Health care aide program

Overview

Health care aides work under the direct or indirect supervision of a regulated health professional, such as a nurse, in a variety of settings including:

• home care
• assisted living facilities
• long-term care

Health care aides provide basic health services, assistance and support with daily living activities for clients who have medical conditions or major functional limitations.

In Alberta, the health care aide profession is unregulated. To ensure consistent training of the health care aide workforce in Alberta, the Government of Alberta Health Care Aide Provincial Curriculum was developed and first used in 2005 and then updated in 2010.

• Licensed post-secondary institutions use this curriculum to train people who want to be health care aides.
• The curriculum is being updated again and expected to be released in 2020.

Alberta health care aide directory

The Alberta Health Care Aide Directory provides more information about health care aides in Alberta – what they do and how to become one. The directory has a number of resources including news, education, job boards and updates.

• Find out more on the Alberta Health Care Aide Directory website.

Health care aide curriculum

Curriculum updated in 2010

The Government of Alberta Health Care Aide Provincial Curriculum was updated in 2010 for use in health care aide education programs across the province. It is used by licensed public and private post-secondary institutions, and by employer organizations.

The Health care aide curriculum currently consists of 37 modules including:

• client safety
• assisting with medical delivery
• positioning lifts and transfers
• working with clients with a diagnosis of dementia

Learn more in the Health Care Aide Competency Profile – 2018.

New licence agreements are on hold indefinitely

Effective October 1, 2017, the Alberta government has suspended granting license agreements to institutions who want to offer the Government of Alberta Health Care Aide Provincial Curriculum 2010. This suspension will remain in effect until further notice.

• The suspension is intended to help with clinical placements for health care aide students.
• Institutions already delivering the curriculum are unaffected by this suspension.

After the suspension is lifted, post-secondary institutions may apply for a licence to offer the provincial health care aide curriculum.

Health care aide programs

To become a certified health care aide in Alberta, you must complete a recognized health care aide program using the 2010 provincial curriculum.

Contact one of the post-secondary institutions listed below for program information including registration requirements, course length, format, and tuition costs.

Licensed public post-secondary educational institutions

• Bow Valley College
• Keyano College
• Lakeland College
• Lethbridge College
• Medicine Hat College
• NorQuest College
• Northern Lakes College
• Portage College
• Red Deer College
• University of Alberta, Campus St Jean

Licensed private post-secondary educational institutions

• ABM College
• Academy of Learning
• Alberta Business and Educational Services
• Alberta Caregiving Institute
• Bay River College
• CLI College of Business, Health and Technology
• Columbia College
• Excel Academy
• Health Care Aide Academy
• MaKami College
• MTG Healthcare Academy
• Nightingale Academy
• Red Crow Community College
• Robertson College
• Rosewood College
• Royal Health Care Aide Training Program (Lethbridge)
• Training Inc.

Previously licensed post-secondary educational institutions

• Cambrooks College (July 1, 2012 to October 22, 2018)
• CDI College (March 20, 2014 to September 23, 2019)
• Revees College (March 20, 2014 to September 23, 2019)

Employer training programs

Employer organizations with a valid licence agreement with the Alberta government can use the curriculum for in-service training of their employees at their place of employment.

• Training administered through an employer may be used towards competency acquisition and skills maintenance.

Individuals needing academic credit towards certification as a health care aide must register in a program offered at an approved post-secondary institution.

Contact

Connect with the Health Workforce Partnerships Branch:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-415-0213
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: healthcareaide@gov.ab.ca

Address:
Alberta Health
Health Workforce Partnerships Branch
PO Box 1360, Station Main
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 2N3