Assisted Living Registry

Assisted living services include housing, hospitality services and one or two personal assistance services (referred to as prescribed services), such as regular assistance with activities of daily living, medication services, or psychosocial supports.

In British Columbia, assisted living services are regulated under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act (the Act). 

Both publicly subsidized and private-pay assisted living residences that meet the definition of an assisted living residence under the Act are required to be registered with the provincial assisted living registrar.

Mandate

The Assisted Living Registry is part of the Ministry of Health Seniors Service Branch. The mandate of the assisted living registrar under the Act is to protect the health and safety of assisted living residents. 

To meet this mandate, the Registry:

• administers the registration of assisted living residence;
• establishes and administers health and safety standards, and administrative policies and procedures;
• investigates complaints about the health and safety, and
• inspects residences if there is a health and safety concern.

Authority

Under the Act, the registrar has authority to:

• register residences that meet the definition of an assisted living residence in the Act;
• enter and inspect any premises related to the operation of an assisted living residence where the registrar has reason to believe that the health or safety of a resident is at risk or an unregistered assisted living residence is being operated;
• inspect and make a copy of or extract from any book or record at the premises, or make a record of anything observed during an inspection;
• apply conditions to registrations, vary conditions, and suspend or cancel registrations; and
• fine operators of unregistered assisted living residences.

Guiding Principles of the Assisted Living Registry

The following principles guide the assisted living registry staff conduct and operations:

• protect the health and safety of residents.
• value the perspectives of stakeholders — i.e., residents and their families/caregivers, community advocates for seniors and people with mental health and substance use problems, residents, operators, health authorities and other government agencies.
• promote client-centred services.
• investigate complaints using an incremental, remedial approach.
• ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in its administrative practices.