Alberta to receive $627M in federal health funding for seniors' care

Alberta will receive $627 million, over five years, from Ottawa to spend on improving health care for seniors, federal and provincial government officials announced Thursday.

The money will go toward operational and staffing costs of continuing care facilities, as well as home and community care. The main focus is to improveaccess to care in rural and remote areas.

"After a lifetime of work, giving back and caring about others in their communities, the least seniors deserve is to age with dignity and not worry about what's next," said federal Employment Minister RandyBoissonnault, who represents the Edmonton Centre constituency.

Boissonnault, Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrangeand federal Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajduannounced the agreement, titled Aging with Dignity, during a news conference Thursday.

The money will be split: $347 million over five years for continuing care, and$280 million over four years for home care and community care.

The funding will help shore up access to care in rural and Indigenous communities in the province, where seniors may not have the same options available to them,LaGrange said.

Within 20 years, about 1.2 million Albertanswill be older than 65, which will have a "huge impact," particularly in rural communities, she said.

"You're very connected to your family members, to your network of supports, and people want to stay in place to age in place within their communities," she said.

The federal money won't be used for capital investments, such as building new care facilities, LaGrange said. Separately, the provincial governmenthas allocated $654 million over three years for its Continuing Care Capital Program.

Feisal Keshavjee, chair of the Alberta Continuing Care Association, praised the federal government for spending in a care sector that will be further stressed as Alberta's population ages.

"It's always a challenge to find staff to get out there, especially in some of the outlying areas," Keshavjeesaid.

But people in rural areas need and deserve "certain levels of care and certain services" and people want to stay in their communities, he said.

"The more we can provide initiatives to get services where they're needed, the better," he said.

Alberta and the federal government signed a broader $1-billion, three-year health-care agreement in December.

The funding announced Thursday comes as the Alberta government looks to shake up its health-care system by dividing Alberta Health Services the entity that delivers public health care into smaller agencies, one of which wouldbe dedicated to continuing care.

The government tabled Bill 22, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, last week to enact the restructuring plan. If passed, it aims to have the continuing care agency operational by the fall.