FAQs

Long term care (LTC) facilities are designed for individuals with complex, unpredictable medical needs who require 24-hour onsite Registered Nurse assessment and/ or treatment. Long term care provides residents with accommodations and professional nursing care and other personal services.

Individuals are assessed for long term care by Alberta Health Services. Admission is based on the following:

• An assessment of need completed by a regional health authority nurse. If a decision is made that you require a continuing care facility, the regional staff will work with Central Placement Services to find the right facility for you.
• You must be a Resident of Canada for 10 years or more at the time of application for admission.
• You must have lived in Alberta for one year immediately prior to applying or lived in Alberta for three consecutive years at any time during your lifetime.

Residents living in LTC are responsible for paying an accommodation charge set by the provincial government. Accommodation related services include room, meals, housekeeping and routine building maintenance. Health care services are publicly funded at no cost to the residents.

Current accommodation charges are:

• Private Room Per Day $77.80
• Semi-Private Room Per Day (Shared Multi-Bedroom Suites) $71.45
• Semi-Private Room Per Day (Shared One-Bedroom Suites) $64.45

There are additional non-optional fees for labelling resident clothing and television/cable service in room.

Optional services including hairdressing, podiatry, and in-room telephone services are available for an additional fee.

The waiting list for long-term care is managed by Alberta Health Services. The wait time depends on the resident’s specific care needs and if there is an available bed for the appropriate care centre equipped to meet those needs.

Each room comes equipped with a hospital bed, bedside table, wardrobe, chest of drawers and chair. There are restrictions to what items and the number of items brought into the facility due to limited space and safety. Bring items that will make the room as welcoming as possible. Most common items required include:

• Clothing (enough day and nightwear for seven days) and appropriate non-slip footwear
• Personal Care Items (including toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, lotion, kleenex, etc.)
• TV
• Personal Effects (including pictures or other small objects that remind you of home or family)

Please make sure all items are clearly labelled, except clothing which will be labeled for you by Venta staff.

It can take several days after admission to adjust to your new environment and several weeks to get used to the routines of a long-term care facility. Residents will be introduced to different members of the team. Staff will do their best to ensure residents feel welcome, comfortable and at ease with their new environment.

Families are encouraged to bring family pets to visit with their loved ones. One (1) visiting pet allowed on the property at a time.  All visiting pets must:

• Have a completed Pet Application form that includes copies of current vaccinations on file with Venta Care Centre;
• Be potty trained;
• Be well behaved (no uncontrolled barking, jumping, growling, or scratching)
• Have their pet owner/handler accompany them at all times.
• Be refrained from wandering throughout the building.
• Limit their visit to one (1) hour for the courtesy of other visitors. Please call ahead prior to visit.  

Pets are not allowed in Dining Rooms or other areas where food is served. The family member bringing in the pet is responsible for any incidents and clean-ups that occur with their pets. Pet visiting hours are between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm seven days a week.

Resident families have the option of have resident’s personal clothing laundered onsite for an additional charge or doing laundry themselves. All clothing brought into the facility regardless of who does the laundry will be labeled with the resident’s name for a one-time additional fee per item labeled. All personal clothing brought into the facility must be washed and placed in a dryer for at least 40 minutes prior to bringing in.

Venta Care Centre does not have a dementia and/or secure unit. Residents are not segregated based on diagnoses or medical condition. We do have one unit designated for residents with similar verbal or physically responsive behaviours in relation to exit seeking, wandering, or social interactions.

There are no set visiting hours. Venta encourages visiting during times where we can best support your visit with the least amount of disruption to you and your loved one. We therefore recommend limiting your visitation to hours between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. All visitors must be screened upon entry and are required to practice continuous masking and follow all other PPE requirements directed by staff. Virtual visitation options are available to in-person visits and can be arranged with our Recreation Department.

Yes, food is delivered and prepared onsite by the Dietary Department that includes a Red Seal certified Chef. Seasonal four-week menus are developed by the Dietary Technologist and approved by a Registered Dietitian, following Canadas Food Guidelines. Venta can accommodate for residents who require texture-modified diets or those with other special diets including vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-restricted. Fluids can be thickened to a safe consistency as well to accommodate each resident’s need. Three meals a day are served and include two options for protein during lunch and dinner. Snacks are also offered three times per day and available on each unit at any time upon request.

Visitors are welcome to join their loved one in designated family seating areas within the dining rooms but are not able to eat with them. Currently, all visitors must keep their mask on at all times.

Visitors can bring food in for their loved one. We ask that you check with the nursing station first in case there are specific diet restrictions you are unaware of. Only small portions of food that may be consumed in one visit may be brought in. Leftovers cannot be stored onsite and therefore must be taken home before you leave. Visitors may not share food with residents other than their loved one.

On admission our Occupational Therapy department will assess each resident to determine their need for a mobility device that includes a wheelchair or walker. The facility may or may not at the time have loaner equipment available for temporary use. The Occupational Therapist will work with the resident and their family on ordering equipment through Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) or provide information on other vendors where you may purchase or rent equipment. If the resident owns their own walker and/or wheelchair, the Occupational Therapy department will assess and determine if it remains appropriate for your loved one to use.

Please discuss concerns with the directly to the RN/LPN or Resident Floor Manager on duty. If they are not able to resolve your concern, we ask that you communicate your concern in writing via the ‘Complaint/ Concerns’ form or verbally to a member of the management team. All reported concerns will be addressed within five (5) business days.

If you or your family have a question about the resolution of your concern or how your concern was handled, you may contact our Facility Administrator at 780-377-4542.

If you are not satisfied with the facility’s resolution, you may refer the matter of an external agency including:

• The Alberta Ombudsman: 780-427-2756
• Alberta Health Services Community Care Health Link: 780-408-5465
• Health Facilities Review Committee: 780-427-4924
• Protection for Persons n Care: 1-888-357-9339