read pdf version
Page 1 of 6
Ministers' Statement
May 9, 2005
Auditor General's Report on the Government of Alberta's
Seniors Core Services and Programs
The Auditor General, this government and our departments have a common goal:
to ensure that
Albertans receive quality programs and services for public expenditures. Quality
services and programs
for seniors are respectful, safe, preserve their dignity and, to the extent
possible, support their
independence.
The majority of seniors receiving care through publicly funded home care, assisted
living and long-term
care facilities do receive quality care. However, we do have some concerns.
Our departments have already taken action. Our goal is to build a continuing
care system that works in
partnership with residents and their families, and puts their needs first.
Working with health authorities, Alberta Health and Wellness has launched several
initiatives over the
last few months. Those initiatives include:
Development of new standards for Continuing Care Health Service Standards;
Implementation of improved resident assessment tools, which will show whether
individual care
needs, and provincial health goals, are being met;
Development of standardized elements for contracts between Regional Health Authorities
and
long-term care operators;
Development of a training program for health care aides, and
Increasing the average care hours per resident from 3.1 to 3.4 per day by the
end of this fiscal year
(2005/2006).
Updating the Continuing Care Health Services Standards has been one of Alberta
Health and Wellness'
first priorities. These new standards will focus care practices around the needs
of the individual. By
focusing how we care for residents around their individual needs, we improve
their quality of life, as
well as the quality of care. Our proposed new standards will:
require development of a care plan for each client, and focus measuring and
reporting on the
effectiveness of care provided to each individual;
clearly spell out the responsibilities of clients and their families, health
care providers, operators,
Regional Health Authorities and the department; and
establish a process for regular reviews and upgrading of standards to meet professional
best
practices.
Alberta Seniors and Community Supports will build on the Auditor General's recommendations
by
continuing work in the following areas:
re-establish reviews of seniors lodge facilities while lodge standards are being
clarified and
http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=att&disp=inline&attid=0.1&th=105f9c03c14b8348
8/27/2005
Page 2 of 6
enhanced;
review how the Alberta Seniors Benefit Program meets the financial needs of seniors following
the July 2004 increase to income thresholds and monthly payments;
develop accommodations standards for long-term care, supportive living environments and
seniors lodges, and ensure appropriate mechanisms are in place to monitor compliance with these
standards.
MLA Len Webber, Chair of the Healthy Aging and Continuing Care in Alberta Implementation
Advisory Committee, and MLA Ray Prins, Chair of the Seniors' Advisory Council, will conduct a
stakeholder review of the standards beginning immediately and concluding by the end of August this
year.
We want to thank the Auditor General for his work, which was thorough and thoughtful.
His recommendations support the work that is underway, and will help us identify further actions. For
that reason, we intend to accept all the recommendations in his report.
We will be working together with Regional Health Authorities and health care providers on several
further initiatives to improve monitoring for compliance with standards, measures of the cost
effectiveness of services, and planning for the future. Alberta Health and Wellness will introduce more
frequent, unannounced quality assurance visits to long-term care facilities with quality improvement and
monitoring teams composed of clinical and management operations specialists, in addition to the current
work of the Health Facilities Review Committee.
We want to emphasize that although 70 per cent of standards were fully met, and that in many cases
Regional Health Authorities have moved beyond the current standards for care, we need to do much
better. Standards need to be improved, and this is a core piece of what we will do.
In that work, as in all our actions, we will keep our eyes on the target: working with those in care to
clearly understand and respond to their individual medical, physical and social needs.
This will mean change and we face challenges. It requires ensuring that a variety of services are
available and accessible, emphasizing both quality of life and quality of care, and promoting
independence to the extent possible. Working with those who need care, their families, health care
providers and Regional Health Authorities, we can meet those challenges.
Honourable Iris Evans, Minister of Health and Wellness
Honourable Yvonne Fritz, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports
- 30 -
Media enquiries may be directed to:
David Dear
Howard May
Jason Chance
Communications
Communications
Communications
Alberta Health and
Alberta Health and
Alberta Seniors and
Wellness
Wellness
Community Supports
Ph: (780) 427-7164
(403) 660-1870
Ph: (780) 415- 9950
http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=att&disp=inline&attid=0.1&th=105f9c03c14b8348
8/27/2005
Page 3 of 6
Cell: (780) 405-9508
Backgrounder
May 9, 2005
Response to Recommendations of the Auditor General's Report on Seniors
Services and Programs
Recommendation
Response
The Department of Health and Wellness, working with
Alberta Health and Wellness has
the Department of Seniors and Community Supports and
developed new Continuing Care
the Regional Health Authorities, update the Basic Service
Health Service Standards, which
Standards for services in long-term care facilities and
include a process for regular review
implement a system to regularly review and update the
involving Regional Health Authorities
Basic Service Standards to ensure they remain current.
and stakeholders to allow updates as
needed.
MLA Len Webber, Chair of the
Healthy Aging and Continuing Care in
Alberta Implementation Advisory
Committee, and MLA Ray Prins,
Chair of the Seniors' Advisory
Council, will conduct a stakeholder
review of care and accommodation
service standards, which will be
completed by the end of August.
Alberta Seniors and Community
Supports is updating accommodation
standards for long-term care facilities.
A system to regularly review and
update these standards will be
implemented later this year.
The Department of Health and Wellness and the Regional
Both departments will work with
Health Authorities, working with the Department of
Regional Health Facilities to improve
Seniors and Community Supports, improve their systems
systems for monitoring compliance
for monitoring the compliance of long-term care facilities
with standards.
with the Basic Service Standards.
The new standards for continuing care
include improved information and
reporting requirements and tools for
long-term care facilities and Regional
Health Authorities.
http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=att&disp=inline&attid=0.1&th=105f9c03c14b8348
8/27/2005
Page 4 of 6
Alberta Health and Wellness is
working with Regional Health
Authorities to develop standardized
elements for contracts with long-term
care providers.
Alberta Health and Wellness will
introduce more frequent, unannounced
quality assurance visits to long-term
care facilities with teams of clinical
and management operations
specialists, in addition to the work of
the Health Facilities Review
Committee.
The Department of Health and Wellness and the Regional
Alberta Health and Wellness will
Health Authorities, working with the Department of
continue implementing new tools to
Seniors and Community Supports, assess the
measure the quality and effectiveness
effectiveness of services in long-term care facilities.
of services, including patient
assessment, individualized care
planning, medication use, diet and
health services provided. The tools
were developed by internationally
recognized experts in continuing care,
and will be fully implemented in all
long-term care facilities by April 2007.
Alberta Seniors and Community
Supports has included a new
performance measure on
accommodation services in long-term
care facilities in its 2005-2008
business plan.
Both departments are working with
Regional Health Authorities on
measures of cost effectiveness.
The Department of Health and Wellness, working with
The Department of Seniors and
the Department of Seniors and Community Supports,
Community Services, is responsible
collect sufficient information about facility costs from the
for setting accommodation rates and
Regional Health Authorities and long-term care facilities
has established reporting requirements
to make informed accommodation rate and funding
on accommodation-related expenses
decisions.
from facility operators.
Both departments will work with
Regional Health Authorities to collect
additional information to support
accommodation rate changes and
health care service funding decisions.
The Department of Health and Wellness, working with
Provisions for monitoring and
the Regional Health Authorities and the Department of
reporting on compliance with health
Seniors and Community Supports, identify the
service standards and legislation will
information required from facilities to enable the
be included in the new Continuing
Department and Authorities to monitor long-term care
Care Health Service Standards.
facilities' compliance with legislation.
Alberta Seniors and Community
http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=att&disp=inline&attid=0.1&th=105f9c03c14b8348
8/27/2005
Page 5 of 6
Supports will identify required
information in conjunction with the
establishment of a system to monitor
compliance with accommodation
standards.
The Department of Health and Wellness, working with
The departments will work with
Regional Health Authorities and the Department of
Regional Health Authorities to
Seniors and Community Supports, develop a long-term
develop long-range plans, and will
plan to meet future needs for services in long-term care
report publicly on progress towards
facilities. The Department publicly report on progress
the goals in those plans.
made towards goals in the plan.
The Department of Health and Wellness require Regional
Alberta Health and Wellness will
Health Authorities to periodically update and report on
require Regional Health Authorities to
progress made to implement their Ten-Year Continuing
include longer-term planning for
Care Strategic Service Plans.
continuing care in their three-year
health planning processes, beginning
with the current cycle.
The Department of Health and Wellness and the
The new standards for continuing care
Department of Seniors and Community Supports
health services will also apply to
establish standards for care and housing services
assisted living, supportive living and
provided to assisted living and other supportive living
home care services.
facilities
Alberta Seniors and Community
Supports, is developing
accommodation standards for assisted
and supportive living facilities. These
standards should be implemented later
this year.
The departments will coordinate health
care and accommodation standards.
The Department of Seniors and Community Supports:
Alberta Seniors and Community
Supports is updating lodge standards
1. update the Seniors Lodge Standards and implement
and will monitor compliance with the
a process to maintain the standards.
revised standards. The standards
2. improve its systems to monitor management
should be implemented later this year.
bodies' compliance with the Seniors Lodge
Standards.
The Department of Seniors and Community Supports:
The program provides supportive
housing for lower income seniors.
1. improve the measures it uses to assess the
Currently, 89 per cent of lodge
effectiveness of the Seniors Lodge Program.
residents have low to moderate
income.
2. obtain sufficient information periodically to set
Quality of service will be monitored
the minimum disposable income of seniors used as
through systems that will be developed
a basis for seniors lodge rent charges.
in conjunction with the
accommodation standards update.
Alberta Seniors and Community
Supports will continue to annually
monitor the senior lodge rent rates in
relation to the minimum disposable
http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=att&disp=inline&attid=0.1&th=105f9c03c14b8348
8/27/2005
Page 6 of 6
income of seniors.
The Department of Seniors and Community Supports
The department will work with the
improve its processes for identifying the increasing care
Department of Health and Wellness
needs of ledge residents and consider this information in
and Regional Health Authorities to
its plans for the Seniors Lodge Program.
improve processes for identifying the
increasing care needs of lodge
residents and consider this information
in planning for the Seniors Lodge
Program.
The Department of Seniors and Community Supports
Alberta Seniors and Community
improve the measures it uses to assess whether it is
Supports uses income to assess the
meeting the objective of the Alberta Seniors Benefit
need for financial assistance. The
Program.
department will improve and develop
model(s) and datasets to better identify
seniors' financial needs.
The Department of Seniors and Community Supports
Alberta Seniors and Community
obtain further information necessary to make income
Supports will be looking to improve
threshold, cash benefit and supplementary
and develop model(s) and datasets to
accommodation benefit decisions for the Alberta Seniors
assist in the decision making process.
Benefit Program.
Media enquiries may be directed to:
David Dear
Howard May
Jason Chance
Communications
Communications
Communications
Alberta Health and
Alberta Health and
Alberta Seniors and
Wellness
Wellness
Community Supports
Ph: (780) 427-7164
(403) 660-1870
Ph: (780) 415- 9950
Cell: (780) 405-9508
Alberta Government Home | Ministries Listing | News Releases |Top of Page
Send us your comments or questions
Copyright(c); 2005 Government of Alberta
http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=att&disp=inline&attid=0.1&th=105f9c03c14b8348
8/27/2005