Commentary The long-term care sector in Canada has received a lot of media attention since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not surprising, given the tragic consequences that have affected the residents of public and private nursing homes and their families. However, the difficulties in meeting the care needs of the elderly in nursing homes or at home precede the arrival of the pandemic. As in many other aspects of their health systems, provinces struggle to provide needed long-term care for the elderly population in a timely fashion. In the nursing home sector, the wait time to obtain a place can drag on for many months in several provinces. Admissions to publicly financed institutions are controlled by governments, and providers’ revenues do not depend on the quality of service provided nor on their effectiveness in attracting clients. Access to nursing care delivered at home is also limited, and …