Building Palliative Care Capacity in Long-Term Care Could Reduce Pressure on Hospitals

Ottawa, ON – October 5, 2026 – Earlier access to high-quality palliative care in long-term care could relieve unnecessary suffering for residents, improve their quality of life and reduce avoidable hospital transfers. A new evidence brief released today by Pallium Canada makes the case for strengthening palliative care capability in long-term care and calls for a National Palliative Care Training Standard for the sector.

The Economic Case for Investing in Palliative Care Workforce Readiness brings together Canadian and international research examining the cost of care near the end of life, the role of palliative care in reducing avoidable hospital use, and the evidence for building palliative care capability within long-term care.

An Ontario population study estimated average health-system spending in the last year of life at $53,661 per person, with hospital care accounting for 43 per cent of costs. The finding highlights why reducing avoidable hospital use near the end of life matters economically.

Long-term care is a priority setting for palliative care. Almost all residents live with progressive, life-limiting illnesses, including dementia, advanced heart or lung disease, and frailty. A palliative approach should therefore be part of everyday care, tailored to each resident’s needs. In 2021–22, CIHI reported that only 19% of residents who died in long-term care homes were recorded as receiving palliative care in their last year of life. The data points to an opportunity to strengthen care where residents live and reduce avoidable hospital transfers.

“We are spending scarce health-care dollars responding to crises in hospitals when some of those crises can be avoided with earlier planning and better support,” said Jeffrey Moat, CEO of Pallium Canada. “This is about equipping the people who already care for residents in long-term care with the skills, tools and support to recognize changing needs earlier, relieve suffering through better pain and symptom management, have better conversations with families and know when specialist help is needed. That means better care for residents and families, and better use of the health-care resources Canada already has.”

Pallium Canada is on Parliament Hill today calling on the federal government to invest $300 million over five years in a dedicated national envelope to develop and implement a National Palliative Care Training Standard for Long-Term Care.

The standard would establish a common national foundation for what different members of long-term care teams need to know and be able to do in palliative care, while allowing provinces, territories and individual homes to adapt implementation to local needs. The proposed investment would also support protected training time and staff backfill, coaching and ongoing mentorship, practical tools, leadership support, and common measurement and evaluation of outcomes for residents, families, staff, and the healthcare system.

“Canada does not need to choose between better care and a more productive health system,” said Moat. “When long-term care teams are equipped to provide a palliative approach earlier, residents can receive more appropriate care where they live, families can better understand what to expect, and hospitals can be used when they are truly needed. This is a practical investment in the healthcare workforce and capacity that Canada already has.”

Pallium Canada is calling on the federal government to include the $300-million investment over five years as part of its efforts to improve health-system capacity and productivity. The proposed national standard would provide shared training and implementation infrastructure while leaving provinces and territories responsible for how long-term care services are delivered.

Jackson Cardillo
Public Affairs Coordinator
jackson@impactcanada.com
(519) 670-7616