02/26/2026
The math isn't adding up.
Are we paying a 700% premium to treat caregiver burnout and senior support in the wrong place?
According to a recent statement made by Ontario Community Support Association CEO Lori Holloway to Ontario's Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, if we don't protect community care in the 2026 budget, hospital pressures will get worse.
OCSA states:
- It costs about $730 a day to keep a senior in an acute care bed.
- It costs about $103 a day to support them with home care.
So why are we flooding our $730 beds with patients who don’t actually have acute medical needs?
Because we stopped funding the $103 solution.
This has generated a real time crisis in Ontario ERs. 1.9 million visits from caregivers looking for respite. $650 million annual cost from these “social admissions.” And with an increasing aging population, this is just going to get worse.
Those of us in the home care industry are seeing this blind spot every day. Minimal visits from government funded agencies from caregivers with no cultural matching with the care recepients. Non-existent subsidies from government for families to directly hire caregivers that match their needs.
This is leading to caregiver burnout and reduced safety and care for seniors at home, leading to repeated hospital admissions for both the seniors and their family caregivers.
If you are interested in more details, here is our full blog post: https://www.considracare.com/the-650-million-caregiver-crisis-breaking-ontarios-ers/
