Seniors care plan highlights: Choice and quality for seniors

• Alberta Health Services, working with the Government of Alberta, will add more than 3,000 continuing care beds over the next three years across the province as part of a strategy to increase access and care choices for seniors. These spaces are in addition to the more than 19,500 continuing care spaces currently in Alberta.
• This year, more than 1,100 beds are being added across Alberta. The total includes 200 continuing care beds at Carewest Garrison Green in Calgary and 38 designated assisted living suites at the Place Beauséjour site in Beaumont.
• In Calgary, with patients moving into Carewest Garrison Green this month, the opening of those beds will immediately begin to ease pressure on the number of patients waiting in hospital for a continuing care bed. Currently, about 244 patients a day, on average, are waiting in hospital for placement in the community.
• In Beaumont, just south of Edmonton, Place Beauséjour offers a range of living support for seniors, including independent housing, supportive housing and the 38 designated assisted living spaces. In Edmonton, about 257 patients a day, on average, are waiting in hospital for placement in the community.
• AHS anticipates the additional beds added in the next three years will significantly reduce the number of people waiting for placement and the length of time they have to wait.
• The move to increase capacity includes more than 1,000 spaces the Government of Alberta recently announced through new funding from its Capital Bonds and Affordable Supportive Living Initiative. AHS added more than 400 continuing care spaces in 2009-10.
• The new beds are part of the Alberta Government’s 5-Year Funding Plan for AHS that will see a reduction in emergency wait times, reduction in surgery wait times, and the expansion of continuing care. Projects with openings planned in 2010 are underway in several communities around the province.

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