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By Chris Brown / CHAT News Today

COVERING THREE MONTHS OF RATE INCREASE

Province giving relief to residents in continuing care

Apr 5, 2022 | 4:53 PM

Continuing care residents will get a three-month break on their accommodation charges this year, says the Alberta government.

Each year continuing care operators can raise accommodation rates on July 1 by the rate of inflation over the previous year. That increase is 5.5. per cent this year.

The province says it will provide $10.4 million to operators, on behalf of residents, to cover the increase from July 1 to Sept. 30.

Health Minister Jason Copping says passing on the full increase to residents would be an undue strain for them and their families.

Copping says the government will look at ways to reduce the burden on residents after the three-month reprieve and also ensure operators have the revenue needed to maintain services.

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Accommodation charges reflect the cost of providing such things as resident rooms, meals and meal service, laundering of towels and linens, housekeeping services, utilities, routine building maintenance and general administration.

“The UCP have consistently failed seniors and residents of continuing care and recent changes are too little too late,” said NDP Critic for Seniors and Housing, Lori Sigurdson, on Wednesday. “While offsets to accommodation charges can be seen as a positive sign, this government is again showing that Albertans cannot trust the UCP with caring for those in need. As the cost of living has skyrocketed, the UCP have diminished supports for seniors by refusing to index the seniors benefit, meaning those in need are getting less and less support over time.”

“I call on the UCP government to show real, actual support and appreciation for seniors in our province and implement the changes that both Alberta’s NDP and the Continuing Care Review have recommended, rather than reducing the support given to seniors in our province,” added Sigurdson.

(With files from rdnewsNOW)