Government Strengthening Oversight of Personal Care Homes

CANADA, November 5 - Released on November 5, 2026

The Government of Saskatchewan is proposing changes to strengthen oversight of care for people living in personal care homes (PCH).

The proposed amendments to The Personal Care Homes (Safer Homes for Seniors) Amendment Act, 2026, would give the Ministry of Health the ability to issue orders to ensure that PCHs follow rules and increases fines if problems are not corrected.

"We want residents of personal care homes and their families to have greater confidence in the care that they are receiving," Rural and Remote Health and Seniors Minister Lori Carr said. "The changes would give the Ministry of Health stronger tools to address concerns when they arise and help ensure operators meet provincial standards."

The goal is to encourage operators to follow regulations.

Personal care homes are privately run businesses that provide housing, meals, and help with daily activities and personal care. 

The Ministry of Health oversees PCHs through licensing, inspections and investigations of complaints. 

Under the current legislation, the ministry can suspend licenses, appoint public administrators or pursue prosecution, but these are not practical tools for everyday enforcement.

The proposed amendments would allow the ministry to issue an order requiring a PCH to comply with regulations, such as:

• Keeping all medications in a secure location.
• Ensuring that fire inspections are completed and detection devices tested.
• Ensuring that residents who cannot climb and descend stairs are accommodated on accessible floors.
• Ensuring that food is stored, prepared, cooked and served to prevent or minimize risk of illness, poisoning, or injury to residents.

The changes would also allow the ministry to issue new administrative penalties of $5,000, and an additional fine of up to $1,000 a day if a problem continues. 

The amendments would also raise the fines if a PCH operator commits an offence under the Act, such as operating without a license.

Individual fines would increase from $1,000 to $10,000, and more for each day the offence continues. The fine for a corporation would increase from $5,000 to as much as $25,000, plus a higher amount for each day the offence continues.

The proposed changes will bring Saskatchewan in line with other jurisdictions that regulate similar care environments.

Saskatchewan has 237 licensed PCHs with more than 4,700 beds.

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For more information, contact:

Media Desk
Health
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email:me[email protected]