Important: This article is general information, not medical advice. Virtual care is not appropriate for every concern. For a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Understand the caregiving role
Alberta Health Services describes family caregivers as family members, friends, or neighbours who provide unpaid support, care, or assistance to a person with a long-term illness or disability. The role can include practical help, emotional support, and communicating with organizations or people involved in care.
Every caregiving situation is different. This page is a public-information starting point only; it does not decide what support, service, benefit, care setting, or assessment is right for an individual caregiver or care recipient.
Start with official Alberta support information
The AHS Family Caregiver Centre provides information, education, and support for family caregivers in the Calgary Zone. Review the official service listing for its current scope, eligibility details, contact information, and location rather than assuming that a particular program is available to you.
Alberta.ca also maintains public information about supports for caregivers and organizations, including resources connected to healthy aging and people who support older adults. These directories can help frame questions to take to the appropriate public, community, or healthcare service.
Prepare questions for the right service
Before contacting a public or healthcare service, it can help to write down the practical question you are trying to solve, the person’s current care setting, what support is already involved, and whether there is an immediate safety concern. Share only the information the service says it needs and use an appropriate private channel for personal health information.
If you are unsure where to go, contact an appropriate in-person healthcare professional or care setting for individual guidance.
Use emergency services for an emergency
If the person you are supporting has severe, rapidly worsening, or possible emergency symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a caregiver resource, a general website response, or an AlbertaMD callback request.
This page does not assess urgency, diagnose a caregiver or care recipient, recommend treatment, arrange services, or guarantee an outcome. Use official resources and the person’s own healthcare team for information that fits the situation.
Common patient questions.
These answers explain the current information and review process.
Does this page assess a caregiver or arrange support?
No. This page is general Alberta navigation information. It does not assess caregiver needs, decide eligibility, arrange a service, place a referral, or guarantee a callback or support outcome.
When should I use emergency care instead?
For severe, rapidly worsening, or possible emergency symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a caregiver resource, an AlbertaMD callback request, or an online response.
Where can I find official Alberta caregiver information?
Alberta Health Services lists the Family Caregiver Centre and Alberta.ca lists public supports for caregivers and organizations. Review each official service’s current scope and contact information directly.
Continue with related Alberta guides.
These patient guides add context on virtual care, care navigation, and next-step preparation.
Learn more from Alberta resources.
These public resources offer additional context on virtual-care preparation, safety, and professional standards.
Official caregiver support
Use public caregiver resources, not a callback request.
For caregiver-support navigation, use the official Alberta resources on this page. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for an emergency. AlbertaMD does not assess caregiver needs, place referrals, or promise a callback for support navigation.