August 29, 2024 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada

Every person in Canada deserves to age with dignity, safety and comfort, no matter where they live. While many Canadians want to age in place, they also expect and deserve to have options for quality long-term care available. That’s why the Canadian government is developing safe long-term care legislation.

Today, Health Canada released “Engaging under the Safe Long-Term Care Act: Report on What We Heard,” which summarizes feedback the department collected during in-person public consultations and virtual meetings on the proposed law to improve access to high-quality, safe and equitable long-term care in Canada.

The consultation process gathered a variety of insightful perspectives from more than 5,000 people across Canada, including health organizations, academics, long-term care residents, staff and caregivers, provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, and other federal government departments.

During consultation sessions, the Government of Canada heard that most people would prefer to age at home while having access to necessary support services. When long-term care is needed, people want and deserve it to be safe and of high quality. Participants discussed priorities such as: considering long-term care as one of the components of the supportive care continuum, which also includes home care and palliative care; inclusion and respect for diversity in long-term care; support for the long-term care workforce; access to culturally and trauma-sensitive long-term care; increased transparency and accountability in long-term care. Health Canada will use this information to develop the Safe Long-Term Care Act.

The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that every person in the country can age as they choose within their community. The federal government will continue to work with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners and all stakeholders to build a safe, equitable and high-quality long-term care system for the benefit of seniors and Canada’s health-care workforce.