Why Ontario Needs More Personal Support Workers Than Ever Before

PSW Programs Ontario

Personal Support Workers play a crucial role in providing care for the aging, injured and ill population. The main goal of a PSW is to create an environment of physical, emotional and social wellbeing where patients have the assistance they need to uphold good health, but also maintain their independence.  As the average age of the population continues to rise, Ontario needs more PSWs than ever before.

If you’re interested in the Personal Support Worker certificate, there are several rewarding career options that open up to you after earning a diploma. Currently, PSWs are some of the most in-demand healthcare workers in Ontario, especially in places like:

• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Agencies
• Non-profit organizations
• Private homes

Experts suggest that the demand will continue to increase over the next several years.  Read on to find out why, and how this demand could be a great opportunity for you to make a difference in the lives of those in need in your community.

More PSWs Needed to Maintain High Quality Care

In the role of a personal support worker, providing quality care means being able to meet all the needs of your patients, whether that means preparing meals, helping them get ready for their day with tasks like bathing and grooming, or sometimes simply spending time with them for social support.

In many areas throughout Ontario, the demand for support care workers is so great that a single PSW is working with multiple clients per day. This means that professionals who currently have a PSW certificate are constantly on the go, inevitably limiting the personal quality of care that is required, and preventing PSWs from building that important and beneficial caregiver relationship with clients and their families.

As the Baby Boomers Age, Canada Will Need More Personal Support Workers

The aging baby boomer population will inevitably have a major impact on Canada’s healthcare system, and is yet another reason why it will be increasingly important to have more personal support workers in the upcoming years.

The baby boomer generation began to move into retirement in 2012. Due to Canada’s low birth rate, approximately one in four Canadians will be senior citizens by 2036. In this year, Canada’s 8.2 million boomers will require a large amount of the country’s healthcare services, including ongoing support from professionals with a PSW certificate.

PSW Programs Ontario: Why Ontario Needs More Personal Support Workers Than Ever Before

In an effort to standardize quality of care and meet the growing demand for PSWs in hospitals, long-term care facilities and private homes, the Ontario provincial government has taken several measures in recent years.

The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care recently developed a PSW Registry to collect information about the training and employment status of the nearly 100,000 PSWs working in Ontario, in an effort to better understand PSWs and to help make sure they had all they needed to provide proper care.

Ontario’s government also took a major role in developing personal support worker programs for career colleges which improves and standardizes the level of personal care given to clients. The programs are a balance between practical theory and hands-on training, so if training to become a PSW is something that interests you, you’ll graduate with all the knowledge you need to step right into the workplace!

What aspects of a personal support worker career most interests you?