Home and community care is one of the fastest-growing areas in Canadian health care. This growth is driven by an aging population, the needs of people living with chronic illnesses and disabilities, the desire of people to live and age in familiar environments, as well as the experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ensure the continuum of care, home and community care needs to be efficient, effective, accessible, affordable, and integrated into the health care system. Currently, there are very few national standards around home and community care in Canada, and this diverse sector is also not included in the Canada Health Act.

Standards can help provide a framework supporting the ability of Canadians to receive care as well as the ability of their families, communities, workers, and care partners to provide quality home and community care. CSA Group engaged in several research projects that help inform standards for home and community care and has constituted a Technical Committee of experts to guide and oversee the development of standards on topics such as:

• assisted living equipment and technology management supporting home and community care
• mental health and well-being of people receiving care
• dementia-inclusive home and community care
• health and safety of home and community care workers