Safe, Reliable Home Support in Newfoundland and Labrador

Why action is needed

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Finance projects that the number of people age 75 and older will increase by around 61% between 2025 and 2045. Statistics Canada reports that the baby-boom generation will begin entering the 85-and-older age group in 2031. These projections do not tell us exactly how many people will need home support, and they do not determine which policies government must adopt. They show why planning for changing care needs matters now.

We call on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to establish enforceable protections for people who depend on home support, while supporting a trained and fairly paid workforce.

The changes requested below are advocacy proposals. They do not describe current Newfoundland and Labrador law, and there is no guarantee that government will adopt them.

These protections must cover all paid home-support workers: agency staff and direct hires, publicly funded self-managed care and privately paid care. People should receive safe, reliable support regardless of how their care is arranged.

We ask the province to require:

1. Mandatory worker registration. Every employer, including individuals who hire directly, must check eligible registration before the first shift and record each hire.

2. Independent, accessible oversight. A complaints body must investigate promptly, impose risk-based interim restrictions where necessary, and suspend or remove registration when findings justify it, with a fair review process. Investigations and restrictions must follow workers between employers; resignation must not erase accountability.

3. Training and demonstrated competence. Clear minimum standards, paid training and ongoing support must prepare workers for the care they provide, including recognizing emergencies and responding appropriately.

4. Safe handovers and dependable backup. Workers must not leave people without essential care. Clear no-show escalation, replacement arrangements and reliable backup must protect people who cannot safely manage alone.

5. Fair wages and transparent funding. Pay and working conditions must support recruitment and retention, and publicly funded care hours must be checked against care actually delivered.

Safe care and fair treatment of workers belong together. We ask the government to consult people receiving care, families and workers, and implement an enforceable system covering every home-support arrangement.

Population facts checked October 14, 2026. Sources: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Population Projections — Demographic Overview; Statistics Canada population projections.

This is an online public advocacy petition, not a formal House of Assembly petition. The online format helps seniors, disabled people, people with limited mobility, caregivers, and others who may face barriers to collecting or providing handwritten signatures participate in this advocacy. Newfoundland Care Hub intends to approach Members of the House of Assembly about presenting these concerns formally and will ask how the documented online support can accompany that process. People most affected by home-support policy should have an accessible way to be heard.