Finding Your Way: Understanding the Client Directed Home Care Program

How the Client Directed Home Care Program Puts Families in Control

Many families aren’t aware of the options available to supplement publicly funded home care, and The Client Directed Home Care program, often called The invoicing program, is a perfect example.

It allows families to have more control, consistency, and flexibility in how care is delivered while covering both approved personal care and additional support that public services don’t provide. 

Publicly funded home care through Assisted Living Alberta is essential, but it only covers basic personal and medical support. Housekeeping, meal prep, transportation, and companionship are not included, leaving families to fill the gaps themselves.

The Client Directed Home Care program can make a real difference. Yet far too many families don’t know about it, and it is often not mentioned by case managers during assessments.

This Month, I will walk you through how the program works, what it covers, and what families need to do to access it.

Step 1: What Public Home Care Covers and Where Gaps Exist

Public home care under Assisted Living Alberta focuses on essential personal and medical support:

• Bathing, dressing, grooming, and mobility assistance

• Medication reminders

• Nursing visits when needed

• Scheduled respite

What public home care does not provide:

• Housekeeping, laundry, or tidying

• Meal preparation beyond the basics

• Transportation to appointments or social activities

• Companionship or social engagement

• Control over who comes or when

Because of these gaps, families often end up managing most of the day-to-day support themselves. This can be overwhelming, especially for adult children balancing jobs, family, and other responsibilities.

Step 2: How the Client Directed Home Care Program Works

The invoicing program allows families to use licensed private home care agencies to provide care that is approved through Assisted Living Alberta and, if desired, additional support such as laundry, light housekeeping, meal prep, or companionship.

Here’s how it works:

• Assessment of needs

  Assisted Living Alberta approves the number of hours for personal care based on the older adult’s needs.

  
  

• Consent form

  The older adult, or if applicable the family member, must sign a consent form to allow the private agency to access the care plan and provide services under the invoicing program.

  
  

• Choosing a private agency

  Families select a licensed private home care agency to provide all approved care and any additional support they wish.

  
  

• Scheduling and consistency

  Families decide when visits happen and, in most cases, which caregivers provide them. This creates continuity and builds trust and comfort for the older adult.

  
  

• Billing and out-of-pocket costs

  Private agencies handle all billing through Blue Cross using their existing systems.

ALA funds each approved hour at a set rate of $34.03 per hour. Private agencies typically charge $40 or more per hour. Families are responsible for:

• Any hours beyond what ALA approves

• The difference between the ALA rate and the agency’s rate

  
  

This approach gives families flexibility and control while ensuring care is consistent, reliable, and tailored to the older adult’s needs.

Step 3: My Personal Experience

My mom was approved for just over three hours per day of personal care for dressing and bathing when she had her fall a few months ago. We chose a private agency through the invoicing program.

• The private agency provided all approved care.

• They also handled additional support like laundry, meal prep, and light housekeeping, which would have otherwise fallen entirely on my 94-year-old dad or me.

• Most of the time, my mom had the same caregiver each day, and over the two months she needed assistance, only three different aides came to the house.

  
  

This consistency gave my parents reliable, safe, and compassionate care while also reducing the daily added stress on my dad and myself. The caregivers became trusted partners in managing the home and supporting my parents’ independence.

The program provided peace of mind, freedom, and reassurance that the care was being delivered the way they needed and wanted.

My parents’ experience with their consistent caregiver was so positive, my mom had reservations of stopping the care once she had fully healed. She was so sad to no longer have the pleasure of seeing her every day.

This is coming from a person that is extremely independent and struggles to ask for help. This is what consistent, person-centred care does for families.

Step 4: What Families Should Know

• You often need to ask for it: Case managers rarely mention the invoicing program, so families must bring it up as an option.

  
  

• It is not available in all settings: Some supportive living residences have contracts with ALA specifying that care must be delivered by facility staff. In these cases, families must fund private care entirely themselves if they want it.
  

• It can cover all approved care and more: Families can use the program for all hours approved by ALA while adding additional supports such as meal prep, laundry, light housekeeping, transportation, or companionship.
  

• Consent is required: The older adult or the family member must sign a consent form to allow the private agency to bill Blue Cross (provides billing for the program).
  

• Out-of-pocket costs: Families pay for any hours beyond what is approved by ALA and for the difference between the ALA hourly rate and the agency’s rate. Most private agencies have a minimum amount of hours per visit, so keep this in mind as well. 

Step 5: Taking Action

Finding a private agency that participates in the invoicing program is entirely up to families. Many feel overwhelmed trying to figure it out on their own, but you don’t have to do it alone. We can help families navigate this process, connecting them with licensed private agencies, explaining the program details, and ensuring the older adult’s needs are fully met.

You can also receive my free guide - Choosing a Home Care Agency That's Right for You

If the older adult in your life could benefit from this program, reach out for support. Together we can create a plan that gives you choice, consistency, and peace of mind.