Your parents need a new place to stay – a place where they can relax, express themselves, and live in comfort. There are many options in Canada that can cater to the needs of your aging family members. When choosing a place, you will have to consider your family member’s needs. Do they need specialized care? Do they require some form of assistance from trained staff or a nurse?
These are all factors to consider when you are browsing for a living facility for your parents, grandparents, or other family member. Here are a few types of retirement communities you can choose from:
1. Independent Retirement Living
An independent retirement home (also known as active adult communities and life-lease communities) is designed for seniors that do not require a well-trained staff or specialized equipment. The accommodations are usually apartment-style units that stand conveniently close to stores and recreational park areas. Luxury models usually come with amenities like expansive garden environments, golf courses, swimming pools, fitness centers, salons, libraries, lounge areas, etc.
These accommodations can be reasonably priced, generally ranging from $1,400 to $3,500 a month, though it can depend on location and whether or not it is a luxury model.
2. Assisted Retirement Living
For seniors who require some kind of care and aid (or anticipate the need for care), the assisted retirement living option is better. Residents live in apartment units with access to a care staff that will help them with daily tasks that they may not be able to complete themselves. There are other benefits to this care such as on-site healthcare professionals, therapists (such as physical therapy) and nurses, laundry and general unit care, meal services, recreational activity programs, transportation accommodations, etc.
These costs tend to range somewhat higher than independent retirement living units, standing somewhere between $1,500 and $5,000, though they largely depend on the amount of amenities, the location, amongst other factors.
3. Residential Care Homes
Residential care homes are much like assisted retirement living communities though they tend to be more privatized and usually specialize in memory care. These care homes come with services like private or semi-private rooms, medication help, other social services and communal activities, daily meals, as well as transportation services to appointments. Costs for this type of housing can range between $1,500 to $4,500 a month depending on the facilitiy’s location and the amenities involved.
4. Government-Subsidized Housing
The level of assistance in this housing option is very limited with seniors using a part of their annual income for rent and the rest of the funding being subsidized by the government. These options come with minimal assistance a few times a week rather than having a full staff available 24/7. Despite the scale-back on assistance, the amenities still include: private or semi-private rooms, house-keeping services, social programs and communal activities, laundry services, three meals a day, help with medication, as well as hospice care.
5. Specialized Care Homes (Dementia/Alzheimer’s Care)
These types of housing require a specialized form of staff and care. They tend to come with all of the amenities that the other housing types provide as well as physical therapy programs and 24-hour hospice care. These also tend to be one of the most expensive options, costing between $3,000 to $7,000 on a monthly basis.