Continuing care homes contract out a great deal: food service, consulting dietitians, laundry, cleaning, therapy. Where an operator contracts for services to be provided in the home, the Accommodation Standards set a floor: the contract must include, at a minimum, five things, and the same five apply to type A homes, type B homes and supportive living accommodations.
- The five minimum terms: the nature and scope of the service, who provides it, their qualifications where applicable, required insurance, and the handling of residents’ personal information.
- The same five apply to type A (standard 10), type B (standard 11) and supportive living (standard 11).
- They are a minimum. Price, term, termination and service levels are still yours to negotiate.
The five minimum terms
| Term | What it means for a food or nutrition contract |
|---|---|
| The nature and scope of the service | Which meals, menus, reviews or hours are covered, and which are not |
| Who will provide the service | The company, and the named people doing the work where that matters |
| That person’s qualifications, if applicable | For example registration with the College of Dietitians of Alberta, or food safety certification |
| A requirement to carry any required insurance | The standard names no insurance type; what is required comes from elsewhere. For example, professional liability for a dietitian |
| Handling of residents’ personal information | What resident information the contractor sees, where it is kept, and what happens to it at the end |
Food and nutrition contracts in particular
A food service contractor, a consulting dietitian and a menu review service each touch the standards differently, so the scope term does the most work. A contract that says “dietary services” and nothing more leaves the home unable to show who was responsible for the menu approval, the six-monthly resident feedback or the substitution record.
The personal-information term matters most where a contractor sees diet orders or care plans. A menu review that never handles resident information can say so in the contract; a consulting dietitian who works in residents’ charts needs the term to say how that information is handled.
For what each Folio service covers, and who provides it, see the services page.
What the standard does not settle
The provision applies to contracts for services to be provided in the home. Whether a service delivered entirely off site, such as software or a remote review, falls within it is not answered by the text. Applying the same five terms anyway is a prudent default, because the personal-information term is the one that protects residents.
Common questions
What must a contract for services in an Alberta type A continuing care home include?
At a minimum, under standard 10(1): the nature and scope of the service, who will provide it, that person’s qualifications where applicable, a requirement that the contractor carry any required insurance, and a provision that addresses the handling of personal information about the residents.
Do the same contract terms apply to supportive living?
Yes. Standard 11(1) of the supportive living Accommodation Standards requires the same five minimum terms, and type B continuing care homes carry the same requirement in their standard 11.
Does the contract rule cover a dietitian who consults for the home?
Where the operator contracts for the dietitian’s services to be provided in the home, yes. The contract should name the dietitian, state their registration, and say how resident information they see is handled.
This page describes what the Alberta Accommodation Standards say, as read on 9 October 2026. It is not legal advice; have a lawyer review any contract. Funding agreements with Assisted Living Alberta may add terms the standards do not.