New AHS team to handle continuing care complaints

CALGARY- Families unhappy with where loved ones have been placed within Alberta’s continuing care system have a new place to turn for help.

“Over the last number of months the minister of health has been receiving more complaints into his office about continuing care,” AHS CEO Vicki Kaminski explains. “In my discussions with him, he asked if there was a better way to do things.”

Earlier this month a review by the Health Quality Council found families were being left out of key decisions involving their loved ones. In response, Alberta Health Services announced the creation Tuesday of a continuing care resolution team that will work directly with patients and their families.

The team, lead by Nancy Guebert and Isabel Henderson  will report directly to the AHS CEO and will be available as of July 7. AHS says it’s also working to change internal policies around how patients are transitioned into continuing care.

“We’re going to be providing education to our front line staff to talk about how we can be more patient centered.  How can we actually make decision including the patients and their families, doing it with the community instead of doing it to the person.”

The team can be accessed through either a new phone line (1-844-468-2930) or e-mail account (continuingcare@albertahealthservices.ca)