Provinces and territories will likely have to expand home care as a way to deal with the demographic deluge of aging Canadians.

Prince Edward Island Premier Robert Ghiz said the aging population is a major concern, because there aren’t enough nursing home beds to accommodate the surge of seniors needing care. He said provinces and territories are probably on the “low end” of spending on home care, which many seniors prefer.

Ghiz and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall were speaking in Toronto on Friday at a gathering of provincial health ministers.

They said they’re making progress on lowering the cost of generic and brand-name drugs, and talking about ways to make the system more efficient by eliminating unnecessary diagnostic imaging, for example.