An Initial Typology to Compare Continuum of Care Policies, Structures, and Processes in Two Canadian Jurisdictions

Continuums of care (e.g., home-based services, assisted living, nursing homes) deliver essential health and social services for older people and are organized differently across healthcare settings. Informed by academic research and consensus-building sessions with policymakers and older people from two Canadian provinces, this article presents a typology of 12 dimensions that define how care continuums are organized and operationalized. Dimensions define the care provided by different services, including how they are accessed and their recipients; paid staffing, illustrating provider type, volume, and employment practices; funding, showing how care is paid for and additional client costs; and central governance, defining regulatory procedures, audits, standards, and data monitoring systems. This typology supports systematic comparisons across two Canadian provinces and helps to identify promising practices, care gaps, and reform ideas in each jurisdiction. Further application, expansion, and refinement of this tool is required to assess its value in other Canadian and international settings.