The province is falling short of its goal to provide long-term care for Albertans.
An Alberta Health report released for 2017-2018 shows 52 per cent of patients were placed in continuing care within 30 days of being assessed, which is short of the province’s target of 65 per cent.
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The result was the lowest it’s been in the last five years. The number was at 69 per cent in 2013-14, 60 per cent in both 2014-15 and 2015-16, and 56 per cent in 2016-17.
Alberta Health said the nine per cent drop from 2013-14 to 2014-15 was “mostly due to rescinding the ‘First Available Bed’ policy in June 2013 and subsequent implementation in May 2015 of the Designated Living Option: Access and Waitlist Management in Continuing Care policy.”
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The policy allows clients to wait for a preferred bed, instead of having to take the first available bed, but it’s also impacted the length of wait times.
The NDP government made a campaign promise to add 2,000 new long-term care spaces across the province.
The province said it expects a “significant number” of those 2,000 beds to open in 2018-19, which will improve the results of Albertans accessing continuing care spaces within 30 days.