Interview with The Dunfield Retirement Residence management, Karen Hen

We're a family-owned business, so everybody is treated like family. I love the collegiality. I love my residents. I love getting up in the morning and going to work, because every day, not only is it enlightening [and] challenging, but it's fun. .… I've got 180 grandparents here. It's that real true feeling of an extended family. 

How we care for seniors [and] respect them helps us stand out in the industry. ... We don't look at this as a retirement residence. We look at it as enhancing people's lives and enriching their lives. We let them [maintain] the life that they've been living prior to moving in. When people move to a retirement residence, they're looking for comfort, they're looking for safety, they're looking for activities, socialization. And we think we've done an extremely good job on providing them with all of that. 

When you walk into our building, you're walking into a resort hotel. It's colorful, it's friendly. If you're coming for a tour, you're greeted by the receptionist by your name. I come out to meet you. … It's a wide open space [and] a beautiful hallway. Our Bistro Café is just to the right and then reception. They walk in and say to me, ‘I could live here.’ People are greeting them, friendly, and smiling. They can see what's going on in the building because there's always activity no matter where you are in the building. People feel comfortable when they walk in and there's a high sense of energy in this building. That's what attracts them, and obviously our location, at Yonge and Eglinton. That makes a difference.

A lot of the residents have lived in the area [and are] familiar with the restaurants, the movie theaters, of course, the Yonge-Eglinton Center, Canada Square. Loblaws is here, the LCBO.… The neighborhood knows our residents, [who] feel comfortable and safe here. They connect with the shopkeepers… There’s a true neighborhood connection here.

So residents come and go as they please. We stress [residents’] independence, regardless of their limitations. We offer independent living. We offer assisted living for physical needs, and we offer a memory care floor. They're all individuals, and we want to keep their independence to the best of their ability. 

When a [new person] comes in, we go through a discovery with them. We talk about their wants, their wishes … Why are they here? Some are just starting, [and] it's a huge transition, dramatic for a resident who's probably lived in their family home for 40, 50 years or more. All of a sudden, they're deciding to move to a place that's a 10th of the size. …. 

Our suites in independent living are like living in a condo. There are full kitchens, there are washers and dryers. So they're not really losing any independence. We do provide them with an emergency pendant. We’ll [administer] their medication if they wish. And we’ll provide them with a shower assist if they need it. 

As people age in place here, needs can change. … The average age now is about 85, but we have residents in their 60s right through. … We have five now over the 100 mark. Because we see them so frequently, we get to see changes. … We do a cognitive test every six months [and] that's mandated under the RHRA. If they score below 20 out of 30, it's a red flag. … Are there physical changes as well? We meet with the family [and] the resident [and] if we have availability on a care floor … we can proceed with that. It's all done very cautiously. 

[Our] memory care floor has its own nursing support as well as activity programs. … They're really in their own way independent. We maintain that through programming, through the fact that nurses are dedicated and know their residents. And there's only 14 people on the floor.

It’s the same with assisted living, where their physical needs may change [and] we go through the same process. Every time [we] think of changing their environment, there's a long discussion. We’re very thoughtful before we make the actual move.

Because we're an aging-in-place environment, most residents are here until they pass away. For many, when they're on the independent floor, and for a variety of health issues, they may need palliative care, and we don't have space, they can bring in private care through the LHINs or through an agency and remain in their suite. For some, even if we suggest long-term care, they want their loved one to stay [because] this is their home, where they've lived for X number of years.

We look at the circumstances. We understand their feelings and thoughts. We don't discriminately say that their care is getting quite heavy [and] they need to go to long-term care. Many of our residents don't want to move, regardless of whether they're on an independent floor or on a care floor, because this is their home, and our staff are like family to them. We want to try to keep things as normal as possible. But we always have the options available for family if they wish.

Choice is [top priority here]. They have choices on when to eat, what suite to live in, what activities to do. It’s their life. We have residents who don’t participate in activities, and that’s fine. They come down for meals, sit in the lounge, and that’s their comfort zone. We encourage, but we don’t force. This is their home, and their life shouldn’t change just because they moved in. Some still go to clubs or lecture series—some attend classes at Glendon Hall. That doesn’t stop. Life doesn’t end when you move here—it actually gets better. They’re safe, comfortable, secure, and in a friendly environment.

[We] value people first. We care about the people who come into our building. We value honesty, integrity, caring, being thoughtful, and respectful. We treat residents the way we want to be treated. When we come to work, we greet residents and want them to feel welcome. If they walk into my office just to chat, it doesn’t matter how busy I am—our time is their time. That’s what makes us stand out. We care. We’re people first.

We have an excellent executive chef and sous chefs. The meals are phenomenal. … Every day, there are three choices for lunch and dinner, plus an a la carte menu. So you can have a salad one day, a hot dog the next. The liver is really good too. And the desserts—when the chef makes desserts, we keep hearing about them.

My advice to people searching now: keep looking, do your homework. … It’s a process: medical forms, paperwork, not just picking a suite and moving in. Narrow down the area you want to be in. When you’re able to tour, don’t do more than three in a day—it’s too much to digest. Take pictures, get all the info: costs, what’s included, what’s not. Make sure you walk away with a clear picture. This might be the place you’ll spend the rest of your life—make sure you understand it. But again, don’t be afraid.

We’ve got book clubs, round tables, and our two swimming pools for Aquafit. … We do our best to keep everyone engaged. … Our activities department puts out a Thursday booklet with games and community news. Residents are happy—I have to say they are.