Should Alberta Update Health and Safety Rules for Care Facilities?

Official title: Institutions Regulation engagement

Closed Regulations & Permits Health & Safety Housing & Communities
Alberta gathered feedback on updating the Institutions Regulation, which sets health and safety rules for care facilities like childcare programs, group homes, and addiction treatment centres. The current rules haven't been significantly updated since 1981. Proposed changes would address new issues like extreme heat events and infection control, while making requirements more flexible for different types of care settings.

Why This Matters

Have a parent in a group home? A child in daycare? These rules affect the safety standards where your loved ones receive care. The current regulations are over 40 years old and don't address modern concerns like extreme heat or infection prevention.

What Could Change

Care facilities would face new requirements around extreme heat protection and infection control. Rules for bathing, cleaning, and sanitation would become more detailed. Some rigid requirements around bedding and incontinence care would become more flexible. Programs already covered by other health standards would see less overlap.

Key Issues

  • How should care facilities protect residents during extreme heat events?
  • What infection prevention measures should be required for care providers and residents?
  • Should bathing, cleaning, and sanitation requirements be more detailed?
  • Which current requirements are too inflexible for different care settings?

How to Participate

  1. This consultation has closed. Feedback was collected through an online survey from February 22 to March 14, 2022. Results are under review.
  2. For questions about this engagement, contact the Health Protection Branch at health.ahi@gov.ab.ca.

What Happened

Feedback was collected through an online survey from February 22 to March 14, 2022. Stakeholders including program operators, facility associations, and Albertans who access care services were invited to participate. The feedback collected will help inform the final proposed amendments to the Institutions Regulation. Results are currently under review.