CDHCI stands for Client Directed Home Care Invoicing, an Alberta Health Services program that allows eligible clients to choose their own home care provider instead of being assigned one. Under CDHCI, AHS approves a client for a set number of care hours, and the client is free to select an agency, like Guardian Home Care, to deliver that care.
The key difference from standard AHS-assigned home care is choice. Instead of receiving whichever caregiver AHS schedules, families can pick a provider based on trust, reputation and fit, and often see more consistency in which caregiver actually shows up.
Eligibility and hours are determined through an AHS case management assessment, not by the home care agency. If you believe a loved one may qualify, the process typically starts with a referral to AHS Home Care, which conducts its own assessment separate from any private consultation with an agency.
Once approved, the AHS case manager sets the number of funded hours, and the client's chosen agency invoices AHS directly for the care delivered. Families are welcome to combine CDHCI-funded hours with additional privately paid hours if more support is needed than what's approved.
Because eligibility rules and funded hours are determined by AHS, not by us, we can't guarantee approval or hours for any specific situation. We can walk you through how the process generally works and help with the practical next steps once you have a case manager assigned.
