Date: July 15, 2024
What is it like to work in the senior care sector these days? And what does the “Future of Work” look like for staff in retirement homes and Long-Term Care (LTC) residences?

Job Vacancies
According to the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA), by 2029, long-term care homes will require at least 58,600 more nurses and personal support workers to meet increased hours of care and new beds. That is more than double the current long-term care workforce.(1)
Across Canada, job vacancy rates have increased by nearly 70% in the health care and social assistance sector in the past four years (from 3.1% in 2019 to 5.2% as of November 2023).(2)
In our recent survey asking senior care leaders in Ontario and British Columbia about their key challenges, 75% of respondents expressed concern with cost pressures and balancing their budgets. More than half of respondents also reported concerns with staff injuries, exhaustion and overwork. The same number are struggling with labour shortages and staff retention.
On an optimistic note, over 80% of respondents indicated they see their culture as being somewhat or very open to innovation – which we believe is a key to enabling the future of work in any industry. Solutions from the past will not fix the challenges facing the industry today. Transformation is possible if we collaborate, plan and are open to new ideas.

The Future of Senior Living
Our partners at Complete Purchasing Services (CPS) came up with a wonderfully creative and collaborative way to demonstrate the future of work in the senior care sector with an “Immersive Experience” for their members.
On June 6th, CPS hosted a professional development day they called: “Elevate - The Future of Work”.
Attendees were able to walk through, see, touch and feel what all areas of a future senior living residence might contain – from a modern reception area to a dining room of the future, a model kitchen and storage area, an active living space, then a technology-enabled resident room (with a fun ‘stuffy’ to demonstrate fall detection sensors), through a house-keeping zone to an office and ending with relaxation and meeting rooms. There was something for everyone!
GlobalDWS showcased not only our service robots, but also a number of sensors/IoT and analytical dashboards to help attendees visualize the future of work (and life) that is available now.
Guests were treated to a holographic introduction – this short video gives you an idea of what the live hologram showed:
Interested to learn more? Sign up for (or view the recording of) our webinar: Technology Adoption for Senior Care (Click to register and get your unique Zoom link for the live event on August 21, 2024). Or contact us at any time!

Footnotes: 1. https://www.oltca.com/advocacy/staffing-crisis/
Comments