CDHCI at a glance
CDHCI Program
Client-Directed Home Care Invoicing (CDHCI)
An option for Assisted Living Alberta home-care clients to manage their own care. Choose your own trusted agency and let us handle the direct billing to Alberta Blue Cross for you.
Choose Our Care Team
Alberta Maple Care, a CDHCI (Type 3) provider registered with Alberta Blue Cross, delivers the care hours authorized by Assisted Living Alberta.
Direct Billing
We submit claims directly to Alberta Blue Cross, so you don’t have to worry about reimbursement.
Covered Services
Use your funding for authorized personal care, homemaking, and respite care services.
Could you be eligible for funded home care?
CDHCI (Client-Directed Home Care Invoicing) funds home care billed directly to Alberta Blue Cross. Whether you’re brand new to home care, already receiving publicly funded visits, or already approved — answer a few questions and we’ll show what may fit. About two minutes.
First, the basics
CDHCI is a funding option inside Alberta’s Home and Community Care system, so a few things need to be true before service types matter.
Who is this check for?
Where are you starting from?
Care from an agency that Assisted Living Alberta contracts and assigns is called Type 2 home care. CDHCI (Type 3) covers the same personal care, homemaking, and respite — but you choose the registered provider. The next questions help us map the switch honestly.
Great — the hard part is done. One quick question and we’ll show you how fast care can start.
Does your family member live in Alberta, with a valid Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan card?
Where do they live right now?
CDHCI funds care at home — but planning the return home is exactly the right time to sort this out. Keep going with home in mind, and we’ll flag it in your result.
In these settings CDHCI is decided case by case and needs extra approval from Assisted Living Alberta. You can keep going — we’ll flag it in your result.
Do they need ongoing help at home because of health, aging, an injury, or a disability?
Are they — or a family member acting for them — open to a care assessment by an Assisted Living Alberta case manager?
Do you have the Alberta Blue Cross approval letter with the customer number?
The care you have today
A few questions about the care your family member already receives — they help us map the switch honestly. Skip anything you’re not sure about.
Which services do they currently receive?
Roughly how many funded hours a month do they receive right now — if you know?
What's prompting the change? Tick anything that rings true.
Personal care & daily living
Hands-on help with your family member’s own care. Tick anything that sounds familiar — skip freely if nothing does.
The family caregiver
Respite care gives your family’s main caregiver scheduled relief — day, evening, or overnight. It’s a funded service in its own right.
Keeping the home running
Essential cleaning and laundry that keep the home safe and livable. One rule to know: CDHCI funds homemaking only alongside personal or respite care, never on its own. (Help with meals sits under personal care, one step back.)
Services
Services Covered by CDHCI
Personal Care
Assistance with daily tasks such as hygiene, dressing, toileting, mobilization, and medication assistance.
Homemaking
Essential cleaning tasks related to health maintenance, such as bathrooms, laundry, and garbage removal.
Respite Care
Provides a break for your primary informal caregivers when you cannot safely be left alone.
Who is Eligible for CDHCI?
- You have a valid Alberta Health Care number.
- You have been assessed by an Assisted Living Alberta case manager as needing home care.
- Your Case Manager determines this model meets your specific care needs.
- There is no conflict of interest with other Assisted Living Alberta policies.
- Your care needs are predictable month to month (exceptions can be made for palliative and pediatric clients).
- You are willing and able to assume responsibility for managing your care.
Note: You do not need an existing Alberta Blue Cross plan to apply.
Assisted Living Alberta (ALA) is the provincial health authority that assesses home care eligibility and approves CDHCI hours, a role formerly held by Alberta Health Services (AHS). The logo above links to their continuing care contact page for reference only. Alberta Maple Care is not partnered with, affiliated with, or endorsed by Assisted Living Alberta. The CDHCI program itself is an Assisted Living Alberta (formerly AHS) Continuing Care program administered by Alberta Blue Cross; provider billing runs through the Alberta Blue Cross portal.
Your CDHCI path, step by step
Three ways families arrive at CDHCI — applying fresh, already approved, or switching from another provider. Pick your situation.
Funded through Alberta Blue Cross. Six steps take you from first call to funded care at home — and we advocate for you through every one.
Referral & advocacy
Anyone can start the process — you can refer yourself, or a family member or health professional can refer you. No doctor’s letter is required. We educate and guide your family.
Assessment & eligibility
An Assisted Living Alberta case manager assesses the care needs — often right in your home. We help you prepare, and advocate for you before and after.
Care planning & authorization
The case manager authorizes monthly funded hours for personal care, respite, and homemaking based on assessed needs.
Choose Alberta Maple Care
You choose Alberta Maple Care as your CDHCI provider — the choice of agency is always yours. We take it from there.
Care begins at home
We deliver your care up to the approved monthly hours, managing the schedule around your life and goals.
Direct billing
We invoice Alberta Blue Cross directly at the approved rate — no reimbursement paperwork for you.
Already have CDHCI-authorized hours? Choose us as your provider and start right away — no new assessment.
You’re already approved
You already have CDHCI hours authorized by your Assisted Living Alberta case manager — no new assessment needed.
Choose Alberta Maple Care
Name us as your CDHCI provider — the choice of agency is yours alone. Just share the customer number from your Alberta Blue Cross approval letter and we take it from there.
Free visit & care plan
A registered nurse visits, confirms your authorized hours, and builds a care plan around your routine and goals.
Care begins — we bill direct
We deliver care up to your approved monthly hours and invoice Alberta Blue Cross directly — no paperwork for you.
Getting care from another provider and thinking about CDHCI? Start with a call — we give you an honest read on whether switching makes sense, then make the transition seamless.
Call us first
Book a free visit or call. We look at your current care honestly and tell you whether switching to CDHCI with us actually makes sense for your situation.
Talk to your case manager
We advise your family on contacting your Assisted Living Alberta case manager, who often requires a reassessment of the care needs and makes the decision.
Approval & choosing us
If approved, you receive your approval letter from Alberta Blue Cross and choose Alberta Maple Care as your provider — then sign our service agreement.
Plan your care & a seamless transition
We set the care plan around your preferences — and coordinate timing with your current provider, including AHS-contracted (type 2) agencies, so there’s no gap in your care.
Care begins — we bill direct
Service starts, and we bill Alberta Blue Cross directly each month — no reimbursement paperwork for you.
Who Can Be Hired?
When choosing a service provider, you must select an agency from the Alberta Blue Cross registered vendor list. The contractual relationship is strictly between you (or your CDHCI manager) and your chosen agency. This model allows you to choose the delivery model that best meets your needs. You can switch providers at any time, and if managing the program yourself is too much, a spouse or relative can act as your CDHCI manager on your behalf.
Client Responsibility
Assisted Living Alberta is not affiliated with any service provider on the registered list and does not evaluate their quality of care. You are responsible for reviewing and researching these providers to ensure they are safe and suitable for your needs. Assisted Living Alberta is not responsible for the actions or omissions of any service provider.
CDHCI in Calgary & area
Alberta Maple Care is a registered CDHCI (Type 3) provider on the Alberta Blue Cross vendor list, serving families across Calgary and the surrounding area: Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, Banff, Canmore and Strathmore. Once your Assisted Living Alberta Calgary Zone case manager authorizes home-care hours in your care plan, you can choose us as your provider and we deliver the approved hours in your home. Every CDHCI client also needs a backup plan for caregiver absences; with our standby nurse ready to dispatch, that plan is built in.
We direct-bill Alberta Blue Cross for your authorized hours, so there is no reimbursement paperwork for you. Funding can go toward personal care, homemaking and respite care, with optional private top-ups for additional hours.
Your three ways to pay for home care in Alberta
Families usually choose between CDHCI, Self-Managed Care, and paying privately. All three can fund real help at home. They differ in who handles the work and the paperwork. Your Assisted Living Alberta case manager confirms which programs you’re eligible for; we’ll help you compare honestly, including when a program is not the right fit. For the complete picture (veterans’ programs, insurance, tax credits and all), read Ways to pay for home care in Alberta. And because you shouldn’t have to ask, our rates are published: $37.50/hour standard, with case-by-case $0 out-of-pocket possible above 100 approved CDHCI hours a month, discussed with the intake officer at intake.
Published rates apply within Calgary city limits; outside the boundary, rates are confirmed case by case.
| Comparison | CDHCI | Self-Managed Care | Private pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs the paperwork | We do: claims go straight to Alberta Blue Cross | You do: you receive funds, hire, schedule, and report | None for your family: you simply receive an invoice from us |
| Who employs the caregivers | Our nursing-led agency | You (you become the employer) | Our nursing-led agency |
| What it can cover | provincially assessed hours: personal care, homemaking, respite | provincially assessed needs, with more flexibility in who you hire | Anything — any service, any schedule |
| Getting started | Assisted Living Alberta assessment, then choose us as your provider | Assisted Living Alberta assessment + agreement, then you build your team | Book a free visit. Care can start right away |
| Best for | Families who want funded care without becoming an employer | Families who want maximum control and accept the admin | Starting fast, topping up funded hours, or non-covered services |
The hybrid most families actually use
These options aren’t either/or. A common pattern in Calgary: Assisted Living Alberta provides its assessed clinical visits, CDHCI funds approved personal care or respite hours delivered by us, and the family privately tops up the extra hours that make life genuinely manageable — a longer morning routine, an evening check-in, a full respite day. One nursing-led team, one care plan, several funding sources. We coordinate all of it and show you exactly which hours come from where.
Frequently asked questions
Is CDHCI available in Calgary?
Yes. Client-Directed Home Care Invoicing is available to eligible clients in the Assisted Living Alberta Calgary Zone. After a case manager authorizes home-care hours in your care plan, you can direct them to a registered provider like Alberta Maple Care.
Is Alberta Maple Care a registered CDHCI provider in Calgary?
Yes. We are a registered CDHCI (Type 3) provider on the Alberta Blue Cross vendor list, so Calgary-area families can select us as their authorized home-care provider.
How does CDHCI direct billing with Alberta Blue Cross work?
We submit claims for your authorized hours directly to Alberta Blue Cross — you never pay up front or file for reimbursement. Alberta Blue Cross pays $34.06 of each approved hour and we invoice you the balance, plus any private top-up hours beyond your authorization.
Who is eligible for CDHCI?
You need a valid Alberta Health Care number and an Assisted Living Alberta assessment that identifies a need for home care. Your case manager determines whether the client-directed model fits your situation and authorizes the monthly funded hours.
What can CDHCI funding be used for?
Authorized funding typically covers personal care, homemaking, and respite. Skilled nursing is arranged separately. We help you map your assessed needs to the right mix of services within your approved hours.
Do unused CDHCI hours carry over to the next month?
No. Your monthly maximum resets on the first of each month, and unused hours never carry forward. Hours also cannot be shared or split between two people in the same household, even if both receive care. If your needs are changing, ask your Assisted Living Alberta case manager for a reassessment.
What happens to CDHCI funding if I go to hospital?
Funding pauses while you are admitted to hospital or staying in a facility respite bed, and your monthly maximum is reduced for those days on a per-day basis. The same logic applies to any day you’re away or not present for a visit — time in hospital, a trip, a vacation — those hours simply can’t be billed to the program. Funding can also be placed on hold if more than 30 days pass with no provider hired, or if the annual reassessment is missed. Moving permanently into a continuing care home ends CDHCI eligibility. We help families restart smoothly after a hospital stay.
What will CDHCI never pay for?
Only direct care within your approved hours, at the program rate, is covered. The program never pays for statutory-holiday surcharges, overtime, vacation pay, mileage or travel time, late or cancellation fees, supplies or equipment, minimum-visit charges beyond your approved time, or care bought before your approval starts, or outside your home zone without prior approval (and never outside Alberta). Anything in that list a provider charges is billed to you, which is why our flat published rate within Calgary city limits matters: no surprise extras on top of your per-hour balance.
Can a family member manage CDHCI for me?
Yes. A spouse, relative, or another trusted person can act as your CDHCI manager: their contact information is shared with Alberta Blue Cross, and they sign the paperwork, direct the schedule, and monitor the care on your behalf. If they sign the consent form instead of you, documentation of their legal authority is required.
Does CDHCI work in a lodge or supportive-living residence?
CDHCI is designed for care in private homes. If you live in a congregate setting such as a lodge, group home, or private assisted or supportive living, or in a home owned by the care provider, approval is case by case and must come through Assisted Living Alberta leadership. Ask your case manager before counting on it.
Care that comes home
Not sure where to start?
Book The Alberta Maple Care Assessment — a free, no-obligation nurse visit. We’ll listen, understand your needs, and help you explore the right options.
Not ready to book? Start with a no-pressure conversation instead.