It's an issue the Ontario Liberals feel they have a strong grasp on, developing a home care strategy for the province's aging population.
With about two weeks to go before byelections for five Ontario ridings, they visited the home of one senior in the riding of London West to prove their point.
Margaret Litschko turned 75 in June and lives comfortably in her own apartment.
But she knows how challenging aging and age-related illnesses can be.
Her husband of more than 50 years, Al, passed away just over three years ago.
Litschko praises the community care access centre and other agencies for helping her as the challenge's of Al's illness increased.
"They would be like family, they would brings books and read to him, it was just wonderful," says Litschko.
The Liberals point to Litschko, a party supporter, as a success story.
They say they are moving to improve home care opportunities, benefiting both the patient, health care system and the taxpayer.
"A hospital bed is $1,000 a day, long term cars is $155 a day and home care would be a fraction of that. There's no question it's better for patients," says Health Minister Deb Matthews
London West liberal candidate Ken Coran, whose campaign kicked off with questions about his political allegiances and his teachers union affiliations, says he's anxious to put the focus back on issues.
"It's an opportunity to explain all we've done and our plans for the future," says Coran.
But London West NDP candidate Peggy Sattler says the Liberals record is far from spotless on the home health care front.
"We've had an auditors report showing seniors were waiting upwards of 100 days to access home care services. It was only when Andrea Horwath and the NDP caucus said as a condition of our support of the budget, we need a 5 day guarantee for seniors to access home care, and it was only then we saw the Liberals willing to make that commitment," says Sattler.
The byelections will be held on August 1st.
