Overview
The government invested $1 billion from 2023 to 2026 to begin transforming the continuing care system. Our focus to invest and strengthen the continuing care system allows Albertans to access world-class care when and where they need it.
The Continuing Care Transformation initiative will address 4 pillars:
Shifting to more care in the community
By shifting to community-based care, we are:
- ensuring Albertans can age well at home, with the supports they need
- improving supports for caregivers to empower caregivers and promote their well-being
- improving access to home and community care for rural Albertans
- providing non-medical supports for home and community care clients, such as housekeeping, social visits and transportation assistance
- increasing home and community options for Albertans to access palliative and end-of-life care
Enhancing workforce capacity
We are supporting Alberta’s workforce by:
- implementing the Health Workforce Strategy to address the immediate challenges facing the workforce and service delivery, which helps Alberta’s health care workers
- increasing mental health and wellness supports for continuing care staff
- adding more health care aide bursary programs and other educational supports to help our future workforce
- improving culturally appropriate care for Indigenous peoples by supporting their access to health care aide training
Increasing choice and innovation
We are giving Albertan’s more choice by:
- increasing continuing care spaces and modernizing aging continuing care homes in Alberta through capital grant funding
- making it easier for Albertans to access information about continuing care homes and supportive living accommodations through the Assisted Living Navigation Portal
- introducing new and innovative models of care including small care homes and client-directed care
- improving equity across communities through increased access to service and supports
Improving quality
We are improving the quality of care provided to Albertans by:
- increasing the hours of care provided to residents of continuing care homes
- improving quality of life and quality of care provided in the continuing care system
- enhancing pandemic and outbreak preparedness
Background
Some key directions for this transformation initiative were informed by recommendations made in the 2021 Facility-based Continuing Care Review and the 2021 Palliative and End-of-Life Care engagement.
In addition, the Alberta Dementia Strategy and Action Plan (2017 - 2021) outlined goals and steps to improve dementia diagnosis and care while enhancing supports for families, caregivers, friends and communities. The strategy's vision was to optimize brain health, and value and support people impacted by dementia from its onset through to end-of-life. Read the Progress Report for details on specific initiatives, achievements and stories of impact. Alberta continues to prioritize and support the unique needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers and communities.
News
- Making continuing care feel more like home, April 23, 2026
- Creating community capacity to address dementia, September 20, 2019
- Alberta launches provincial dementia strategy, December 19, 2017
In focus
Albertans shared their feedback on facility-based continuing care in Alberta.
Albertans told us access to appropriate and timely palliative and end-of-life care is important.
Legislation
News
- More career education for students (April 9, 2024)
- The right care when and where Albertans need it (March 14, 2024)
- Improving continuing care spaces for Albertans (April 25, 2023)
- Better continuing care for Indigenous people (March 16, 2023)
- Securing Alberta’s continuing care future (March 3, 2023)
- Bursaries to assist health-care aides (September 27, 2022)
- Adding 1 million hours of home care for Albertans (June 2, 2022)
- Taking steps to transform continuing care: Bill 11 - Continuing Care Act (March 28, 2022)
- Improving quality of life for continuing care residents: Facility-Based Continuing Care Review (May 31, 2021)