Southern Alberta communities identified as being “most in need” of new continuing care spaces

Sep 1, 2020 | 2:14 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – An analysis completed by Alberta Health Services (AHS) shows that many areas in Southern Alberta are in a desperate need for more continuing care spaces.

They identified 31 communities across the province that are in a higher need of additional capacity, factoring current and projected demand and supply, age of the population, and healthcare utilization.

The communities in Southern Alberta that will be targeted through a new expression of interest (EOI) process are:

Pincher Creek
Fort Macleod
Bow Island
Lethbridge including Raymond/Magrath
Books/Bassano
Okotoks
Vulcan

AHS is seeking proposals from new and existing continuing care operators to add publicly-funded spaces without additional capital funding.

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“We’re developing new continuing care spaces in priority communities across Alberta and continuing our government’s platform commitment to reinstate the Alberta Supportive Living Initiative,” says Premier Jason Kenney. “Through this work, hundreds of Alberta seniors will have better access to high-quality continuing care close to family and friends – quickly and cost-effectively.”

The government says this is the first step in a larger plan to expand continuing care and ensure communities most in need get support to open new spaces.

As of March, there were 27,518 continuing care spaces in the province. 103 facilities are operated by AHS, 126 are privately-run, and 124 are managed by non-profits.

Currently, 400 Albertans are waiting in acute care for continuing care spaces to become available with the average wait time being 54 days in 2019-20.

by David Opinko