Home health care and related services, 2017

Released: 2019-07-31

The operating revenue for home health care and related services totalled $5.4 billion in 2017, up 5.1% from $5.1 billion in 2016.

The aging Canadian population is driving the demand for home health care and related services. From 1971 to 2018, the proportion of seniors (those aged 65 and older) increased from 7.9% to 17.2%. This proportion is projected to reach at least 22.7% by 2033, when the entire baby boomer cohort will be aged 65 and older. The general trend of increasing life expectancy, observed from 1980 to 2016, is also contributing to the growing senior demographic and to the rise in demand for home health care and related services.

The home health care and related services grouping is composed of all private sector establishments in the following two industries: home health care services (establishments primarily engaged in providing skilled nursing services in the home, combined with other home services), and services for the elderly and persons with disabilities (establishments primarily engaged in providing social assistance services to improve the quality of life for the elderly, the developmentally disabled or persons with disabilities).

All provinces and territories have publicly funded home care programs. However, service delivery models vary substantially across Canada. Services may be delivered by public agencies or by private establishments (not-for-profit or for-profit establishments). Depending on the delivery model adopted, provincial markets fall into three broad categories: primarily public, primarily private or mixed. This heterogeneity is reflected in the estimates: among private sector establishments, those in Ontario (54.7%) accounted for the largest share of operating revenue in 2017, followed by those in Quebec (11.5%), British Columbia (10.0%) and Alberta (9.9%).

Private for-profit and not-for-profit establishments

For-profit establishments accounted for 62.8% of total operating revenue reported by the home health care and related services grouping in 2017. Not-for-profit establishments accounted for the remaining share (37.2%).

Among for-profit establishments, the majority of the operating revenue came from sales of goods and services (96.4%), while the remainder came from other revenue (2.5%) and subsidies (1.1%). This was in contrast to not-for-profit establishments, where subsidies (73.7%) represented the largest share of operating revenue, followed by sales of goods and services (17.5%) and other revenue (8.9%).

Private home health care services

The home health care services industry reported an operating revenue of $3.1 billion in 2017, up 6.1% from the previous year. This industry generated more than half (56.8%) of the broader grouping's total operating revenue.

Sales of goods and services accounted for 86.0% of the industry's operating revenue in 2017, while subsidies represented 11.9% and other revenue 2.1%.

In 2017, operating expenses increased by 5.3% to $2.8 billion, resulting in an operating profit margin of 9.2%.

Salaries, wages, commissions and benefits totalled $2.1 billion in 2017, representing 74.7% of total operating expenses.

Private services for the elderly and persons with disabilities

The services for the elderly and persons with disabilities industry reported operating revenue of $2.3 billion in 2017, up 3.9% from the previous year.

Subsidies (49.4%) made up the largest share of the operating revenue in 2017, followed by sales of goods and services (42.1%) and other revenue (8.5%).

In 2017, operating expenses increased by 3.9% to $2.2 billion, resulting in an operating profit margin of 6.6%.

Salaries, wages, commissions and benefits totalled $1.4 billion in 2017, representing 66.9% of total operating expenses.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).