These workers support us in our homes, but are burnt out and underpaid. This is how we can help them

May 19, 2026
The Toronto Star
By Naomi Lightman and Beth Wilson, Contributors

Beth Wilson is a Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at Social Planning Toronto.
Naomi Lightman is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University

In 2010, the Government of Ontario declared May 19 to be Personal Support Worker Day. This was an effort to recognize the essential care PSWs provide to Ontarians in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and in their own homes. PSWs are health care professionals who support clients with daily tasks, including bathing, using the bathroom, and dressing; perhaps they have supported you following an accident or illness, or cared for your family member aging in place. These hardworking and dedicated workers — mostly women, including many immigrant and racialized individuals — sustain our health and home care systems. PSWs deserve our appreciation, certainly, but our thanks are not enough.

Personal support work is vital for society but is also deeply undervalued — typically low paid and insecure, with inadequate workplace benefits and poor working conditions. The Ontario government’s own projections show 50,853 additional PSWs will be needed across all sectors by 2032. But delayed and inadequate action to address PSWs’ employment concerns has resulted in labour shortages, compromising access to much-needed care for Ontarians.

While a day of recognition for PSWs is well-deserved, it needs to be tied to meaningful systemic change. Caring About Care Workers, a 2025 research report published by Social Planning Toronto and Dr. Naomi Lightman of Toronto Metropolitan University, documents the deep injustices impacting PSWs within Ontario’s home care system in particular.