Government-Funded Home Care in Calgary
Choose your provider. Keep more control over your care.
Client Directed Home Care Invoicing (CDHCI) is an Alberta Health Services home care option for eligible Albertans who want more choice in who provides their care. Ascent Home Care helps Calgary families understand the process and receive consistent, nurse-led care from a team they trust.
- You choose
- The provider is your decision, not AHS's
- Direct billed
- We invoice Alberta Blue Cross, not you
- 2–4 weeks
- Typical approval time in our experience
- Calgary & area
- Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere
What Is CDHCI?
CDHCI allows eligible AHS home care clients to choose a participating home care provider for services authorized in their care plan. An AHS case manager assesses your needs and determines eligibility, while Alberta Blue Cross manages the program’s financial claims administration.
You then choose an agency from Alberta Blue Cross’s registered provider list. That agency delivers the care and bills Alberta Blue Cross directly, up to your approved hours.
Who May Be Eligible?
Eligibility is determined by Alberta Health Services. In general, clients must:
- Live in Alberta and have a valid Alberta health care card.
- Have care needs that can be safely supported at home.
- Be assessed by an AHS case manager for home care services.
- Be eligible, able, and willing to take an active role in directing their care.
Not sure where to start? Alberta Blue Cross currently directs Albertans to call 811 to request a home care assessment.
What CDHCI-Funded Home Care Can Support
Your AHS assessment determines which services and hours are publicly funded. Depending on your approved needs, support may include:
Covered by CDHCI
Personal Care Assistance
Help with bathing, dressing, grooming, mobility, toileting, meal support, and other approved personal care needs.
Homemaking Support
Light housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, and essential household routines that help make daily life at home safer and easier.
Respite for Family Caregivers
Scheduled caregiver support so family members can rest, work, attend appointments, or take a needed break.
Not Covered
Hours beyond your monthly authorisation
AHS approves a fixed number of hours each month. Anything past that is private pay.
Any rate above the AHS maximum
AHS sets a maximum hourly rate. If an agency charges above it, the difference is yours.
Stand-alone housekeeping or errands
Homemaking must be related to health maintenance. General cleaning and errands don’t qualify on their own.
Many families top up with private hours. We quote and invoice those separately, so you always know which is which.
How to Get Started
Request an AHS Home Care Assessment
An AHS case manager assesses your needs and determines eligibility and authorized services.
Explore the CDHCI Option
If CDHCI is appropriate for you, you can choose a participating provider for your approved care.
Choose Ascent Home Care
Talk with our nurse-led team about your needs, routines, priorities, and what matters most to your family.
Complete Your Ascent Care Assessment
Our nurse learns about your health needs, home environment, and preferences, then builds a personalized plan for delivering your authorized care.
Meet Your Care Team and Begin Care
We carefully match caregivers for skill, personality, and fit, with a strong commitment to keeping your care team small and familiar.
Already approved for CDHCI? Contact us and we can help you understand the next steps for choosing Ascent as your provider.
Ascent Pro Care made CDHCI easy. They handled everything, and my dad receives amazing care.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I qualify for CDHCI?
AHS makes the eligibility decision after assessing your care needs. Approval is not automatic; an AHS case manager determines whether CDHCI is appropriate for you.
What does CDHCI pay for?
CDHCI covers the services and hours authorized in your AHS care plan. Depending on assessed needs, this may include personal care, homemaking, and respite support.
Can I choose my home care provider?
Yes. Provider choice is a core part of the client-directed model. Eligible clients can select a participating provider to deliver authorized services.
Can I choose my caregiver with Ascent?
We involve your family in finding the right fit and prioritize continuity, so your loved one can build trust with a small, familiar care team.
Does Ascent bill Alberta Blue Cross?
Ascent submits eligible CDHCI claims to Alberta Blue Cross for authorized services and clearly explains what is funded and what is not.
What if we need more care than CDHCI provides?
We can add private-pay care if your family wants support beyond the services or hours AHS authorizes. Any additional costs are explained before care is added.
What if my loved one’s needs change?
Let your AHS case manager and Ascent know. Our nursing team can adapt how care is delivered, while AHS determines whether your authorized services should be reassessed.
Already Approved—or Just Getting Started?
Whether you already have CDHCI approval or are simply trying to understand your options, our nurse-led Calgary team can help you understand what happens next and whether Ascent Home Care is the right fit for your family.
No pressure. Just clear answers, compassionate guidance, and a straightforward path to care.
- Free
- No cost, no obligation
- With Denise
- Founder, 20+ years
- We bill directly
- To Alberta Blue Cross