Office of the Assisted Living Registrar

Mandate of the Registrar

The mandate of the Assisted Living Registrar under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act is to protect the health and safety of assisted living residents. The Registrar administers the assisted living provisions of the Act, which require assisted living operators to register their residences and meet provincial health and safety standards. She is accountable to the Minister of Healthy Living and Sport, and has jurisdiction over all assisted living residences in B.C., regardless of the form of ownership or funding.

To meet this mandate, the Registrar:

• administers the registration of all assisted living residences in British Columbia, whether they are publicly subsidized or private-pay.
• establishes and administers health and safety standards, policies and procedures.
• ensures timely and effective investigation of complaints about the health and safety of assisted living residents.
• has authority to inspect residences if there is a concern about the health or safety of a resident.
• refers issues that are not within the Registrar’s jurisdiction to the appropriate authorities.

Authority of the Registrar

The authority, powers and duties of the Registrar are specified in the Community Care and Assisted Living Act. Under the Act, the Registrar has authority to:

• register residences that meet the definition of an assisted living residence in the Act;
• enter and inspect any premises related to the operation of an assisted living residence where the Registrar has reason to believe that the health or safety of a resident is at risk or an unregistered assisted living residence is being operated;
• inspect and make a copy of or extract from any book or record at the premises, or make a record of anything observed during an inspection;
• apply conditions to registrations, vary conditions, and suspend or cancel registrations; and
• fine operators of unregistered assisted living residences.

The Act also requires the Registrar to:

• provide applicants and registrants with 30 days’ notice of any intended action (i.e., refusal of registration, attaching conditions to or varying conditions on registration, and suspension or cancellation of registration); and
• reconsider these pending actions on request of operators.

Following reconsideration, the Registrar will advise operators of the right to appeal final decisions about registration to the Community Care and Assisted Living Appeal Board.

The Registrar may delegate any of her powers or duties under the Act or regulations.