Historic increase in funding comes as the government reaches its goal of four hours of direct care for residents
The Ontario government is protecting Ontario’s long-term care system by increasing annual funding to a record $1.92 billion to support the significant increase in staffing in the province’s long-term care homes over the past four years. The historic increase to support staff comes as the government surpassed its target of an average of four hours of daily direct care for residents by nurses and personal support workers (PSWs) this spring.
“Our government is making historic investments to improve long-term care, by training, hiring and retaining thousands of health care workers,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. “This record investment into staffing will ensure those living in Ontario’s long-term care homes receive the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve.”
The government’s investment builds on the previous $4.9 billion four-year staffing plan, which focused on recruitment, training and retention and helped add more than 16,000 personal support workers and nurses to the provincial workforce. As a result of highly successful initiatives like the PSW incentives program and the Supporting Professional Growth Fund, which helped more than 45,000 existing staff advance their careers between 2022 and 2024, the new funding will support salaries and other employment costs as the government continues to strengthen the sector’s workforce.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is continuing to protect Ontario’s health-care system — and that includes protecting long-term care,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Through this historic investment to increase the long-term care workforce, we are ensuring that Ontarians can receive the high-quality care they need and deserve, no matter where they live.”
Compared to 2021, long-term care residents are now receiving, on average, more than an hour of additional daily direct care from nurses and PSWs — a 36 per cent increase, equivalent to 15 days of additional care per resident, per year.
Building the long-term care workforce is one more way the government is ensuring Ontarians get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve. The plan to improve long-term care is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe, and comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.
Quick Facts
- In the first quarter of the government’s 2025-26 fiscal year, residents received an average of 4 hours and 5 minutes of PSW and nursing care every day.
- Seniors — people age 65 and older — make up the fastest growing age group in the province.
- As part of its plan to fix long-term care and address waitlists, the government is building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province.
- In August 2025, the Ontario government announced it is investing $56.8 million to expand enrolment in nursing programs at publicly assisted colleges and universities across the province.
- Ontario is offering incentives of up to $35,400 to PSW students and eligible PSWs to launch careers in long-term care homes and in the home and community care sector.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
