Alberta Premier Jason Kenney during Thursday, March 3 2022. (Government of Alberta)

By Justin Goulet

Province investing in over 1,500 new continuing care spaces in Alberta

Mar 3, 2022 | 12:07 PM

CALGARY, AB – The provincial budget unveiled last month put a strong focus on health care, with the government committing over $3 billion towards the health care system.

On Thursday, March 3, the province laid out more details on how that commitment will help expand continuing care services for seniors. Premier Jason Kenney said funding will result in an increase of 1,515 new continuing care spaces over the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Details on where those spaces will be built are expected in the coming months.

Kenney commented that the government is thinking about the future “because by 2040, there will be more than 1.1 million seniors, aged 65-plus, in Alberta.”

“So, to meet the needs of our aging population, Alberta’s government is investing $204 million in capital funding over the next three years to modernize and increase continuing care capacity across Alberta.”

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Kenney commented, “one of the long-term problems that we’ve experienced in Alberta’s health care system, is a lot of seniors who are in acute care beds in our hospitals who could be getting better and more appropriate care in different settings like home care and nursing homes.”

“Every day, every night that they’re in an acute care bed in a hospital, costs us as taxpayers a lot more to care for them in an acute care hospital setting, but it also limits the number of available beds.”

Kenney highlighted two major capital projects currently under construction.

“As part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan, we’ve allocated $91 million over three years to finish construction of the Bridgeland-Riverside Continuing Care Centre, which is great news for Calgary.”

That facility will accommodate about 200 residents and deliver day programs and services for Calgary-area seniors. Construction on the new centre is set to finish in late 2023 or early 2024.

He said the province has also invested $142 million over two years for the completion of the Gene Zwozdesky Centre in Edmonton. That will add 145 new spaces and renovate 205 existing spaces to accommodate 350 continuing care residents with complex needs. Construction on the main building is expected to be finished in late 2022, with renovation of the Angus McGugan building to follow.

Alberta’s Health Minister Jason Copping said in short, the commitments made in Budget 2022 mean “more spaces, better access and shorter wait times for continuing care here in Calgary and across the entire province.”

“That’s not just some time in the future. It’s right now and right through this coming year.”

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