Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta (Government of Alberta YouTube)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Assisted Living Framework

Province taking steps to build continuing care and more acute capacity

Dec 11, 2025 | 3:47 PM

Alberta’s government says its new Assisted Living Framework is striving to relieve pressure on hospitals and ensure Albertans get the care they need, when and where they need it.

Through the new Assisted Living Framework, the province says it will invest billions over the next decade to build tens of thousands of continuing care spaces, starting with $400 million to turn shovel-ready projects into new, high-quality care spaces in the communities that need them most.

Historically, the government says one out of five hospital beds have been occupied by Albertans who no longer require acute care, also known as alternate level of care patients. Officials say this leads to crowded hospitals, longer wait times and added strain on front-line staff.

As a result, the province says it has reduced the number of non-acute patients in hospital beds by 20 per cent in just six months, but acknowledges there’s more work to be done.

Officials say the new Assisted Living Framework builds on this progress, tackling the issue head-on by strengthening the province’s assisted living sector to ensure Albertans can receive the non-acute care they need within their own homes and communities – rather than always relying on hospitals.

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“When Albertans go to the hospital, they deserve timely, high-quality care,” says Premier Danielle Smith, in a press release. “Patients who are no longer acute deserve to move into the setting that can best support their recovery, whether that is community care, continuing care or their own home. Making sure every Albertan is in the right bed with the right level of care is how we improve outcomes and free up acute care for those who need it most.”

“We’re done patching around the edges,” adds Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services. “This framework gets to the root of the problem with more capacity, better coordination and a system built around people, not paperwork. We’re building an assisted living system that’s easier to navigate, faster to respond and focused on real outcomes for Albertans.”

“This framework ensures patients receive the right care, in the right place, while reducing hospital pressures and strengthening the overall health system,” comments Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services.

“Getting people home is about dignity and patient care,” states Dr. Sayeh Zielke, executive chair, Assisted Living Alberta. “By expanding home and community supports, we can move people out of hospital and into the right care, in the right place, closer to the people and communities that matter most to them.”

Alberta’s Assisted Living Framework:

Government officials say the Assisted Living Framework is expected to drives immediate results and lasting improvements through four key pillars:

• Support aging in place: Expands home care and non-medical supports to help Albertans age well in their homes and communities.
• Connect patients to the right care: Strengthens pathways out of hospital and into the community for non-acute patients through improved diversion and discharge planning.
• Modernize funding and foster innovation: Aligns funding to prioritize patient outcomes and ensures dollars follow patients, not beds.
• Build for the future: Drives the largest continuing care expansion in the province’s history, building capacity to meet the needs of Alberta today and into the future.

By addressing long-standing system bottlenecks and providing alternative care pathways, Alberta’s Assisted Living Framework is anticipated to free up hospital beds, reduce wait times, and ensure Albertans receive the right care in the right place, at the right time.

Alberta government quick facts

• Alberta’s government has reduced the number of hospital beds occupied by non-acute patients by 20 per cent in the past six months.
  • Historically, one out of five hospital beds have been occupied by Albertans who no longer require acute care, also known as alternative level of care patients.
• Alberta is home to about 850,000 seniors.
  • By 2035, Alberta is expected to be home to more than one million seniors.
  • About 90 per cent of continuing care home residents are seniors.
• There are currently about 30,000 continuing care home spaces in Alberta.
  • There are more than 240 home and community care providers in the province.
  • Since 2019, Alberta’s government has funded the development of more than 3,000 continuing care spaces.
• Applications for the first intake of this Continuing Care Capital Program funding stream close Feb. 6, 2026.
• Assisted Living Alberta supports older adults, people with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness and vulnerable Albertans in accessing care when and where they need it.
• Assisted Living Alberta is part of the transformation of Alberta’s health care system and is the fourth provincial health agency, alongside Recovery Alberta, Acute Care Alberta and Primary Care Alberta.