A hospital is not a home. If given the option, who wouldn’t prefer to care for their loved one in the comfort of their own house? As the Canadian population ages, our hospitals are running out of beds to care for this overwhelming segment of our society.

Every level of government has come to realize we may be close to a crisis. A possible solution, home care - having a loved one’s medical needs and basic daily necessities taken care of by a professional right in the comfort of their own home.

News of patient abuse at the hands of home care workers or personal support workers may be uncommon, but Detective Roger Caracciolo of the Toronto Police Service feels it may be underreported. There are ways to prevent patient abuse from happening in the first place.

W5's Sandie Rinaldo speaks with Frances Economou about learning that her helpless father had been victimized by his personal support worker and also with Craig Wolski, whose wife Valerie died at the hands of the man she was tasked with caring for.

W5 tried to find out how many seniors are assaulted in their homes by care workers. Ontario’s long-term care act requires facilities to report incidents to the province and to police. But at home it’s up to the families to take action and not all do. It’s also up to agencies to do background checks on the PSWs they are sending to look after innocent seniors. It doesn’t always happen.

Includes W5 Extended Interview (3 Minutes):

W5's Sandie Rinaldo sits down with Det. Roger Caracciolo of the Toronto Police Service to discuss stopping abuse of seniors in home care.