with the system had known for years. But she said the pandemic didn’t just blow the lid off any illusions Canadians had about the standards of care homes for vulnerable seniors, it made most Canadians think they didn’t want to ever live in one.