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• Care costs Alberta

Supportive living costs Alberta

A survey of fees from around the province

Across Alberta, assisted care in supportive living residences is provided by the government at no cost to those who are meet eligibility requirements. Alberta's unique use of the term supportive living care in some sense then matches the way in which it is uniquely handled as opposed to way its sister term, assisted living, is handled in other provinces. (Many people looking for this type of care apply the more widely-used phrase assisted living.)

Retirement communities that provide supportive living vary quite widely in the environment they provide for residents.

Survey of supportive living costs in Alberta

Communities offering supportive living are licensed under Alberta's Supportive Living Accommodation Licensing Act (introduced in April 2010). These communities are inspected regularly – including everything from food preparation areas to the residence's accounting – according to prescriptions of the Act. In licensed communities, assistance with personal health care needs is provided by the government at no cost to the senior.

The cost to the user can vary quite significantly, depending on the quality of the community that they choose to move into. Some communities may exceed the stipulations of the Act while others may barely pass. Communities sampled above offer exceptional quality care and facilities.

Benefits of moving into assisted living in a retirement home

The environment within an assisted living community has added health benefits, too. People find that communal living improves their outlook on life. They grow to love group activities and the people they become friends with, in the uniquely communal environment created within an AHS supportive living community.

In assisted living residences, you have the choice of keeping your privacy as much as you like but also, someone to talk to is always right outside the door. Typically, people who move into these communities (or their families) report they are "thriving" or "flourishing". This is due in part to the care offered, of course, but it is also an effect of moving into a happy community, and out of loneliness and isolation (presuming that someone has been living alone in their own home). You get more than you bargained for sometimes. Comparing assisted living costs to your current cost of living (alone) does not give you the whole picture.

Here are some other things covered (or at least negated) when you move into a supportive living community in Alberta:

• groceries
• property taxes
• heat
• hydro
• maintenance such as roof repairs, appliance upkeep,
• furniture and appliances
• cable and other home entertainment
• car payments
• gasoline
• all other weekly and monthly bills and other costs