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Health Care Aide Regulation
Health Care Aide (HCA) regulation came into force on February 2, 2026.
When regulation came into force, the HCA Directory was closed and all HCAs who were enrolled on the Directory were transferred to a register with the CLHA and issued a practice permit. If you have any questions about your account or status, please email hcaregistration@clha.com.
If the above does not apply to your inquiry and you intended to apply and enroll as an HCA, we will respond to your inquiry and support your intent to enroll on the Alberta HCA Directory.
Please note that due to a high volume of phone calls and messages, it may take 2 to 3 business days to respond to your inquiry.
HCAs are regulated health professionals who work collaboratively as part of the healthcare team providing personal care and other essential health services in hospitals, continuing care facilities, group home settings, and other healthcare settings.
What's New?
Registration Renewal Opens February 9, 2026
HCAs must complete a registration renewal between February 9 and April 30, 2026, including obtaining Professional Liability Insurance, in order to continue to practice as a Health Care Aide in Alberta.
HCAs who do not complete their registration renewal by April 30, 2026, will have their practice permit suspended and will be required to apply for reinstatement before resuming practice.
Maintaining an active practice permit is a requirement under the Health Professions Act.
The resources below provide information to support understanding of Health Care Aide regulation and regulatory requirements in Alberta.
This series of short videos will provide background on healthcare regulation and its importance for public safety and ethical practice.
Documents that guide, define, and support Health Care Aide practice, including standards of practice, codes of ethics, and regulatory policies.
Answers to common questions about Health Care Aide regulation in Alberta, including registration, permits, and practice requirements.
In Alberta, HCAs work collaboratively as part of the healthcare team and provide care to vulnerable populations such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and individuals who are acute or chronically ill.
The nature of the HCA-patient relationship often involves the provision of intimate personal care such as bathing, dressing, and toileting. This level of care places HCAs in positions of power requiring trust and responsibility and requires appropriate education, competence, and professional accountability.
Regulation of the HCA profession is established to support public protection and includes the following objectives:
- Establishing consistent education, training, and competency requirements across Alberta.
- Setting enforceable standards of practice and professional conduct.
- Supporting public safety and confidence in the care provided by HCAs.
- Supporting clarity around an HCA’s role.
- Providing a formal process for receiving, investigating, and addressing complaints under the Health Professions Act.
In Alberta, health professionals, including physicians, nurses, and Health Care Aides, are regulated under the Health Professions Act. The HPA establishes some common rules for all health professionals and authorizes regulatory bodies, known as “colleges,” to create and enforce rules specific to each health profession.
The job of a college is to protect the public from unsafe practice and hold registrants of the profession accountable for the care they provide to patients. Colleges also create additional policy documents to guide the application of these rules.
Some rules are made by the college alone, some are made by the college after consulting with the profession and the government, and others are made by the college only when first approved by the government.
Regulatory Documents
The following documents establish the regulatory framework for a health profession and provide guidance to both the college and registrants:
- The Health Professions Act establishes the regulatory health colleges and sets some common rules that apply to all colleges.
- Profession regulation outlines the registration and conduct requirements of a health profession and any restricted activities a registrant may perform.
- Bylaws outline governance including the composition of the Council and defines management matters.
- A code of ethics and standards of practice establish obligations of the registrant in the practice of their profession.
- Council policies and program manuals further clarify the responsibilities of the registrants of a profession.
Now that HCAs are regulated under the Health Professions Act, HCAs will have to meet certain requirements. These requirements include:
- registration
- continuing competence
- professional conduct
Registration
Under the Health Professions Act, a regulatory college sets registration requirements and administers the registration and renewal processes for its registrants.
Health Care Aides are required to apply for registration with their regulatory college and provide evidence that they meet the established requirements. Registrants who meet these requirements are issued a practice permit, which authorizes them to practice as a Health Care Aide in Alberta.
Practice permits must be renewed annually. Annual renewal is subject to meeting regulatory requirements, including payment of applicable fees and participation in the continuing competence program.
Learn more about registration and annual renewal
Continuing Competence
Under the HPA, health professionals must participate in a continuing competence program established by their regulatory college. The college is required to audit a registrant’s continuing competence learning.
The CLHA will establish a continuing competence program for HCAs.
Learn more about continuing competence program
Professional Conduct
Under the HPA, regulatory colleges establish processes to address concerns related to unsafe, unskilled, or unethical practice.
Any individual can submit a formal complaint to a regulatory college. When a formal complaint is received, the matter will be investigated.
