ACCA Calls for Urgent Modernization of Alberta's Continuing Care Funding Model
May 22, 2025 Featured
Alberta’s continuing care sector is at a tipping point. With outdated funding models, growing operational costs, and increasingly complex resident needs, care providers across the province, especially in rural areas, are struggling to sustain high-quality care.
In response, the Alberta Continuing Care Association (ACCA) has released a comprehensive position paper: Modernizing Alberta’s Continuing Care Funding Model. This paper has been submitted to Minister Jason Nixon and Minister Adriana LaGrange as part of ACCA’s continued advocacy efforts to advance sustainable, equitable, and quality care for Alberta’s aging population.
Why Change is Urgently Needed
The funding model currently in place was developed in 2008 and no longer reflects the realities of modern care. It fails to account for:
- Increased resident acuity and complexity of care
- Inflation and rising staffing costs
- Capital renewal and technology upgrades
- Rural operational challenges
Although government reviews in 2018-19 and again in 2021 identified needed changes, implementation has stalled, putting additional strain on operators across the province.
Key Recommendations from ACCA
Drawing from province-wide data and frontline experience, ACCA proposes nine actionable solutions:
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Update Funding Models to reflect real-time resident needs, service demands, and inflation.
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Strengthen Assessment Tools by replacing outdated systems with those that better measure acuity.
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Support Staffing Stability through funding formulas that reflect wage realities and rural provider needs.
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Invest in Technology via a dedicated fund aligned with Alberta’s digital health strategy.
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Address Resident Financial Risk with hardship funds and streamlined benefit payments.
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Reform Accommodation Fees with more equitable, income-based approaches.
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Enable Capital Renewal to meet modern design, safety, and accessibility standards.
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Ensure Tax and Utility Fairness for all publicly funded homes.
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Modernize Financial Reporting to improve data transparency and benchmarking.
Bridging the Funding Gap & Addressing Rural Disparities
The paper identifies two urgent, system-wide challenges:
- A widening funding gap that misaligns resources with actual care costs.
- Deepening rural-urban disparities that leave smaller providers vulnerable.
Without immediate action, these challenges threaten the long-term sustainability and equity of Alberta’s continuing care system.
Read the Full Paper
This paper is more than a critique. It’s a sector-informed roadmap for action. ACCA continues to advocate strongly on behalf of its members, calling on the Government of Alberta to implement these much-needed reforms.