Grant: Health System Impact Embedded Early Career Researcher Award - Aging

Long-term care homes are essential to the well-being of many older adults, yet the sector continues to face challenges with care quality, staffing shortages, and preparing for future health emergencies. This research program aims to strengthen long-term care by bringing together information from many different data sources, such as resident needs, staffing patterns, and worker data, to create a clearer picture of what homes need to provide safe, high-quality care. The COVID 19 pandemic exposed deep problems in the sector: residents experienced extremely high death rates, staff faced unsafe working conditions, and many homes struggled with adequate staffing. LTC continues to face three major challenges: high workforce turnover, preventable harm to residents, and frequent infectious disease outbreaks. Yet Canada still lacks the data needed to understand why these problems persist or how to fix them. This research program addresses these gaps by creating the first national dataset that links LTC facilities, workers, and residents over time. Using this new resource, the project will examine how staffing levels, employment conditions, and organizational policies affect resident health, workforce stability, and outbreak vulnerability. Importantly, the project centers equity, ensuring that improvements benefit all residents and staff, including those in underserved communities. It will also evaluate the impact of recent provincial reforms and develop predictive tools to help identify homes at higher risk during infectious disease seasons. Working closely with federal and provincial partners, the project will produce research and tools to support better planning, guide resources to where they are most needed, and help prevent crises before they occur.