Dear Members,
This fall, Alberta’s health care system enters its next phase of restructuring with the launch of Assisted Living Alberta — the final of four new provincial agencies. This moment offers a chance to focus on the province’s complex and varied continuing care landscape.
While infrastructure matters, it is community-based programs that help Albertans stay safe, supported and healthy at home — and out of hospital settings. The AMA, in collaboration with physician leaders, is committed to advocating for a system driven by compassion, integration and flexibility.
In our ongoing work to advance informed reform, we’ve introduced a new framework: the Safety Net, recently endorsed by the AMA Board of Directors. This initiative brings new focus to continuing care across Alberta but particularly regarding the myriad under-resourced but essential programs in the community that keep Albertans healthy and in their homes as much as possible. It outlines issues and solutions at four levels – essential threads – of continuing care:
- home and community-based care
- supportive living
- long-term care
- hospice care
Each thread represents a distinct level of support tailored to the unique needs of seniors, frail Albertans and others requiring continuing care. At every stage, strong community programs form the foundation of high-quality care. When these supports are strong, they preserve independence and ease pressure on acute care. When they’re frayed or missing, the whole system is at risk.
Your voice can help. Physician leadership is central to shaping the future of continuing care. As Alberta moves forward with the launch of Assisted Living Alberta, we need strong physician advocacy. Here's how to get involved:
Level up your advocacy power
If you’re currently active with advice in program or policy work — whether locally, regionally or provincially — or if you're looking to amplify your voice through traditional or social media, we’re here to support and empower your advocacy efforts. Email: [email protected].
Share your voice
Tell us what’s working, where gaps remain, what you are seeing and what changes you envision. Send a text to our Report My Story line: 587-401-9591.
Let’s work to strengthen Alberta’s continuing care system and ensure dignity and independence for those who rely on it.
Thank you to the physicians who have already lent their expertise. Your continued support drives change.
Sincerely,
Shelley Duggan, MD, FRCPC
President, Alberta Medical Association
My mother was in care in a dementia setting facility, for 4 years or so. She was badly sexually aggravate by a staff member, with broken bones and bruises all over her body. After the police and senior in care investigations were done, this aggressor\/ perpetrator was never brought into justice for this awful despicable act of violence on a senior in care. This animal was left free to do the same to another senior in care. How many seniors will have to succumb to this mistreatment while in care. Society is suppose to care for elders, however, I find that once elders go into a residential care facility, they are forgotten. My mother had broken bones from this savage attack, the doctor for this facility never initiate a visit to look at her injuries, and the facility refused for her own doctor to attend to her care. How is this caring for our elders. This is not an older jncident. This happen in 2023. Thank you, A caring daughter, Doris
The short staffing of our nurses that assess people that need care at home is so under staffed so it takes way to long for an assessment to see if one qualifies for the help. Example home care , Apidae, Then if there is a cost to your help it takes months to get a response and for many that is just not feasible. It should not be a shameful experience to access help when you become unable to do things for yourself . Now we have to pay for vaccines that save lives . The government is setting up health care for the rich and not for your everyday Albertans. My heart goes out to the doctors and nurses that have to work under these conditions ..
Lots of verbiage, empty words, making the seniors losing the trust in the Alberta government. Smiling faces are not the answer to life health concerns, trying to convincing the public (voters) to support this “plan” that supposedly benefits the Albertan\'s medical needs. We don’t want to become a copy of the USA !!
It is high time that the premier stop wasting money and time on Suppuration, Alta. Pension and Alta. Police force. Albertans do not want any of this, what we want is good health care and stop having people die in emergency waiting to see a doctor.
I am a senior and I am fortunate that I have a doctor in Edmonton but if I needed to see one sooner than in 2-3 weeks I would have to drive myself to a medi center in Sherwood Park and I would have to wait in an overcrowded waiting room with other sick people for possibly 2-3 hours. The emergency room in Fort Saskatchewan refuses to see anyone that is not an emergency. There are no more clinics in Fort Saskatchewan and if one opened it would need 3-4 doctors to meet the demand. Getting prescriptions filled is a nightmare because Alberta Blue Cross requires codes and forms for minimal coverage. I am glad so far I haven’t had much need but I worry about what I will do if I get a virus or the winter roads are bad.
I am amazed at the crowd that is always waiting for blood tests.without. an appointment a person could wait for hours. how ever that is not my problem...it is 7 years and counting now that I was told that I have a dropped bladder...i had a complete histroctmy when I was 40 years old...and am told that I have to wait 12 to 18 months to be seen by a doctor....WHY?every day I push my bladder back in ...have trouble every day...first my husband was ill. then covid hit and now am waiting for a few years,,and still waiting...is this the normal wait time..?we do need to up-date our health care.
I can only speak to my own personal experiences. I have an informed caring personal physician with whom I can obtain timely appointments and get very good care. I have a neurologist who i can also see on a need to basis. The only hiccup is that when I have requisition in to the radiologist it can take 10 to 11 months to get an appointment. This is not soon enough to evaluate whether the injection is working or if we need to go another route.
The wait list for independent living is 2-3 years and the costs are way above what ordinary individuals can afford. This area of aging need help.
A good start Let\'s see some positive results