Province misses targets for access to continuing care: report

While the NDP government says it’s increasing the number of long-term care and supportive living beds in Alberta, the province is getting further away from hitting its own targets around accessing continuing care spaces.

Alberta Health’s recently released annual report for 2017-18 shows only 52 per cent of clients are being placed in continuing care within 30 days of being assessed, falling short of the government’s target of 65 per cent.

The number dropped from 56 per cent in 2016-17, and from 60 per cent in each of the two years prior to that. In 2013-14, 69 per cent of clients were placed within the 30-day window.

Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said there are factors playing into the decline.

In 2015, the government changed the policy requiring a client to take the first available bed that was available in the region.

This meant greater choice but also potentially longer time frames for clients to access beds, said Hoffman.

But the health minister acknowledged more infrastructure is required.

“We’re working hard to continue to open as many spaces as needed. We definitely have a need for more long-term care and supportive living options throughout the province,” said Hoffman in an interview Friday.

The NDP pledged during the 2015 election campaign to add 2,000 new long-term care and dementia beds over the course of its term. The government says it’s on track to meet that target.