Blog | July 30, 2026

Understanding Your Options for AHS Continuing Care in Alberta

ahs continuing care in alberta

Researching care options for an aging family member can feel overwhelming, especially when you encounter clinical terms and healthcare acronyms you have never heard before. If you’re exploring senior housing or medical support in this province, you might notice that Alberta Health Services (AHS) has updated its continuing care terminology.

While families may still look for older, familiar labels like long-term care or designated supportive living, the system now categorizes care under simplified alphabetical settings. It’s completely natural to find this new language confusing at first, but it helps to remember a comforting reality: the underlying care needs of your loved one have not changed, only the words used to describe them.

To help you navigate this transition with confidence, this guide breaks down exactly what these terms mean. At Trico LivingWell, we provide specialized Type B and Type B Secure care, and our goal is to ensure your family feels completely informed as you take the next step.

Why Terms for AHS Continuing Care in Alberta Have Changed

The government updated the province’s regulatory framework to make the healthcare system more integrated and easier to navigate. Instead of using a complex mix of historical names like nursing homes, auxiliary hospitals, or designated assisted living, the province now uses standard letter tiers: Type A, Type B, Type B Secure Space, and Type C.

These updated terms describe the specific level of daily support and physical infrastructure provided, based directly on a resident’s assessed clinical needs. While the vocabulary is modern, the core purpose remains entirely unchanged: ensuring vulnerable Albertans receive the right level of care in the safest possible environment.

What is Continuing Care?

Before exploring the individual letter categories, it helps to understand what the broader continuing care system actually does. Continuing care homes provide a combination of secure accommodation, professional healthcare, personalized support, and daily living assistance for individuals who can no longer live safely on their own.

Every piece of support a resident receives is tailored to their specific, professionally assessed requirements. Some individuals merely need a little extra help with their morning and evening routines, while others require continuous nursing supervision, complex medication management, or secure spaces due to advanced memory loss. The right placement depends entirely on balancing a senior’s health, physical mobility, memory, and personal independence.

What is Type A Care?

Type A care is the new classification for what Albertans previously knew as long-term care or nursing homes. This specific tier is designed to support individuals with complex, highly unpredictable health conditions that require continuous medical monitoring.

Because we focus on a different style of supportive community at Trico LivingWell, we do not offer Type A care, but understanding it helps families contrast it with other levels of support. This level of housing features 24-hour, on-site registered nursing support, alongside licensed practical nurses and healthcare aides. It is reserved for individuals who experience:

Highly complex or rapidly fluctuating medical needs
Chronic diseases that require frequent physician oversight
Complex medication regimens that can’t be managed by a Licensed Practical Nurse
Severe mobility limitations that require mechanical lifts or extensive transfer support
A complete inability to safely use a standard emergency call system for assistance

What is Type B Care?

Type B care is the updated term for what was formerly known as designated supportive living (specifically DSL3 and DSL4). This option supports residents who are medically stable but require scheduled or unscheduled personal care and daily living assistance throughout the day.

The beauty of Type B care is that it allows seniors to maintain a high degree of personal independence while ensuring professional help is always available just a button-push away. This framework perfectly supports individuals with physical disabilities, changing mobility needs, or early cognitive changes. Typical resident requirements include:

Assistance with daily grooming, bathing, or dressing
Professional medication assistance or administration
Help navigating to meals and managing daily physical routines
The ability to use an emergency call system safely and independently

At Trico LivingWell, our Type B care services are designed to maximize your loved one’s autonomy, allowing them to enjoy our vibrant community amenities while receiving discreet, dignified personal support.

What is Type B Secure Care?

Type B Secure is the updated classification for what families previously recognized as designated supportive living dementia (DSLD4). This specialized framework is carefully engineered for individuals living with moderate to advanced dementia who require a higher level of environmental safety.

The primary defining feature of this tier is a physically secure, home-like environment that protects seniors who experience wandering or exit-seeking behaviors. It provides families with immense peace of mind by wrapping a vulnerable senior in a structured, protective environment. Key indicators for Type B Secure care include:

A formal diagnosis of moderate to advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
Frequent wandering or attempts to leave the property unsupervised
A regular need for continuous behavioural monitoring and gentle guidance
An inability to navigate an environment or use an emergency call button safely

At Trico LivingWell, our Type B Secure care provides customized dementia support within a purpose-built, secure setting, allowing residents to move about freely and safely while maintaining a calming daily rhythm.

How the Continuing Care Options Compare

To put it simply, the main distinction comes down to medical stability and environmental security. Type B care is tailored for seniors who are medically stable but need hands-on assistance with physical routines in an open setting.

In contrast, Type B Secure care offers that exact same level of physical support but adds a specialized layer of physical security and specialized dementia programming. Selecting the appropriate stream depends entirely on balancing your loved one’s physical health, memory retention, and overall personal safety.

How Trico LivingWell Supports Different Continuing Care Needs

By offering both Type B and Type B Secure care options within our community, Trico LivingWell allows older adults to access the precise level of care they need as their health requirements shift. This multi-tiered model allows families to explore different levels of support without having to separate couples or move away from a familiar community.

Our core philosophy is completely resident-centred, focusing heavily on compassion, mutual respect, and life enrichment. We believe that regardless of the care tier required, every single senior deserves a lifestyle rooted in comfort, personal dignity, safety, and a high quality of life.

Signs Your Loved One May Need More Support

It’s incredibly common for families to feel uncertain about whether it is time to move away from traditional home care. While every situation is unique, observing these common changes in your loved one’s daily life can indicate that it is time to seek a professional assessment:

Increased physical falls: Frequent trips, balance issues, or unexplained bruising around the house.
Missed medical needs: Forgetting critical prescriptions, skipping meals, or experiencing rapid, unmanaged weight loss.
Neglected personal care: Noticeable difficulties with independent bathing, dressing, or basic household hygiene.
Cognitive and behavioural shifts: Increased confusion, sudden memory changes, wandering, or intense caregiver stress throughout the household.

Noticing these signs does not mean you have to guess which care tier is right; rather, it serves as a helpful cue that it is time to start an open conversation with healthcare professionals.

Questions to Ask When Exploring Continuing Care

When sitting down with family members, case managers, or residential care teams, having a structured list of questions can help you gain the ultimate clarity. Consider bringing these questions to your next appointment:

What specific level of care does my loved one qualify for right now based on their assessment?
How does this community handle transitions if my loved one’s care needs increase over time?
Does my family member require continuous registered nursing support, or are they medically stable?
Is an open environment safe, or is a dedicated, secure memory care space required to prevent wandering?
What specific daily activities and personal care routines will the on-site team assist with?
What types of continuing care designations is this specific building authorized to provide?

Speak with Our Care Specialists Today

If you are currently exploring continuing care options for yourself or a loved one in Calgary, you don’t have to figure everything out on your own.

Contact Trico LivingWell today to learn more about our privatized senior care options. Our compassionate team will help guide your family through the process, including selecting the right suite and program for your loved one and navigating your options when it comes to payment.