PCBF is an excellent foundation for funding care homes in a way that is equitable, transparent, and predictable – for residents, staff, and contracted operators. But it’s also rooted in some historical assumptions that are no longer current.
For example, PCBF needs to promote aging in place so a resident can stay in the same facility from the time of initial placement to end-of-life care. The funding model also needs to adapt to better suit smaller footprint care homes — because residents overwhelmingly prefer more home-like settings, or even smaller home-like ‘pods’ within a larger facility.
PCBF also needs to work as well in rural settings as does in large urban areas. The model will need to accommodate new staffing models across more types of buildings. And it will need to be flexible enough to allow operators to adjust to labour market issues such as worker shortages.
CHAA's operators are closely involved in discussions related to ensuring the staffing/funding models in Alberta are aligned with the preferences and needs of today's older residents.
What’s the optimal facility size under PCBF?
PCBF is best suited to a care home with 100 resident spaces. Smaller care homes have fixed costs spread across fewer residents – meaning the funding formula per resident may not fully cover an operator’s overhead costs.
CHAA is working closely with provincial funders to ‘do the math’ and work toward flexible and comprehensive funding models for contracted operators.
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CHAA's small but mighty board is close-knit, values-driven, and nimble. Our goals? To always collaborate respectfully with decision-makers. And to use evidence and experience to inform system-wide change.
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