Retirement living is an option that addresses all of those concerns. There is a home-like environment that is safe, provides meals and housekeeping, as well as the opportunity to socialize and have friends right where you live. Easy socialization is one of the best aspects of retirement living. No one should spend their later years isolated and lonely.

It’s a common question: why would I consider retirement living unless I need nursing support or 24-hour care? While personal support is conveniently available in retirement residences, and can be customized to your specific needs—including a spectrum of light services, such as medication management, to the more substantial, like assistance with your daily routine, an escort to meals and activities, and other assisted living services—senior living communities are also designed for active, independent older adults.

For those people not familiar with all that senior living communities have to offer, the “loss of freedom” rationale has been a reason not to consider retirement living as an option. But what if the opposite were true? 

We all deserve to feel safe and supported as we age, and I believe retirement living can really empower people to spend their later years in comfort and happiness.

Once you’ve  decided whether independent living, independent supportive living, assisted living or memory care is right for you, you’ll find many resources to help inform your decision.

Do you live on your own? Are you finding that the pandemic has you continually making the difficult choice between feeling alone at home or risking your safety to go out and run errands or meet with family and friends?

There has been a great deal written and said about long term care (“LTC”) in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. We wish to set out the facts behind the many myths that have been brought forward.

The National’s June 13th story by Terence McKenna was a highly subjective portrayal of the COVID-19 situation in Canadian long term care (LTC) and included many unsubstantiated and misleading comparisons, conclusions and comments, and omissions of important facts.

I still often think of my Uncle John, who lived to the robust age of 95. Although I can’t imagine how he could have lived longer, I do wonder if he could have lived better in his later years.

Everyone needs to feel connected to others, for instance, and seniors looking for built-in opportunities for friendship and community often find them in a residence.

Seniors choose the lifestyle in a retirement residence for many different reasons. Some are purely functional—decisions made from “the head”—such as the availability of prepared meals or 24-hour security.

Have you decided that a retirement living lifestyle would make life happier, healthier and more fulfilling for yourself or a loved one? Now that you understand the benefits, it may be time to understand the cost, including seeking advice on how the numbers are adding up.