When the time comes to move to a more supportive living environment, choosing the right location is very important.
The best-fit location will provide for one’s care and medical needs (now and into the future), will be a good match to personality and personal preferences, and will be financially appropriate.
Proactive Seniors Housing Support advisors know the senior’s housing landscape very well. Their help will simplify this process, saving you time and frustration and giving you confidence in your choice.
Whether considering Independent Living, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care or Memory Care, it is not surprising that families find it difficult to navigate & choose. There are hundreds of options already and more are being built all the time.
Some seniors residences & care facilities are within the private sector, some are publicly co-funded through the health system & others are subsidized for lower-income seniors. Each has specific eligibility criteria, & application process & many have long wait lists.
The landscape of seniors housing is too vast to expect seniors & their families to be able to gather complete information & make informed decisions in a reasonable time frame. We have toured & researched all locations, we gather feedback from residents & families, and we monitor changes to management and staffing. We will help narrow down the breadth of options to the locations that best suit each client’s specific situation.
Whether a move is imminent or you are planning for the future, we can help you make an informed decision confidently and in a timely manner.
Who is Involved?
- Our caring & experienced Seniors Housing Advisor meets the senior(s) in their home, hospital or care facility
- If the senior(s) is out of town, we can do a virtual visit or phone call
- Family members are encouraged to participate if they are available
- If need be, we can meet just with the family (advanced dementia may be the reason)
- We can facilitate the client’s communications with public health services or subsidized agencies when needed
What are the Outcomes?
- Our clients are confident they made their best choice where they will thrive & enjoy the new lifestyle and support
- The location chosen will balance maintaining independence & providing longevity for changing needs
- Complex situations such as couples with different care needs, or moving from out of province are accommodated as best as possible
- Extra value is added by providing checklists & referrals to other companies such as organizers/downsizers, movers, realtors, cleaners
What is the Process?
- Our comprehensive assessment identifies the most important criteria for the decision
- We evaluate this criteria against all possible options, often with creative strategies & thinking outside the box
- We present a short list of the most suitable sites for consideration & help make an ‘apples to apples’ comparison
- We help set-up tours, help with application forms & navigate through the complex public health system as needed
When to Begin?
- Sometimes a solution is needed quickly, such as when a senior is being discharged from hospital or they are no longer safe at home
- When a move is anticipated in the next few months to a year, starting the search now is perfect timing. This gives ample time to view a few locations, weigh pros & cons & get on some wait lists
- For retirement planners, it is helpful to understand what sort of seniors residence you may be interested in & what the associated costs are. We can also keep you updated on new developments that fit your criteria.
Private Pay Retirement Residences
There is a broad range of choice in private retirement living, from Independent Living to Assisted Living, Dementia Care or Long Term Care. New residences are being built every year. The variety of social, recreational and lifestyle amenities offered at these retirement residences is quite amazing. However, each company and building has its own unique offering and personality. It is important to choose the community that best fits the person’s needs for a reasonably long duration – it is not ideal to have to move multiple times.
Be aware that some advisory services only represent a selection of seniors residences. We ensure our clients are informed about every possible option that suits their criteria.
Public Health System Supportive Living
Public health care provides partially funded Supportive Living, secure Dementia Care and Long Term Care for seniors who meet the health care requirements. The assessment and placement process can be daunting as there are a large number of options to choose from, short decision making times and often long waitlists. We provide guidance to families pursuing funded supportive living by helping them quickly choose their preferred locations and advising on strategies for keeping couples together or close-by and/or minimizing multiple transfers.
It is important to understand that the public health system is not able to provide information on private pay seniors housing locations and often people don’t realize they can consider these options as well. We can help advise which market best suits the situation. Other advisory services do not help with navigating public system options.
Subsidized Seniors Apartments and Lodges
For low and middle income seniors with minimal health concerns, there are many great affordable seniors housing options. Suites range from studio to two bedroom units, most have full kitchens and some have meal programs. Managed by non-profit housing corporations, these locations often have significant wait lists and the application process and paper work can be quite overwhelming to seniors and their families.
Our support in identifying the best-suited locations and assistance with the application forms often expedites the process considerably. We have had great success in securing subsidized housing for seniors who are short on time; however, we highly recommend planning well ahead if this is the market you are interested in.
Thank you for the information and help you gave – it made for an easier decision and a successful move. Everything went very smoothly and we have settled in well. We are both enjoying living here and have no regrets about selling our home, no feelings of loss, or anything – which is actually a surprise to me. We have met lots of very nice people that have made us so welcome.