Overview
Residents living in supportive living and long-term care are responsible for paying an accommodation charge. Examples of accommodation-related services include:
- rooms
- meals
- housekeeping
- routine building maintenance
Health care services in designated supportive living and long-term care settings are publicly funded at no cost to residents.
Accommodation charges
The Alberta government sets the maximum accommodation charge in designated supportive living and long-term care. In other types of supportive living settings, the accommodation charge, or rent, is set by the operator and can vary from facility to facility.
As per regulation, maximum accommodation rates increase 3.6% by the change in the Alberta Consumer Price Index starting July 1, 2023, until June 30, 2024.
From July 1 to September 30, 2023, the Government of Alberta will pay the 3.6% increase directly to continuing care home operators on behalf of residents. Residents will continue to pay last year’s rates during this period.
Beginning October 1, the 3.6% rate increase will come into effect for residents.
Government will continue to pay operators a 2.3% subsidy on behalf of residents, until June 30, 2024. Accommodation charges will be reviewed again in early 2024 for implementation on July 1, 2024.
Maximum accommodation charges for designated supportive living and long-term care are:
Effective July 1, 2023, based on 3.6% increase in the Alberta Consumer Price Index*
Table 1. Accommodation charges for subsidized and regulated room rates.
| Current Subsidized Accommodation Charges (From July 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023) | Subsidized Accommodation Charges (From October 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024) | Full Regulated Rates (As of July 1, 2023) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impacted Residents | All residents | All residents | No residents | |||
| Room Type | Daily | Average monthly | Daily | Average monthly | Daily | Average monthly |
| Private room | $72.35 | $2,201 | $74.95 | $2,286 | $76.60 | $2,336 |
| Semi-private room** | $62.60 | $1,904 | $64.85 | $1,974 | $66.30 | $2,022 |
| Standard room*** | $59.50 | $1,810 | $61.65 | $1,880 | $63.00 | $1,922 |
If you are in the hospital receiving care, your condition may improve or change to a point where the hospital care team may determine your care needs no longer require hospital services. It may be decided you would best be cared for in designated supportive living or long-term care.
If a designated supportive living or long-term care space is not immediately available to meet your needs and preferences, you may be required to stay in the hospital while waiting for a space to become available.
If you are staying in a hospital bed while awaiting a move into designated supportive living or long-term care, you will be charged a fee called an Alternate Level of Care (ALC) Accommodation Charge.
These charges are set at the rate currently charged for a “Standard” room type noted in the accommodation rates above. This charge does not apply if your move is for palliative care.
Contact your care team to help you explore possible government income supports and other benefits if the accommodation charge will cause you financial hardship.
Read Alberta Health Services’ policy on Alternate Level of Care Accommodation Charges
Financial help
In designated supportive living and long-term care facilities, accommodation charges may be fully or partly covered for low income residents who are eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit or clients of the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program.
As of January 2023, residents who are eligible for benefits through these programs will be assured of retaining $342 per month in disposable income. This amount is available for personal expenses such as personal hygiene items, telephone, television, etc.
News
- Keeping continuing care affordable for residents (March 31, 2023)
- Inflation relief portal and payments coming soon (January 9, 2023)
- Making life more affordable for Albertans (December 7, 2022)
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