Provincial guide · Alberta

Planning for more care

Assisted Living Alberta (ALA) is the provincial agency for continuing care, home care, and community care. Start with Health Link 811 to ask about an assessment. Some current access and case-manager services still use Alberta Health Services (AHS) names while the system transition continues.

Province

Guides are available for all provinces and territories. Select where the person needing care lives.

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Alberta at a glance

Where to start

Health Link 811

Health Link: 811

Local care system: Assisted Living Alberta (ALA)
Self-referral: Yes. Anyone can call 811 to ask about a continuing care assessment; no referral is required
Who can request help: The person or someone calling on behalf of a friend or loved one who cannot call themselves
Main contact: Health Link 811; continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca for ALA service and program inquiries
Assessment: A health professional assesses unmet care needs. Some current operational access services still use AHS Continuing Care Access or case-manager terminology.

Service availability and wait times vary. Confirm current access details on Assisted Living Alberta and Alberta.ca, and use operational AHS/MyHealth pages where those services still carry AHS names.

What kind of help are you exploring?

Select everything that sounds relevant. Assisted Living Alberta (ALA) is the provincial agency for continuing care, home care, and community care. Health Link 811 can help you ask for an assessment. Some operational access services still use AHS names during the transition.

Help with meals, bathing, dressing, or medicationDay-to-day personal care or reminders that may be hard to manage alone or with current help at home.
Support following an illness or hospital stayRecovery, therapy, or short-term help after a hospital discharge or serious illness.
Supervision because of memory loss or confusionWandering risk, forgetting meals or medication, or needing watchful support for dementia or cognitive change.
A safer living setting with some independenceMore support than at home, but not necessarily 24-hour nursing, for example when stairs, isolation, or falls are a concern.
Nursing care available throughout the day and nightOngoing skilled nursing, complex medical needs, or care that cannot be met safely with periodic visits.
Relief or respite for a family caregiverA break for an unpaid family member or friend who provides most of the day-to-day support.
Help because the current arrangement is no longer safeThe person cannot be supported safely where they live now, even with more home help.
An immediate abuse, neglect, wandering, or safety concernUrgent harm, suspected abuse or neglect, unsafe wandering, or a situation that feels dangerous right now.

Your selections help orient planning. A professional assessment determines which publicly funded services or residential care steps may apply.

Suggested next actions in Alberta

Choose a starting point linked to official Alberta resources. MyEligible does not schedule assessments or submit government forms.

Why this order?

Urgent safety and assessment steps come before longer housing or financial planning so you know what help is available before making bigger decisions.

Call Health Link 811

Purpose: Reach official Alberta intake for home support assessment or residential care discussions.
When to use: When any level of continuing care support is needed, after hospital discharge, or when comparing home and residential options.
What to have ready: Health card information, medication list, hospital discharge papers if recent, and helper contact details.

Health Link: 811
24/7 health advice and navigation to AHS continuing care services.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Health Link: 811

More official sources (1)

Health Link: 811
24/7 health advice and navigation to AHS continuing care services.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Health Link: 811

Open the Alberta caregiver guide

Learn about home support

Purpose: Review how Alberta home and community services work after assessment.
When to use: When visiting support at home may meet daily needs before considering residential options.
What to have ready: Summary of daily care needs and current helpers at home.

Health Link: 811
24/7 health advice and navigation to AHS continuing care services.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Health Link: 811

More official sources (3)

Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca
Assisted Living Alberta continuing care navigation email for Alberta Health Services.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca
How to access continuing care in Alberta
Official Government of Alberta guide: start with Health Link 811 and continuing care assessment steps.
Link verified 2026-08-25
How to access continuing care in Alberta
AHS Continuing Care Access
Zone Continuing Care Access Centres and how to request an assessment.
Link verified 2026-08-25
AHS Continuing Care Access

Explore residential care options

Purpose: Understand Supportive living and continuing care homes placement steps and costs on official pages.
When to use: When 24-hour supervision or nursing may be needed and home support is no longer safe enough.
What to have ready: Recent functional changes, caregiver capacity notes, and preferred community if any.

Alberta long-term care
Type A continuing care homes with 24-hour nursing and personal care.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Alberta long-term care

More official sources (2)

Designated supportive living
Licensed supportive living with meals and scheduled personal care.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Designated supportive living
AHS Continuing Care Access
Zone Continuing Care Access Centres and how to request an assessment.
Link verified 2026-08-25
AHS Continuing Care Access

Review seniors benefits and tax credits

Purpose: Explore federal benefits that may help with overall care finances (orientation only).
When to use: When planning finances alongside Alberta care options.
What to have ready: Approximate income range and whether the person receives federal seniors benefits.

Explore seniors benefits

A five-step planning journey in Alberta

Start with the step that matches your situation. Open a step for details and official sources.

- List difficult daily tasks: meals, bathing, medication, mobility, and supervision needs.
- Note changes after hospitalization or gradual decline.
- Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
- Health Link: 811
  24/7 health advice and navigation to AHS continuing care services.
  Link verified 2026-08-25
  Health Link: 811
- Nursing, personal care, therapy, respite, and palliative supports at home based on assessed need.
  Health Link: 811
  What happens next: After intake, an assessor may ask about daily activities, mobility, safety, medications, and help already available at home.
- Alberta has several residential care and accommodation settings with different levels of personal support, nursing, fees, and access requirements.
- Progression is not always linear; needs and authorized levels can change over time.
- Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca
  Assisted Living Alberta continuing care navigation email for Alberta Health Services.
  Link verified 2026-08-25
  Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca
- Bring medication lists, recent hospital records, and details about family helpers.
- Contact official Alberta intake to request or discuss an assessment.
  Health Link: 811
  What happens next: An assessor may schedule a visit and discuss home support, respite, equipment, or residential placement steps.
- Assessment does not guarantee immediate residential placement.
- Approved home services are publicly funded when eligible; hours reflect assessed need.
- Residential settings may have income-based charges or copayments per provincial rules.
- Federal seniors benefits may help with overall finances. See MyEligible seniors benefits guide.
- Alberta long-term care
  Type A continuing care homes with 24-hour nursing and personal care.
  Link verified 2026-08-25
  Alberta long-term care
- Designated supportive living
  Licensed supportive living with meals and scheduled personal care.
  Link verified 2026-08-25
  Designated supportive living
- AHS Continuing Care Access
  Zone Continuing Care Access Centres and how to request an assessment.
  Link verified 2026-08-25
  AHS Continuing Care Access
- Home support begins after assessment approval, not automatically on first contact.
- Residential placement follows assessment, authorization, and wait times where applicable.
- Hospital discharge may include short-term support. Confirm what happens when it ends.
- Protection concerns should use official routes separate from care applications.
- Health Link: 811
  24/7 health advice and navigation to AHS continuing care services.
  Link verified 2026-08-25
  Health Link: 811
- AHS Continuing Care Access
  Zone Continuing Care Access Centres and how to request an assessment.
  Link verified 2026-08-25
  AHS Continuing Care Access

Alberta care settings, a continuum, not a ladder

Alberta coordinates home support, residential care, and setting-specific protection through separate official programs. Progression is not always linear. Progression is not always linear. Some people add home support and never move; others need reassessment when needs grow. Compare care levels, costs, and which authority coordinates before choosing a direction.

Who it may suit: People who can stay at home with visiting support, short-term post-hospital recovery, or periodic nursing and therapy.
Typical services: Personal care, nursing visits, rehabilitation, equipment support, respite, and palliative home care depending on assessed need.
Funding: Many approved health services are publicly funded for eligible Albertans; some services or supports may still have fees.
Who assesses: A health professional assesses unmet care needs. Operational access services may still use AHS case-manager terminology.
How to start: Call Health Link 811 to ask about an assessment. Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca for Assisted Living Alberta service and program inquiries.
Common misunderstanding: Home care is not unlimited; approved services reflect assessed need and can change over time.

Health Link: 811
24/7 health advice and navigation to AHS continuing care services.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Health Link: 811
Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca
Assisted Living Alberta continuing care navigation email for Alberta Health Services.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca
How to access continuing care in Alberta
Official Government of Alberta guide: start with Health Link 811 and continuing care assessment steps.
Link verified 2026-08-25
How to access continuing care in Alberta
AHS Continuing Care Access
Zone Continuing Care Access Centres and how to request an assessment.
Link verified 2026-08-25
AHS Continuing Care Access

Compare Alberta settings at a glance

Use this table for orientation only. Confirm assessment requirements, fees, and contacts on official pages before making decisions.

Setting	Support level	Nursing	Funding	Assessment	Best contact	Official starting point
Home and community care	Visiting nursing, therapy, and personal care based on assessed need	Periodic nursing visits when clinically required, not 24-hour onsite nursing	Many approved health services are publicly funded; some service fees may apply	Yes for publicly funded home and community care services	Health Link 811	Official starting point
Supportive living accommodation	Housing with hospitality services and varying levels of personal support	Varies by operator and care model; not automatically 24-hour nursing	Accommodation and optional service fees vary by site	Operator criteria apply; some publicly funded care requires assessment	Operator directly or Health Link 811 for care navigation	Official starting point
Transitional or rehabilitation care	Shorter-term clinical support after illness, injury, or hospital care when available	Clinical oversight depends on the program and setting	Depends on the specific publicly funded program and eligibility	Usually coordinated by the hospital or continuing care team	Hospital discharge team or Health Link 811	Official starting point
Supportive living with added care services	Accommodation plus personal support or care services matched to resident needs	Varies by site and service arrangement	Housing and service charges vary; confirm directly with the operator and care provider	Depends on the accommodation and whether publicly funded care is involved	Operator directly; Health Link 811 for continuing care navigation	Official starting point
Continuing care home with 24-hour nursing	24-hour nursing, personal care, meals, and supervision	24-hour onsite nursing and supervision	Eligible health care is publicly funded; accommodation charges may apply	Yes. Professional assessment required for publicly funded placement	Health Link 811; current operational access service after assessment	Official starting point
Safety and quality concerns	Emergency or official complaint/protection contacts depending on the issue	Call 911 for immediate medical or safety emergencies	N/A	N/A	911 for immediate danger; otherwise the relevant official service or Health Link 811 for navigation	Official starting point

Support level: Visiting nursing, therapy, and personal care based on assessed need
Nursing: Periodic nursing visits when clinically required, not 24-hour onsite nursing
Funding: Many approved health services are publicly funded; some service fees may apply
Assessment: Yes for publicly funded home and community care services
Best contact: Health Link 811

Health Link: 811
24/7 health advice and navigation to AHS continuing care services.
Link verified 2026-08-25
Health Link: 811
AHS Continuing Care Access
Zone Continuing Care Access Centres and how to request an assessment.
Link verified 2026-08-25
AHS Continuing Care Access

Official sources

These pages are maintained by government agencies and regulators. MyEligible mirrors links for navigation only.

Alberta Health Services Continuing Care
Continuing care overview, home and community care, and residential pathways.
Authority:
Alberta Health Services
Province:
Alberta
Last verified:
2026-08-25
External official page
AHS Continuing Care Access Centres
Zone Continuing Care Access Centre contacts and assessment intake.
Authority:
Alberta Health Services
Province:
Alberta
Last verified:
2026-08-25
External official page
AHS designated supportive living
Designated supportive living accommodations and placement information.
Authority:
Alberta Health Services
Province:
Alberta
Last verified:
2026-08-25
External official page
AHS long-term care
Long-term care homes, waitlists, and accommodation charges.
Authority:
Alberta Health Services
Province:
Alberta
Last verified:
2026-08-25
External official page
Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee of Alberta
Personal directives, enduring power of attorney, and guardianship information.
Authority:
Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee of Alberta
Province:
Alberta
Last verified:
2026-08-25
External official page
Government of Alberta: how to access continuing care
How to access continuing care, Health Link 811, and Assisted Living Alberta navigation.
Authority:
Government of Alberta
Province:
Alberta
Last verified:
2026-08-25
External official page

This guide helps you prepare and find the correct official pathway. It does not assess eligibility, make placement decisions, or replace advice from a health authority or care coordinator.

This is not an eligibility test

Last reviewed: August 2026

Alberta at a glance

What kind of help are you exploring?

Suggested next actions in Alberta

Call Health Link 811

Health Link: 811

Health Link: 811

Learn about home support

Health Link: 811

Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca

How to access continuing care in Alberta

AHS Continuing Care Access

Explore residential care options

Alberta long-term care

Designated supportive living

AHS Continuing Care Access

Review seniors benefits and tax credits

A five-step planning journey in Alberta

Health Link: 811

Alberta care settings, a continuum, not a ladder

Health Link: 811

Email continuingcare@assistedlivingalberta.ca

How to access continuing care in Alberta

AHS Continuing Care Access

Compare Alberta settings at a glance

Health Link: 811

AHS Continuing Care Access

Official sources