Do you know about Alberta Health Services Self Managed Care Services?
Alberta Health Services’ focus is creating an environment where you are able to live at home independently for as long as possible. While Home Care services are most commonly delivered in your home, flexibility exists to deliver services in a variety of other settings.
Continuing care services are available once you or your loved one have contacted and been assessed by a Case Manager.
Would You Like to Take Control of the Care Needs of your Loved One?
The Self-managed care is a program offered through Alberta Health Services (AHS). The program provides funding to directly pay for and manage personal care and home care support services. If you are wanting to take control over the care management for yourself or a loved one, and keep your loved one in their home, Self Managed Care might be right for you!
What is Self Managed Care?
The self-managed care agreement is a legal contract between AHS and the client or their legal representative. Agreements are signed for a 1-year term. If you are able to meet the required Health Care Requirements, Self Managed Care will give you the freedom to manage the care in the way that suits you. Self Managed Care gives you control over the “Model of care” your loved one received. The AHS system is “task based” rather than relationship based. You can choose when and how care is delivered, and by who.
What are the Requirements?
Anyone living in Alberta with an Alberta Health Care card and living in a community setting is eligible.
While the program states you must take on a large amount of responsibility, Home Instead helps you manage this! We make it easy for you to receive premium care in your own home.
The requirements are:
- Have assessed unmet health care need within AHS Provincial Home Care Service Guidelines.
- Need ongoing personal care and home care support services (e.g., longer-term needs).
- Be willing and able to assume the responsibilities and risks associated with contracting services for their own or a loved one’s personal or home care support services (a legal representative may do this on behalf of a client). Home Instead manages this.
- Recruit, interview, hire, train, supervise, schedule employees, direct the employees in the provision of care, evaluate employees’ performance, manage salary and payroll, and, when necessary, terminate the employees, as well as develop a back-up plan to ensure that care can be provided at short notice if the regular employee is unavailable. Home Instead manages this.
- Each quarter complete and submit reports to AHS that confirm the self-managed care funds spent. Home Instead will put together reports for you.
- Meet Canada Revenue Agency federal tax regulations (e.g., register for a business number; withhold income tax, Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance contributions from employees’ wages); as well as meet Alberta employment standards for all employees. Home Instead manages this.
- Notify the Alberta Health Services home care case manager within 72 hours if there is any change in your loved one’s health status, care needs or living arrangements, such as hospitalization. Home Instead will assist with this.
- Ensure the proper documentation is in place if the person responsible is your or your loved one’s legal representative (e.g., guardian under the Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act, agent under the Personal Directive Act, trustee under the Adult Guardianship and Trustee Act or attorney under the Powers of Attorney Act). Home Instead does this with you.
Clients who choose Home Instead don’t have to worry about many of these challenging requirements since we handle all the red tape! Our invoices meet AHS and Revenue Canada Requirements, and our Care Team will work with you and your AHS case manager. Its what we do!
