The Alberta Accommodation Standards set two recurring duties about residents and food. Every six months at least, a home collects residents’ opinions and feedback on meals, fluids and snacks and considers them in developing the menu. And every six months at least, it consults residents about the times of day meals, fluids and snacks are provided, and considers and responds to what they say. Both apply to type A homes, type B homes and supportive living accommodations.
- Two duties, each at least every six months: opinions on meals, fluids and snacks; and consultation on the times they are provided.
- Collecting is not the end of either. Opinions are considered in developing the menu; comments on meal times are considered and responded to.
- Neither is about re-approving the menu, which has no set interval in the standards.
The two duties, side by side
| Duty | Type A | Type B and supportive living | What follows from it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collect residents’ opinions and feedback on meals, fluids and snacks | 13(3) | 14(3) | Considered in the development of the menu |
| Consult residents on the times of day meals, fluids and snacks are provided | 13(4) | 14(4) | The operator considers and responds to residents’ comments or concerns |
What “consider and respond” asks of you
Both provisions go past the survey itself. Opinions about food feed into the next version of the menu, and comments about meal times get a response. A home that runs the survey on schedule but cannot show what it did with the answers has done half of each duty.
In practice the response is often small and specific: a later breakfast seating, snacks left out in the evening, a dish rotated off the cycle. The standards do not require a written record, but the inspectors’ information guide lists documentation as possible evidence, so it helps to write down the link from what residents said to what changed.
What the government’s guide lists as evidence
The Continuing Care Home Information Guide gives examples of evidence for the meal-times consultation, and says they are possible ways rather than the only ones.
- Documentation of the collaboration with residents on meal times, found for example in completed surveys, result summaries or meeting minutes.
- Conversations with residents about meal, fluid and snack times.
- Observation of a meal service.
- How residents are made aware of meal-time options, for example in postings, orientation checklists or resident handbooks.
- Documentation showing that the feedback collected was used.
- Documentation showing that the results of the feedback were communicated to residents.
Where the “every six months” confusion comes from
These two cadences are the only six-month intervals in the menu and nutrition standards, and they are about consulting residents, not about the menu itself. The cycle-length guide explains why there is no six-month re-approval of the menu.
If you want the rounds planned, run and written up, see resident meal feedback.
Common questions
How often must an Alberta continuing care home collect residents’ opinions on meals?
At least every six months. Residents’ opinions and feedback on meals, fluids and snacks are collected at least every six months and considered in the development of the menu, under standard 13(3) for type A homes and 14(3) for type B homes and supportive living accommodations.
Must residents be consulted about meal times in Alberta continuing care?
Yes, every six months at minimum. The operator consults residents about the times of day at which meals, fluids and snacks are provided or made available, and considers and responds to their comments or concerns, under standard 13(4) for type A and 14(4) for type B and supportive living.
Does a resident council meeting count as the consultation?
It can be where the consultation happens. The Continuing Care Home Information Guide lists meeting minutes, completed surveys and result summaries among the possible evidence, alongside conversations with residents and observation of a meal service.
This page describes what the Alberta Accommodation Standards say, as read on 9 October 2026. It is not legal advice and does not establish that any home meets a standard, which is a matter for the operator and Alberta’s inspectors. Confirm your licence class and the current text before relying on it.