In a quality continuing care system, individuals and their families access and receive resident/client centered, effective, evidence based, and safe continuing care services.
Quality in continuing care is supported by the following principles:
Assisted Living Alberta's priorities for continuing care quality are:
Several mechanisms work together to support and monitor the quality of continuing care in Alberta.
Standards are available to assist continuing care providers in developing their services and thoroughly assessing all they do. Standards additionally support the provider's ongoing quality improvement activities and focus efforts on the essential components of safe and effective care.
Provincial Standards for accommodation (living environment and housekeeping) and health services are designed to ensure Home and Community Care and Continuing Care Home operators provide quality health and accommodation related services to their residents.
ALA monitors service quality and compliance through:
Accreditation Canada uses national standards of excellence to enable organizations to improve the quality and safety of their services. These standards are developed through consultation with expert advisory committees and are based on research and leading practice.
Public Health Inspectors operate under the Alberta Public Health Act to ensure compliance with Food Regulations. Learn more
Public Health Surveillance is the systematic, ongoing collection, analysis and interpretation of data and the timely distribution to public health decision makers. Information can include potential infectious disease outbreaks and threats to public health. Learn more
Patient/Care-Based Funding (PCBF) was implemented beginning in 2010 to phase in equitable funding for long-term care relative to the needs of the residents. PCBF is currently in place for long-term care and is under review and consideration for possible future implementation to allocate resources for other continuing care settings.
PCBF relies upon an internationally-recognized assessment tool to determine what level of care a resident needs based on their health conditions. This type of model is used in other health organizations across Canada, including Ontario, and around the world in countries such as the U.K., Australia, and Norway. The assessment tool is used by long-term care sites throughout the province to plan care for residents.
Policies and procedures are important to direct our actions in order to inspire, empower and guide how we work together with clients and families.
The following policies apply to continuing care in Alberta:
The term patient is used within policy documents within Assisted Living Alberta. Patient means all persons who receive or have requested health care or services from ALA and its health care providers and also means, where applicable:
