The Changing Landscape of Continuing Care in Alberta: Staff and Resident Characteristics in Supportive Living and Long-Term Care

With provincial policy changing institutional care provision for older adults who are unable to safely remain at home, supportive living represents a new middle-ground to provide care for older adults. We compared characteristics of supportive living staff and residents to those in long-term care (LTC), using facility and staff surveys, as well as administrative Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) data, to describe differences and similarities between facility types. Data analysis included t-tests, chi-square tests, ridit analyses and odds ratios. Participants from 15 supportive living facilities were compared to participants from eight LTC homes. Supportive living healthcare aides were younger, worked fewer years and were more likely to work full time than LTC healthcare aides. LTC residents were more likely than supportive living residents to have: cognitive impairment, medical instability, and activities of daily living dependence. This knowledge, which situates supportive living in the new care continuum, is useful for policy makers and administrators deciding on interventions and clinical guidelines for care groups.