The Canadian Association for Long Term Care is disappointed that yesterday’s federal budget once again contains no new funding for the systemic challenges facing the long-term care system in Canada.

Each year, our country’s demographics are changing — more people are getting older. As this happens, further strain will continue to be placed on our long-term care system. Without a national funding strategy, the care for our seniors will continue to be precarious.

While the release of the new national standards for long-term care represented a positive step in developing a shared vision of quality long-term care for all Canadians, there is no way to deliver on this vision without additional resources. The increases to the Canada Health Transfer and the important new investments in Canada’s broader health system will not be enough to address the critical issues facing long-term care homes and the residents they care for.

We are additionally concerned the government has not sought to address the health human resources emergency in Canada with new funding. The federal government needs to play a coordinating role in addressing these challenges, developing a clear national strategy to ensure that health and long-term care providers have the staff they need to provide care for Canadians.

We do welcome the government’s commitment to strengthen retirement savings for Personal Support Workers. We look forward to working with the government on scaling up this initiative to support PSWs who play a critical role in the long-term care workforce.

We will continue to advocate for investments in raising the quality of long-term care in Canada for all Canadians, no matter where they live.