Alberta’s Continuing Care Strategy

1. Alberta’s Continuing Care Strategy Presentation for Moving Palliative Care and End of Life Care Forward Date: May 17, 2010 By: Vivien Lai, AB Health & Wellness

2. External Environment for Continuing Care Strategy • Shift in Population: • Increasing number of elderly, peaking in 2030 • Healthier, longer life expectancy • Higher education • Higher expectation • Increased income of seniors over the last 25 years • Different values and lifestyle choices from current generation of elderly • Value choice and independence • Sustainability of the system is an issue Change in demography and lifestyle preferences of baby boomers drives the need for a new strategy

3. Continuing Care Strategy Aging in the Right Place Released December 15, 2008 • Five Strategies: • Investing in Community Supports • Building infrastructure that meets “aging in the right place” vision • Changing the way long-term care accommodations are paid • Funding individuals based on needs and/or funding providers • Providing equitable drug coverage for people wherever they live

4. Continuing Care Strategy Aging in the Right Place Released December 15, 2008 • Five Strategies: • Investing in Community Supports • Increased Home Care Funding • - Additional funding to enhance home care • over 2009 to 2012 • b. Health System Navigation • - Health system patient system will be • implemented province-wide in 2012. • c. Transition Back to Community • - Funding for transition program provided to AHS • over 2009 to 2012. • d. Emergency Department Support • - 2009: Two hospital teams in place for emergency dept. support. • e. Caregiver Support and Enhanced Respite Community Initiatives • - 2010: Pilot project on caregiver support/respite care services. • - By 2012, Provincial caregiver education programs in place. • f. Dedicated Health Technology Funding • - 2009: Health technology roadmap. • - 2009-2011: Pilot projects developed and deployed. • - 2010-2012: Province wide expansion of selected technologies.

5. Continuing Care Strategy Aging in the Right Place Released December 15, 2008 • (Five Strategies cont’d) • 2. Building infrastructure that meets “aging in the right place” vision • - Goal is to offer seniors and persons with disabilities more options for quality accommodations that suit their lifestyles and service needs. • - Capital funding models to be designed to ensure that many units are • affordable for low/moderate income levels. • 3. Changing the way long-term care accommodations are paid • - Explore flexible options. • 4. Funding individuals based on needs and/or funding providers • - Individualized health services funding alternatives. • 5. Providing equitable drug coverage for people wherever they live • - Providing an equitable drug coverage program consistent across • Alberta to give incentive for seniors and persons with disabilities to choose home and supportive living over facility care.

6. 3 Tiers of Activities to Implement the Continuing Care Strategy • Expand Traditional Services to Build Capacity • Home care • Transition back to the community • Health system navigation • Emergency department support • Expand Non-traditional Services • Health technology • Community initiatives • Caregiver support and respite care • 3. Transformation of Continuing Care System • Money follows the client • Individualized funding

7. Partners for Change Alberta Health and Wellness Alberta Seniors and Community Supports Alberta Health Services Implications of Continuing Care Strategy on End of Life Care Policy • Need to review what palliative/end of life care services should be enhanced to enable Albertans to “age in the right place”in the community. • Provide choice for End of Life Care • Address capacity issues • Address availability and connectivity of service across Alberta • ACTION ITEMS: (1) Establish Joint AHW/AHS Policy Committee • (2) Policy work underway