Alberta announces new continuing care system to be introduced this year

Alberta’s UCP government has announced the next steps of its new continuing care system — part of its ongoing move to split Alberta Health Services (AHS) into four different organizations.

Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon announced Thursday that the new continuing care system, Assisted Alberta Living, will be introduced on Apr. 1 and is expected to be fully up and running by the fall.

The new agency will aim to provide older and vulnerable residents with medical and non-medical supports, home care, community care and social services. The province claims it will allow for a less complicated, more streamlined system that will be better able to respond to growing demand.

Nixon says a new transition team will be headed by cardiologist Dr. Sayeh Zielke, the medical director of Chinook Cardiology.

“At the end of the day what we want to make sure is we are getting the most innovative technology here to care for people within the system,” he says. “And making sure people are in the right spot.”

“To do that, we have to be able to put in a system that makes it easy to use.”

Friends of Medicare spokesperson Chris Galloway says the province’s plan misses the mark, adding if they really wanted to improve senior care they would address a staffing shortage.

He also says the newly announced transition team was handpicked with an ulterior motive.

“It includes CEOs of the for-profit care homes,” he says. “They are sitting at the table to say what his new agency and system is going to look like.”

“Profit is their prime motive, it’s not the care of Albertans.”

Galloway is accusing the province is rushing the switchover from AHS and says an Apr. 1 timeline doesn’t give nearly enough time for a change of this magnitude.

The new agency will work with the other three new entities involved in the province’s reformed healthcare system.

“We no longer have one health agency trying to deal with all of these issues at once from a leadership prospective,” says Nixon. “We’re going to have to work together very closely, but the leadership of this organization will be focused on making sure that we’re responsible are receiving the services they need.”

Assisted Living Alberta is the final of the four agencies to be established and will be the last one operational. Recovery Alberta started operating in September, and Primary Care Alberta and Acute Care Alberta are set to become entities on Feb. 1.

The province government has launched an online survey seeking feedback from Albertans including healthcare workers, which will be available until March 3.

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