Introduction
March of Dimes Canada (MODC) is pleased to present its Pre-Budget Submission to the Government of Manitoba for fiscal year 2026-27. As a charitable service provider and key stakeholder in delivering an array of services for people with disabilities and their families, caregivers, and friends, MODC welcomes the opportunity to deliver insights into how we can build a more equitable and inclusive Manitoba. In developing this submission, MODC has listened to the priorities communicated to us by our community of service users and stakeholders.
Summary of Recommendations
Recommendation 1: Increase operational funding for supportive living and community care services to reduce pressure on the health care system and ensure people with disabilities and seniors can live and age in the right place.
Recommendation 2: Continued investment in Safe and Healthy Home for Seniors.
Recommendation 3: Invest in financial security and employment inclusion for people with disabilities.
Recommendation 4: Strategic Investment in a Manitoba Brain Injury System Navigator position.
Recommendation 1: Increase operational funding for supportive living and community care services to reduce pressure on the health care system and ensure people with disabilities and seniors can live and age in the right place.
In Manitoba, and across the country, our health care system is facing unprecedented pressure. Manitobans face lengthy wait times for emergency and specialty care, testing and surgery, and more than 150,000 people don’t have a family doctor.1 A significant contributor to this crisis is the fact that those who are recovering from surgery, or have complex needs related to their disability, including brain injury, do not have access to the community support they need to leave the hospital.
These Manitobans do not require long-term care and cannot safely live or be discharged home without additional support. This Alternative Level of Care (ALC) crisis means many people remain in hospital when they do not need to be there, and as a result others can’t access the hospital care that they need because hospital beds are full.2 In 2023-2024, 16 per cent of Manitoba hospital days were used by patients designated ALC. This is equivalent to 483 acute care beds at full occupancy.3
Furthermore, people living with brain injury face particularly significant gaps in access to community supports. Currently, individuals with acquired brain injury do not have access to publicly funded services such as supportive housing and wrap‑around care unless their injury resulted from a motor vehicle collision and they are covered through Manitoba Public Insurance. This absence of consistent public funding exacerbates inequities and leaves many individuals without the supports necessary to live safely and independently in the community.
To address these challenges and provide Manitobans with the right care in the right place, we, together with the
Long-Term and Continuing Care Association of Manitoba, recommend increasing operational funding for supportive living and community‑based services for Manitobans, including seniors and people with disabilities, such as those living with brain injury. Strengthening these supports will enable Manitobans to recover, live, and age in their communities, while simultaneously reducing pressure on hospitals, improving patient flow, and supporting a more efficient and sustainable health care system.
We urge the Honourable Uzoma Asagwara and Honourable Bernadette Smith to collaborate on determining the appropriate increase in funding for these critical services and implement these changes in the upcoming budget.
Recommendation 2: Support seniors to age in the right place through continued investment in adaptations through Safe and Healthy Home for Seniors.
In 2023, the Government of Manitoba partnered with MODC to establish the Safe and Healthy Home for Seniors (SHHS) Program. With an annual budget of $1.5 million, the Manitoba Safe and Healthy Home for Seniors grant program provides financial assistance for eligible home modifications to seniors 65 and older, with a combined net household income of under $60,000. We are excited to continue to deliver this vital program in partnership with the Manitoba government to help seniors make transformative changes to their homes so that they can live independently and age at home with the support they need to thrive.
The goal of the program is to create safe, accessible living spaces that empower low- to moderate-income seniors with health conditions or physical limitations to live independently and with dignity. Whether it's eating, bathing, using the washroom, moving around their home, or getting in and out to attend medical appointments or connect with community services, the program ensures they can do so comfortably, confidently, and without barriers. This new program has begun to make a transformative impact in the lives of older adults across Manitoba.
In the short time MODC has been administering this program, we have empowered a significant number of seniors in Manitoba through SHHS grants. We have implemented process improvements to ensure this program is accessible as possible, including:
Advocating that other healthcare professionals (in addition to occupational therapists, to which not all Manitobans have access) can complete the necessary application forms.
Shortened application process time so most successful applicants receive their funding and the adaptations they need within 30 days of applying.
Conducting targeted outreach to rural and First Nations communities in the province to ensure these communities are aware of and can access the program.
Falls and accidents are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among adults aged 65+, accounting for 89 per cent of admissions. They also represent nearly one-third of all emergency department (ED) visits. Through the SHHS grant program:
Two-thirds of recipients used their funding for safety adaptations or devices to prevent falls and accidents.
Recipient reliance on EDs dropped significantly—from 21 per cent of recipients regularly accessing the ED before receiving their grant, to just 8 per cent afterward.
Among recipients who had planned to enter long-term care, 67 per cent remained safely at home after receiving their adaptation.
This program does more than prevent unnecessary ED visits and hospitalizations. It also prevents grant recipients from entering long-term care, improves their quality of life, and keeps people engaged and connected to their communities.
We have been thrilled to partner with the province to support Manitoba seniors where they live. We are seeking a renewal of our funding in the next budget to continue to meet the growing needs of Manitobans to be supported to remain in their own homes and communities, reducing costs and demands on long term care and the health care system.
We thank the Honourable Uzoma Asagwara and the Government of Manitoba for funding this essential program and recommend that the Ministry of Health, Seniors and Long-term Care continues to invest in Safe and Healthy Home for Seniors at current funding levels.
Recommendation 3: Invest in financial security and employment inclusion for people with disabilities.
People with disabilities in Manitoba are three times as likely to live in poverty than those without disabilities.4 This is a direct result of insufficient income support, the higher cost of living with a disability, and lack of accessible employment opportunities.
We thank the Government of Manitoba for committing to not clawing back provincial disability benefits when the federal Canada Disability Benefit was rolled out last year. This commitment will better ensure financial security for Manitobans with disabilities.
In addition to ensuring sufficient income, the government must support employment inclusion for people with disabilities. This recommendation focuses on growing Sectoral Workforce Solutions programs to support people with disabilities in accessing digital skills programs to increase participation in tech and tech-enabled employment. The financial security and empowerment that such programs provide for people with disabilities is invaluable.
For example, at MODC, we have witnessed this firsthand through our
SkillingUp program. The success of the program resulted in attracting funding through corporate and government partnerships to provide more than 2,000 people with disabilities with in-demand digital skills. There is certainly room to grow and expand programs that offer digital skills for people with disabilities and increase their opportunities to obtain future-proof employment – like SkillingUp.
We urge the Honourable Jamie Moses and the Honourable Nahanni Fontaine to collaborate on determining the appropriate funding and resources needed to support people with disabilities in accessing digital skills programs to increase participation in tech and tech-enabled employment in the upcoming budget.
Recommendation 4: Strategic investment in a Manitoba Brain Injury System Navigator to help improve outcomes for Manitobans with brain injury.
Approximately 1.5 million Canadians are currently living with the effects of an acquired brain injury (ABI), with over 160,000 new cases occurring annually. This equates to one person sustaining a brain injury every three minutes in Canada, making it a leading cause of death and disability for those under 40.5 While statistics for Manitobans living with all types of ABI are not currently collected, we know in 2020-2021 there were over 35,000 Manitobans who live with the effects of stroke (i.e., one type of ABI), and that there are approximately as many people living with ABI caused by other reasons. That means there could be upwards of 70,000 Manitobans living with ABI.6
Given these gaps, Manitoba urgently needs a Brain Injury Navigator. Individuals living with brain injury frequently encounter fragmented health, social, and community systems, complex eligibility requirements, and inconsistent follow‑up care. These challenges are compounded by cognitive, physical, and emotional impairments that make independent system navigation difficult, resulting in delayed access to services, unmet needs, and avoidable strain on acute and crisis‑based systems.
Brain injury system navigators play a vital role in improving system coordination and outcomes. MODC has seen the evidence of this firsthand, through our delivery of our After Stroke Program in other jurisdictions throughout the country. For example, recent results from our After Stroke Program we deliver on behalf of the government of Newfoundland and Labrador have shown:
General well-being improved by 80 per cent among participants after joining the program.
Comfort in personal relationships increased dramatically. Before participating, more than half of stroke survivors rarely felt comfortable in their personal relationships. After the program, all participants reported feeling comfortable all or some of the time, reflecting meaningful reintegration into their lives and communities.
Knowledge and confidence in managing their condition improved substantially. Before the program, over half of participants felt they lacked the knowledge to manage their condition and prevent another stroke. After participating, all stroke survivors reported having the knowledge to do so all or some of the time.
By providing person‑centred, proactive navigation support, navigators help individuals understand their diagnosis, access appropriate services, and move more seamlessly across health care, rehabilitation, income assistance, housing, employment, and community supports. This role supports earlier intervention, continuity of care, and more appropriate use of services, contributing to improved client outcomes while reducing duplication, service gaps, and reliance on higher‑cost parts of the health system. Individuals who have experienced a brain injury need access to services immediately, but many are unable to pursue any support systems during their early recovery. To meet this need, the Brain Injury Navigator would also help caregivers navigate a complex health system to find applicable services in a timely manner.
MODC is uniquely positioned to deliver these services. Our organization has the clinical expertise, established partnerships, and operational capacity necessary to deliver a navigator role that is responsive, accountable, and aligned with health system priorities. MODC has a proven track record providing brain injury services across the country, providing supportive housing, case management, day programs, MODC’s After Stroke Program and outreach services to individuals living with the effects of a brain injury.
We propose the Government of Manitoba invest in the design and implementation of a Brain Injury Navigator program, which would consist of creating Brain Injury Navigator funded position. By embedding navigation expertise within a specialized, province‑wide service provider, this model has the potential to improve care coordination, reduce avoidable service utilization, and support better long‑term outcomes for Manitobans living with brain injury.
Ultimately, this approach represents a cost‑effective, system‑level solution that aligns with broader health system goals of equitable access, efficient use of resources, and improved quality of life for individuals and families affected by brain injury. The Government of Manitoba could issue an RFP to community support organizations for design and delivery of this new program, to which MODC would be pleased to respond.
We recommend the Government of Manitoba invest in the piloting of a province‑wide Brain Injury Navigator position in Manitoba—addressing a critical gap in coordinated care by leveraging existing investments in brain injury services to improve system navigation, continuity of care, efficient use of resources, and long‑term outcomes for individuals living with brain injury.
About March of Dimes Canada
March of Dimes Canada (MODC) is a leading national charity committed to championing equity, empowering ability, and creating real change that will help people with disabilities across the country unlock the richness of their lives.
Together with our partners, we serve, connect, and empower people with disabilities to participate fully in life and in their communities on their own terms. Our work is grounded in the voices of the people we serve, built on a foundation of service, and backed by 75 years of success.
We have proven time and again our dedication to serving the needs of people living with disabilities. Born in one of the 20th century’s greatest public health crises, we know that seemingly impossible goals can be achieved, and barriers can be broken. In the 1950s, MODC helped fund a vaccine for polio. Now, we are working on creating communities in which people with disabilities can live and thrive nationwide.
We are proud to support people with disabilities across Canada, from the early years to seniors. Our services extend beyond the individual to families who feel the impact of disability in different ways. Their collective experiences play a critical role in shaping our work as a service provider, resource, and advocate, which is focused in four areas:
The best start for children, youth, and families.
Independence at home and in the community.
Active, healthy, connected lives.
Financial security.
These are the things people with disabilities told us they need, want, and expect out of life.
Our staff and volunteers are allies, supporters, and champions committed to making a difference for people with disabilities. With the guidance of our community, and working together with our donors and partners, we provide the tools and support our service users need to live independently, improve their health and wellness, and thrive in all they aspire to do.
1 Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. Advocacy in Action: Manitoba's Physician Shortage Improving. https://mbchamber.mb.ca/2024/10/21/advocacy-in-action-manitobas-physician-shortage-improving/#:~:text=Manitobans%20still%20face%20lengthy%20wait,t%20have%20a%20family%20doctor. Accessed February 17, 2025.
2 Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. MCHP: Alternatives to Acute Care. Accessed February 19, 2026.
3 Canadian Institute for Health Information. https://www.cihi.ca/en/health-system-context-series-manitoba. Accessed January 30, 2026.
4 Wall, K. Low income among persons with a disability in Canada. Statistics Canada, 2017.
5 Brain Injury Canada. Statistics. https://braininjurycanada.ca/en/statistics/#:~:text=TBI%20occurs%20at%20an%20annual,acquired%20brain%20injury%20%5B5%5D. Accessed February 18, 2026.
6 Engel, L., Daun, M., Bramadat, J., and the BIMb project team (2024, August). Together we can create a better future for Manitobans whose lives are impacted by brain injury [online published report, mSpace]. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1993/38403.
