As Canada’s population ages, the demand for long-term care is surging. In 2023, approximately 7.6 million Canadians were aged 65 and older, representing nearly one-fifth of the total population. By 2031, an estimated 606,000 Canadians will require long-term care—an increase of nearly 60% compared to 2019 levels.
But are Canadian long-term care organizations equipped to meet this rising demand while maintaining high-quality care? The numbers suggest otherwise.
Staffing shortages are already straining the sector. In 2022, the number of direct care nurses in long-term care dropped by approximately 2,500—a 5.1% decline from the previous year. At the same time, LTC homes across Canada faced more than 38,000 open positions, more than double the number recorded just three years earlier.
On top of that, nearly one in three employees in nursing (30.3%) reported working overtime, almost double the proportion observed fifteen years earlier (15.7%). Even more concerning, approximately 1 in 10 worked overtime without pay—a reality that can potentially increase job dissatisfaction and push more nurses to leave the profession.
These figures highlight an urgent reality: long-term care organizations must adopt strategic workforce solutions today to ensure they can continue to meet patient needs in the future.
Despite these challenges, some long-term care providers are taking proactive steps to secure their future.
“Our shift to an integrated workforce management system will bring a transformative level of efficiency to our HR, payroll, and scheduling operations” said Greg Reid, CEO of Fred Douglas Society.
A similar story is unfolding at Tri-County Mennonite Homes (TCMH), a long-term care facility with over 500 employees and a history spanning more than 50 years. With deep roots in the Nithview and Greenwood Court communities, TCMH recognized that its current systems were no longer sufficient to support its expanding facilities and services. To address this, the organization is transitioning to a cloud-based Canadian solution that integrates scheduling, payroll, and HR management—ensuring a more sustainable and scalable future.
“With a rapidly expanding organization, we needed a system that could keep pace with our growth while simplifying complex workforce management tasks” said Mark Coburn, BFP FCA, Executive Director, Corporate Services, at Tri-County Mennonite Homes.
What do these organizations have in common? They recognized that their workforce management technology wasn’t keeping pace with their growing needs, and they took action. Their key priorities included:
(After March 19th, the link will provide access to the webinar recording)