The province is targeting some Lakeland communities with a program aimed at expanding continuing care providers. On Tuesday Premier Jason Kenney announced the “Affordable Supportive Living Initiative”.
The province says the project will allow continuing care operators to add publicly funded spaces without additional capital funding.
“Alberta seniors are cherished members of our communities. To meet their needs, we’re developing new continuing care spaces in priority communities across Alberta and continuing our government’s platform commitment to reinstate the Alberta Supportive Living Initiative. Through this work, hundreds of Alberta seniors will have better access to high-quality continuing care close to family and friends – quickly and cost-effectively,” said the premier.
Interested operators in priority communities are being invited to submit proposals through an expression of interest process if they have the capacity to operate new continuing care spaces, which will be under contract with Alberta Health Services. Of the 31 communities targeted, the province says it’s looking at Bonnyville, St. Paul and Vermilion as potential areas that the program could work.
The province calls this “the first step” in their $164 million plan to increase the number of continuing care spaces over the next three years.