Office of the Assisted Living Registrar

Who Is Assisted Living For?

Assisted living is intended for adults who:

• are able to select and direct the services they need. Assisted living is semi-independent housing, a middle option between home support and residential care. When residents are no longer able to make decisions that allow them to function safely in assisted living, they must move to a setting that offers more oversight, care and protection, such as a licensed community care facility.
• do not need the full range of professional nursing services that are available in a licensed community care facility. Some nursing care can be provided, but only on a short-term basis. For example, residents who are recovering from an illness, who require palliative care or who are waiting to transfer to complex care may purchase nursing care from an operator or a private agency. Residents who meet the criteria may also be eligible for community nursing or rehabilitation services from their local health authority. When residents require ongoing professional nursing care, or their needs otherwise exceed the service delivery capacity of the residence, residents must move to another setting that can provide the additional support.

People with Mild Dementia and Other Cognitive Impairments

Some people in assisted living may have mild cognitive impairments, such as dementia — e.g., they might need cues to help them find their suite consistently. However, operators must not house people who cannot make decisions on their own behalf (Community Care and Assisted Living Act, section 26(3)). This means that assisted living residents must be able to make the range of decisions necessary to allow them to function safely in the supportive semi-independent environment of assisted living. For example, residents must be able to recognize an emergency.

People with moderate to severe cognitive impairments would not be appropriate for assisted living unless they can still carry out the key areas of function. For those who cannot, operators must develop a plan to transfer the resident to alternate accommodation (i.e., an exit plan). The plan includes identifying risks the resident faces and how to mitigate those risks.

People with Mental and/or Substance Use Disorders

Since the Community Care and Assisted Living Act came into force in May 2004, the development of health and safety standards, registration procedures and complaint investigation procedures has focused mainly on the rapidly growing number of assisted living residences for seniors. Experience gained from applying the assisted living model to this sector is now being used to assess how best to apply it to assisted living residences for people with mental and/or substance use disorders, including supportive recovery homes.

In summer 2008, the Registrar began the registration process of residences for people with mental disorders and/or substance use disorders in the Interior Health Authority. Using the experience gained there, registration will be extended province-wide in 2009.