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Alternate Level of Care (ALC) Designation

Overview and clinical staff and physician tools, supporting ALC designation across Nova Scotia Health.

ALC Overview for Nursing and Allied Health

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The ALC Designation Project includes the following key components:

  • Policy
  • ALC Status Form
  • Standardized definition and criteria
  • Standardized designation and documentation process

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Aim

To standardize the ALC designation process in all acute care settings within Nova Scotia Health.

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Why?

  • Streamlined processes for more accurate and efficient service planning. 
  • Consistent ALC patient documentation and accurate reporting across NSH, facilitating a better understanding of our patient population and patient flow pressures.
  • Improved alignment and collaboration within the interprofessional teams supporting discharge.
  • The ability to identify patients who no longer require acute care, improving patient flow and service planning.
  • The ability to identify supports required to discharge ALC patients, enabling executive leadership to advocate to the government for additional community resources to support the ALC population effectively.

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Definition of Alternate Level of Care (ALC)

Alternate level of care (ALC) is used to identify patients who no longer require inpatient acute care services provided at their current facility. 

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ALC designation is based on meeting all of the following criteria:

  • Clinical status is at baseline or new baseline supported by the patient’s goals of care.
  • Medical issues are at baseline or new baseline with stable treatment plan and care plan established.
  • Mental Health is at baseline or could be managed effectively in community with supports.
  • Medication titration and changes are largely complete or could be managed effectively in community with supports, and discharge scripts could be written if patient was being discharged. 
  • No additional medical diagnosis is being sought or investigated that would require acute care services. 
  • Palliative care treatments, if required could be provided in the community.
  • Nursing assessments are stable. 
  • No test results are pending that could influence the discharge plan (to community or transfer to another hospital).
  • All necessary inpatient physician consults are completed, and arrangements are made for any non-urgent consults to be followed up in the community. 

ALC Designation Process

The ALC designation process is described in the NS Health ALC Status Policy. The following flow chart provides a high-level overview of the process:

Actions for Nursing and Allied Health and Frequently Asked Questions

Actions for Nursing and Allied Health

Role Action(s)
Nursing
  • Inpatient assessment: evaluate patients to determine if they meet ALC definition and criteria.
  • In collaboration with interdisciplinary team (including appropriate Allied Health team members as required), initiate/support conversations around patient status/ALC designation (i.e., daily rounds).
  • Discuss supports required for a successful patient discharge and, in collaboration with interdisciplinary care team, select the most appropriate option on the ALC Status Form
  • Support patient/family/caregiver discussions and education.
  • Ongoing monitoring of patients: update ALC status as acute care needs change and update the ALC Status Form accordingly. 
Allied Health
  • Support conversations around patient status and ALC criteria.
  • Discuss supports required for a successful patient discharge and, in collaboration with interdisciplinary care team, select the most appropriate option on the ALC Status Form.
  • Support patient/family/caregiver discussions and education.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the new ALC designation process change the way we work?

The new ALC designation process provides clarity on the classification of ALC patients and recommended supports for discharge from the acute care setting. 

All ALC designation information will be documented on the ALC Status Form.

Does a physician need to initiate the ALC conversation?

No. Any member of the interdisciplinary care team can initiate the conversation around ALC status and start filling out the ALC Status Form in collaboration with the interdisciplinary care team. The form is encouraged to be used as a tool to start the ALC conversation. 

Once completed, the form must be signed by the MRHCP.

Does Long-Term Care mean ALC?

The terms ALC and Long-Term Care (LTC) are often and mistakenly used interchangeably throughout Nova Scotia Health. Not all ALC patients are LTC and not all LTC patients are ALC. LTC is only one of the supports that may be required to discharge an ALC patient. 

Is my patient ALC if they no longer require the level of care provided on my unit/service but still need acute care services?

A patient who still requires acute care services but whose needs are less complex than the services provided in their current unit should NOT be designated as ALC. 
For example, a patient in an Intensive Care Unit awaiting transfer to a medical/surgical inpatient bed for further acute care should not be designated ALC.

Where can I find ALC data/information?

ALC data can be viewed within the following Meditech, STAR and C3 reports:
Meditech (EZ, NZ, WZ)

  1. Inpatient Service Report
  2. Census by Nursing Unit
  3. ALC Service Changes
  4. Doctor by Service List

STAR (CZ)

  1. QBR IP NSC EDD- Nursing Station Census Report
  2. QBR IP PSW EDD- Nursing Station Worklist Report

Care Coordination Centre (C3)

ALC Dates are easily visible on the Patient Manager (PM) tile at sites where it has been implemented. 

Accessing ALC Data/Information

Meditech (EZ, NZ, WZ)

  1. Inpatient Service Report

  1. Census by Nursing Unit

  1. ALC Service Changes

  1. Doctor by Service List

STAR (CZ)

  1. QBR IP NSC EDD- Nursing Station Census Report

  1. QBR IP NSW EDD- Nursing Station Worklist Report

  1. QBR IP PSW EDD- Physician Worklist Report

 

Care Coordination Centre (C3)

ALC Dates are easily visible on the Patient Manager (PM) tile (at sites where it has been implemented). This is a quick way to check to see if ALC dates have been entered into STAR where required.

ALC Visibility on PM Tile:

Case Studies

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Mr. Singh, a 67-year-old male, was admitted to the Valley Regional Hospital, to have an endovascular ruptured aortic aneurysm repair. Upon completion of surgery, he was transferred from PACU to IMCU. The team assessed Mr. Singh the next day and identified that he is healing well and is medically stable. He no longer needs to be in IMCU and can be transferred to a medical nursing unit within the same hospital; however, there is no bed available to accommodate Mr. Singh. He must remain in IMCU until a medical bed becomes available.

No. The clinical team and Most Responsible Healthcare Provider (MRHCP) should not designate this patient as ALC, because Mr. Singh still needs acute care services within the hospital/facility.

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Mrs. Lorenz, a 70-year-old female, was admitted to the Halifax Infirmary, with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure exacerbation. She presented with shortness of breath, fluid retention and increased fatigue. The clinical team stabilized her condition, managed her symptoms, and initiated appropriate treatment.

Mrs. Lorenz responded well to the initial treatment with stable vital signs. However, during her hospital stay, it became evident that she has a new baseline. While she no longer required the high level of acute care services provided in the cardiology unit, her overall needs were less complex. During the Rapid Rounds using elements of SAFER-f, it was identified that she can be discharged home with the Support Required from Victoria Order of Nurses (VON) to provide nursing care once a day.

Yes. If Mrs. Lorenz no longer needs the intensity of the acute care resources, she would be considered ALC even though community services that match her needs are not available. Therefore, if Mrs. Lorenz meets the ALC definition and criteria, a regulated healthcare provider within that interdisciplinary team (charge nurse, continuing care, physiotherapist, and MRHCP) can initiate the ALC Designation process by starting to fill out the NSH ALC Status Form. A collaborative conversation must occur, including necessary care team members, to collectively determine the most appropriate support required for Mrs. Lorenz.

What is the Support Required?
Mrs. Lorenz could benefit from transitioning home with VON support from Continuing Care. Therefore, the selection of the Support Required is based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s situation. Given the information provided, the Support Required would either be access to Home/Community Care - NSH Continuing Care or access to Home/Community Care - Private Home Care Required.

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Gladis, an 80-year-old woman living independently, is admitted to Dartmouth General Hospital for hip fracture repair. After surgery, she is put on the list to be transferred to the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Hospital.

No. She is not an ALC patient because she is awaiting to be transferred to the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Hospital because the care required can only be provided in an inpatient rehabilitation setting and not in the community.

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Gladis, from scenario above has completed her inpatient rehabilitation. The interdisciplinary team has confirmed that all ALC criteria have been met. Despite her family's wishes for her admission to a Long-Term Care (LTC) facility, Gladis, who is alert, cognitively sound, and capable of making her own decisions, expresses her desire to continue living at home with appropriate community support. She requests that her clinical team and family respect this decision. Although her rehab therapy is complete, she must stay in the facility until home care arrangements are finalized.

Yes. This situation is indicative of an ALC scenario, emphasizing the importance of including ALC considerations in Rapid Rounds. An interdisciplinary team, including a social worker and/or continuing care coordinator, should be involved. A regulated healthcare provider initiates the ALC Status form, with the MRHCP joining the discussion and signing the form to confirm Gladis' ALC status.

What is the Support Required?
The selection of the Support Required is based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s situation. Given the information provided, the Support Required would either be access to Home/Community Care - NSH Continuing Care or access to Home/Community Care - Private Home Care Required. Access to LTC - NSH Continuing Care is not appropriate in this case because the patient is of sound mind and has expressed her wish to return home with support. This aligns with NSH philosophy where ‘home’ is the best place to make long-term decisions.

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Kim, a 45-year-old man, was admitted to the Halifax Infirmary due to a third-degree burn. After receiving intensive treatment from multiple inpatient care services over two months, his condition has stabilized. He now has a new baseline. During the unit’s Rapid Rounds, the team learned that Kim was unhoused. Compounding this challenge, Kim needs home therapy services and wound management that can be provided in the community.

Yes. Due to homelessness, the team explored that he can be discharged to The Bridge Transitional Care Unit. He is awaiting placement.

What is the Support Required? 
The selection of the Support Required is based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s situation. Given the information provided, the Support Required would be access to Housing – Homelessness.

Additional Resources

Integrated Access and Flow Network, 2024

Dynamic Health

Care Considerations

  • Discussions around ALC Status and the Support Required for a successful patient discharge must be collaborative, including all appropriate Allied Health team members as required. 
  • Any member of the interdisciplinary team can initiate the conversation around ALC status. 
  • Address any ongoing questions or concerns the patient may have about the ALC designation. Reiterate key points and ensure the patient feels supported throughout the care process. 
  • Consider a Home First philosophy when care planning-- longer inpatient stays = increased hospital-acquired harms and longer recovery time.  

Patient Outcomes

  • Patients are accurately classified according to their care needs. Receiving the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
  • The patient’s time is the most valuable currency. Therefore, working more efficiently to identify and put support in place to facilitate timely discharge to a place the patient calls home or best community setting.
  • Care planning incorporates patient status to ensure patients receive care in the best possible environment to meet their needs.

References (For Custom Skill in Dynamic Health)

  • Alberta Health Services, University of Alberta, Covenant Health. (2022). Improving Coding Practices for Alternate Level of Care (ALC) in Hospital Medicine Units. Retrieved November 2023, from https://www.ualberta.ca/department-of-medicine/media-library/ezmqc-scic/2023-posters/alc_coding.pdf 
  • Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2023). Guidelines to Support ALC Designation. Retrieved June 2023, from https://www.cihi.ca/en/guidelines-to-support-alc-designation
  • Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2022). Alternate Level of Care Diagnosis List: Clarification of Use. Retrieved June 2023, from https://www.cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/alternate-level-care-diagnosis-list-job-aid-en.pdf
  • Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2016). Definitions and Guidelines to Support ALC Designation in Acute Inpatient Care. Retrieved February 2024, from https://www.cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/acuteinpatientalc-definitionsandguidelines_en.pdf
  • Nova Scotia Health. (2023). Library Services: Role of Most Responsible Health Care Provider. Retrieved November 2023, from https://library.nshealth.ca/GoalsofCare#s-lg-box-16510017
  • Nova Scotia Regulated Health Professions Network. (2015). Principles of Assignment and Delegation. Guidelines for Working with Unregulated Care Providers. Retrieved December 2023, from http://pdbns.ca/uploads/licensees/Assignment_and_Delegation_to_Unregulated_Care_Providers.pdf
  • Ontario Health. (2021). The Alternate Level of Care (ALC) Leading Practices Guide: Preventing Hospitalization and Extended Stays for Older Adults. Retrieved August 2023, from https://quorum.hqontario.ca/Portals/0/Indicators-and-change-ideas/ALC%20Leading%20Practices%20Guide%20v1%202021%20(2).pdf?ver=2022-03-30-133617-273