Canada faces a challenge of meeting the demand for long-term care workers as the sector’s workforce is shrinking, according to a new study.
With one of Canada’s fastest growing age groups being people 85 and older, long-term care capacity will need to nearly double in the next decade to meet demand, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
The CIHI found that fewer staff mainly worked in the long-term care sector in 2023, at an estimated 13.6 per cent of the health workforce or 50,216 providers, than before the pandemic. These workers include nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
Recent data shows many of these workers are moving to jobs outside the long-term care industry. For instance, the number of registered psychiatric nurses working in long-term care dropped 42.5 per cent to 315 in 2023, from 548 in 2014.
CIHI found in 2023 that most health-care job vacancies were for staff who often work at long-term care facilities, including registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, licensed practical nurses and personal support workers. These vacancies have risen steadily since 2015 and “remain elevated” for many jobs, according to CIHI.
Reasons for the vacancies include retirement, changing jobs or adding positions, the report found.
The findings are an overview of recent trends and more data is needed for in-depth analyses, CIHI added.
CTVNews.ca wants to hear from workers about their experiences working in the long-term care industry. Have you left or are you thinking of leaving your job in the sector?
Why did you switch jobs, or thinking of making the change? What challenges did you face in your job? What can Canada do to retain workers in the sector?
Share your story by emailing us at dotcom@bellmedia.ca with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.
