New Continuing Care Act (Bill 11)

Bill 11, the Continuing Care Act, is Canada’s first fully integrated legislative framework for all levels of continuing care.

The Act was passed in the Alberta legislature and given Royal Assent on May 31, 2022. It’s a comprehensive piece of legislation that consolidates multiple Acts that previously governed different types and levels of continuing care facilities. Most importantly, the Act streamlines and standardizes the degree of accountability and transparency across different streams of care such as long-term care, designated and non-designated supportive living, palliative and end-of-life care, and home and community care.

Bill 11 outlines key provisions of Alberta’s continuing care system, such as:

• Licensing requirements, restrictions and procedures
• Accountability for inspections and compliance monitoring, including remedies for non-compliance
• Ministerial authority to cover the cost of goods and services
• Resident eligibility to receive publicly funded care, and parameters regarding resident-pay portions
• The right to establish Resident and Family Councils
• Ministerial authority to establish regulations with respect to standards and guidelines, goods and service provision, fees and co-payments for care and accommodation, and complaint resolution protocols.

An important change through the new Act is the use of standardized terms across the continuing care system.

• Continuing Care Home to refer to any facility that delivers publicly funded care, regardless of the level of care or the style of the facility.
• Supportive Living Accommodation refers to any building that offers independent but congretage residential living units.
• Home and Community Care refers to publicly funded goods and services provided in an individual’s private home.

The Continuing Care Act will be proclaimed and come into force once the accompanying regulations are finalized, which is expected in 2024.