Continuing Care Home Types Alberta: Type A, Type B, and Secure Spaces Explained

Why the Names Changed

The 2024 Continuing Care Act renamed every facility category in Alberta. If you're searching for "designated supportive living" or "nursing home" and finding conflicting information, the terminology shift is why. Here's the translation:

Government websites, facility brochures, and healthcare professionals are still catching up — you'll see both old and new terminology used interchangeably. They mean the same thing.

Type A: Complex Medical Care

Type A continuing care homes are for residents with complex, unpredictable medical conditions that require continuous professional clinical oversight. This is the highest level of facility-based care in the province.

Staffing: A registered nurse (RN) or registered psychiatric nurse (RPN) is on-site 24 hours a day. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and health care aides (HCAs) provide direct personal and medical care under RN supervision.

Who qualifies: Residents with multiple unstable chronic conditions, those requiring frequent medication adjustments, complex wound care, IV therapy, ventilator support, or continuous medical monitoring that can't be delivered safely in a less intensive setting.

Clinical threshold: The interRAI assessment must demonstrate medical complexity and unpredictability that exceed what Type B staffing can manage. A high MAPLe score combined with nursing needs that require ongoing RN assessment typically drives this designation.

What changed with the 2024 Act: Notably, the Act removed the legislated minimum of 1.9 care hours per resident per day that previously applied to nursing homes. Staffing allocations are now managed through funding policies rather than statute. This makes it more important for families to ask individual facilities about their actual staffing ratios.

Type B: Stable Care Needs

Type B homes serve residents who need 24-hour on-site personal care but whose medical conditions are relatively stable and predictable. This is the most common facility placement for aging parents who can no longer manage at home but don't have the medical complexity that demands Type A care.

Staffing: Health care aides and LPNs provide scheduled and unscheduled personal care around the clock. A regulated nurse is on-call but not necessarily on-site at all times. Professional nursing care (medication management, wound care) is coordinated through home care services delivered into the facility.

Who qualifies: Residents who need help with daily living activities — bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility — but whose medical needs are predictable and manageable with standard protocols.

Accommodation: Residents live in private or shared rooms within the facility, with meals, housekeeping, and laundry included in the accommodation charge.

Type B Secure Space: Dementia Care

Type B Secure Space is specifically designed for residents with moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment who exhibit high-risk behaviours: wandering, exit-seeking, elopement attempts, or responsive behaviours that endanger themselves or others.

Physical environment: A secured perimeter — locked units with controlled exits that prevent residents from leaving unsupervised. Interior design emphasizes wayfinding, reduced stimulation, and safe wandering paths.

Staffing: Higher staffing-to-resident ratios than standard Type B, with caregivers trained specifically in dementia care approaches. 24-hour LPN and HCA support on-site.

Clinical threshold: A CPS (Cognitive Performance Scale) score of 3 or higher on the interRAI assessment is generally required. This corresponds to moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment — the person has significant difficulty with memory, decision-making, and daily problem-solving.

What Accommodation Costs

Type A and Type B homes, including Type B Secure Space, use the same government-regulated daily accommodation rates (as of August 1, 2026):

• Shared room: $71.85/day (~$2,155/month)
• Private room: $83.05/day (~$2,491/month)
• 1-bedroom suite (single): $99.45/day (~$2,983/month)

Health and personal care services within the facility are fully funded by the province — the accommodation charge covers room, meals, and utilities only. Low-income residents are protected by the Supplementary Accommodation Benefit, which ensures at least $373/month in disposable income after paying the charge.

How Placement Is Determined

Families don't choose a care type — the interRAI assessment determines which level matches the parent's clinical profile. The AHS case manager reviews the assessment results and assigns the appropriate care stream. If you believe the assigned level doesn't match your parent's needs, you can request a reassessment or escalate through the appeal process.

The Alberta Care Decision Guide includes a facility comparison worksheet and a tour checklist designed to help families evaluate homes across all three care types — covering staffing questions, quality indicators, and the practical details that matter during visits.

See more Alberta guides →