Many Albertan’s believe that if they require Home Care Services that AHS is the only funded option. This is not the case!

You can request to allocate your AHS funded home care dollars to the home care company and/or provider of your choice. The program is called Self Managed Care (or SCM for short).

Self Managed Care (SMC) is a program offered by Alberta Health Services (AHS). Current clients and/or those that are eligible for AHS funded Home Care can enter into an agreement with AHS to receive the funds directly to pay for personal care and in-home support services. This allows Albertans to choose their provider (provided they meet the requirements) vs. using the provider assigned by AHS.

What many Albertans and those receiving Home Care Services do not understand is that the caregivers that are coming to your home are not employed by AHS, they are a private company that is funded by them. Some examples include Bayshore and CBI.

The amount of money provided to support your self managed care services will be based on your estimated health care needs. Each year, those needs will be re-assessed unless your health status changes in the interim. Please note, if there is significant change in your health care requirements, this will then trigger a mid-year re-assessment.

Assessments are done by an AHS employee and they will be responsible for outlining the services / amounts that you qualify for.

How can you arrange and qualify for SMC?

If you already receive in-home personal care funded by AHS, the transition can be seamless. If you don’t already receive care you will need to prove eligibility to get approved. Participation requires you to have a valid Alberta Health Care Card and live in an independent residence.

If you meet those qualifications, you will need to get approval from an AHS case manager. They will check that you have:

• Unmet health care needs
• A stable health conditionthat requires reasonable and expected care needs
• An ongoing need for supportwith daily activities and / or home maintenance assistance
• Ready, willing and able to take on the responsibilities and risksthat come with employing a home care company or caregiver directly

Contact Vytality at Home to find out more about your options and watch for additional Blogs that outlines the ins and outs of Self-Managed Care.

Need more help in getting home care in Alberta?

We’d love to help! We provide home care services to seniors in Calgary. Call us at 403-488-7991 for more information!