Alberta’s continuing care names changed, but families still need to solve the same practical problem: what level can safely manage the person’s needs around the clock? Type A was formerly described as long-term care or a nursing home. Type B was formerly designated supportive living. A secure Type B space adds a protected environment for some people living with dementia. The correct label is determined by assessed need, not by family preference alone.
Review current Alberta care costs, use the care-home comparison questions, and browse the care-home directory before touring suitable settings.
Type A is for complex, unpredictable needs
Type A homes serve people whose medical and personal care is too complex for home, supportive living or a lower continuing care level. They provide accommodation, meals and access to 24-hour onsite professional nursing and personal care. Onsite teams can include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, health care aides and consultative rehabilitation or other services.
Signals that Type A may be assessed include unpredictable clinical changes, complex medication or treatment, extensive help with all daily activities, serious nutrition or texture needs, inability to use a call system and behaviours that create increased safety risk. A diagnosis alone does not decide; the assessment considers how the person functions and what intervention may be needed without warning.
Type B covers moderate needs with several models
Type B homes provide accommodation, meals and 24-hour scheduled and unscheduled personal support. Health care aides are central, and licensed practical nursing or other professional support varies with the service model and assessed population. Some residents are medically stable, can use a call system and need help at predictable and occasional times.
Do not assume every Type B bed offers identical nursing. Ask whether professional nursing is onsite, on call or virtual overnight; who gives medications; what happens after a fall; and which changes require transfer. The public directory can show service types, but the site must confirm its present capability for this applicant.
Secure Type B is a distinct decision
A secure Type B space may suit a person with moderate or advanced dementia who wanders or risks leaving without supervision. Security is not simply a locked door. Ask how staff assess distress, prevent avoidable restriction, support outdoor access, respond to aggression and involve family. Confirm whether licensed practical nursing is onsite at all times and how urgent registered-nurse assessment is obtained.
Compare unit size, noise, walking space, sight lines, access to meaningful activity and the mix of residents. A person who wanders peacefully may need a different environment from someone with unpredictable medical instability. Ask what would trigger a move from secure Type B to Type A.
The assessment controls publicly funded access
A regional case manager or transition coordinator assesses need and determines access to publicly funded continuing care home spaces. Start through the appropriate zone access team or a hospital transition team. Present recent clinical information, medication, mobility, cognition, night needs, caregiver strain and safety incidents.
Ask which service level has been approved and what evidence led to it. If the family believes the approved level cannot manage an identified risk, request an explanation and provide updated evidence. Availability and eligibility are separate: approval for Type A does not mean the preferred Type A home has a bed.
Separate accommodation from health care charges
In Type A and Type B continuing care homes, publicly funded health and personal care is provided without a resident charge, while the resident pays an accommodation charge for the room, meals, housekeeping, utilities and routine building costs. Alberta sets maximum accommodation charges by room type and updates them. Low-income support may cover some or all of the charge for eligible residents.
Ask for the effective daily rate, room type and every extra. Personal laundry, telephone, cable, medications, equipment or other items may be additional depending on the site and benefit coverage. For a couple considering a suite, obtain the per-person charge and confirm whether the offered unit qualifies under the regulated schedule.
Compare homes within the approved type
Once the level is clear, compare the exact service. Ask about potential vacancy but treat it as a lead, not a promise. Review licence type, inspection information, languages, dementia capability, room configuration and distance. Then test the fit with a written needs summary.
- Who is physically onsite on nights and weekends?
- Which needs are outside this site’s scope?
- How quickly is the care plan completed and reassessed?
- What happens after a significant health change?
- Can spouses be accommodated, and under which licence type?
A home can hold more than one licence, so confirm the offered bed rather than the building as a whole.
Ask to meet the case manager who would oversee the resident after admission. Walk through one realistic scenario, such as a sudden fever at night or a fall with no obvious injury. The answer should identify who assesses, who contacts the prescriber, when emergency services are used and how family is notified. This practical test often reveals the difference between a Type B model with limited onsite professional support and the continuous registered-nurse capability needed in Type A.
FAQ: Is Type B the same as independent assisted living?
No. Type B is a licensed continuing care home with publicly funded care access based on assessment. A supportive living accommodation outside the continuing care home system may set its own rent and service offering, with residents choosing and paying for services. Confirm the licence and access route.
FAQ: Does Type A always have a registered nurse onsite?
Type A includes access to 24-hour onsite professional nursing and personal care, with the most complex needs supported. Ask the specific home which regulated professionals are onsite by shift and how its staffing model meets the approved resident population. Do not infer details from an old facility name.
FAQ: Can a resident move between Type B and Type A?
A significant change should trigger reassessment and care-plan review. If the current home cannot safely meet the new needs, the case manager and clinical team consider a different level or service. Ask before admission how the site handles deterioration and whether another licensed unit exists in the same building.
Potential vacancies, assessed level, financial support, clinical acceptance and placement decisions must be confirmed directly with the home and the responsible Alberta continuing care team.