In 2007, Saskatchewan had 181 long-term care facilities containing 8,944 long-term care beds. As of 2025, the number of facilities has dropped to 161, and the number of available long-term care beds has fallen to 8,823.
“This tired and out-of-touch government has been in power for nearly 20 years, and they continue to drive healthcare and long-term care into the ground,” said Keith Jorgenson, Associate Shadow Health Minister and Shadow Minister for Seniors.
Even as long-term care capacity declines, Statistics Canada data shows that seniors are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the province. In 2007, residents aged 65 and older made up roughly 14.9 per cent of the population. By 2025, that number has risen to 17.9 per cent, and Statistics Canada projects Saskatchewan’s senior population will climb to 23 per cent by 2038.
On Monday, Jorgenson held a news conference with Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis MLA Don McBean about the lack of support for long-term care outside of the Preston Special Care Home. William Cone, an 86-year-old man with Alzheimer’s, died after walking out of the home unnoticed last October — his family had placed him in the home believing he’d be safer.
“Despite the fact that Saskatchewan’s population is rapidly aging — and the need for long-term care beds is already urgent — this Sask. Party government is asleep at the wheel when it comes to caring for our seniors,” said Don McBean, MLA for Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis.
“We know long-term care facilities are understaffed, and the standards should be improved. We need more beds, no doubt, but we need more support for these facilities on a whole, as well.”
Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information further shows that Saskatchewan has the second-highest cost per acute inpatient hospital stay in the country, averaging $11,156 per visit in 2024-25.
“When patients aren’t being moved from hospitals into long-term care, costs per visit are going to inevitably rise,” Jorgenson said. “The continual decrease in long-term care facilities and beds is going to keep driving costs in our healthcare system.
“We need immediate action – and a long-term plan. It’s time for change.”
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