•  Canada’s guide to retirement living and care
• Research guide

Getting started: making the change

For seniors considering a retirement home

There are two likely scenarios you are beginning with:

• Someone in your family has suggested that you should look at a retirement home. Perhaps someone directed you here as the place to begin, in order to help you change your mind about "old folks' homes." 
• Something has caused you to change your mind – perhaps a scare or a medical crisis, possibly one that no one else knows about – and you are now seriously considering moving into a retirement home.

In any case, this is where you begin your journey.

About Independent Living

This is a bit of a misnomer since most people in this type of care will at least have their meals and housekeeping taken care of for them. It may even be more complicated than that, with some retirement homes opening up to more flexible care plans. For example, people in independent living suites in some residences may avail themselves of a variety of extra care services, even if hired in privately.

In any case, though, "someone would make this move because there are one or two barriers to living on their own," says Sharon, an admin at a Winnipeg senior care residence. "Doing the laundry or making the beds or even meal preparation" are increasingly difficult for seniors who may be losing mobility. When you can move into a place where all those things are taken care of, where there are no more stairs to climb and everything is built with someone just like you in mind, moving becomes an easy decision. On top of that increased ease, there is the community of people your own age who share your interests and more. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you want to stay active but be freed from housework or making meals?
• Is living independently becoming more difficult? Do you feel lonely or isolated?
• Is maintaining your current home becoming too onerous?
• Are you able to meet your personal care needs?
• Are daily tasks such as shopping and cooking becoming too much of a burden or would you rather have help?
• Are you worried about falling or becoming ill and not being able to get help?
• Do you want easier access to recreational and social activities?
• Do you want to live near others your age?

Find out about independent living... get yourself into a carefree stress-free home… live in a community with your peers… never again worry about all those mundane everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning… let someone else take care of it all, while you enjoy freedom at last. 

Your move into one of today's retirement homes can mean any or all of the following:

• Start painting again or take up some other forsaken passion
• Get a few games of golf in every week
• Be more active, social and happy
• ...the list goes on

About assisted living

You have increasing problems with mobility, or you have health concerns that may include growing memory loss, issues related to incontinence, or other concerns related to activities of daily living.

You will be happy to learn that these are well cared for in assisted living retirement homes. 

These are broad care options, part of the traditional care continuum that is becoming increasingly flexible, especially in some retirement homes.

We hear an increasing number of voices from within the retirement home industry who focus on providing services that the client requires rather than making clients fit into the molds of specified care options. Every scenario is unique and many care homes accommodate an increasingly wider variety of situations.

A variety of circumstances, a variety of options

Some situations where it is advantageous to consider a retirement home are as follows:

• One spouse requires long term care and the other does not want to be traveling on their own or staying in an empty house all by themselves. Instead, the spouse who remains independent can live in a community with others, stay near their spouse and not have to worry about meals and housekeeping.
• You have a near miss — perhaps a fall where you were injured or an illness — where you came to a realization. Life in a secured retirement home takes away the unnecessary vulnerability of remaining alone in your own home.
• You know someone who has moved into a retirement home and they tell you all about how great it is. They always have people to talk to right outside the door, no need to cook for themselves, no more housework to do, and care staff is always on hand — in case of emergency or just for the feeling of security.
• You are in the early stages of Alzheimers' Disease or a related dementia, and you have the means to move into a memory care environment. Here, you can receive care therapies and live in a suitable environment designed for those with symptoms of the disease. In a growing number of homes, you are surrounded by healthcare professionals and personal service workers trained in care for Alzheimer's.

There are a wide variety of circumstances, and every person has their own story. One thing you will encounter in a retirement home is many other people, all with their own stories. Many of those stories will be similar to the one you are living, with your own family.

Read retirement home reviews to get the big picture, before you commit to any retirement residence.

About trial stays

You can try a short term stay or a respite care stay, in order to learn what the home is like. This is a unique service you won't find in any other kind of housing, where you can go and live in the home and learn exactly how it fits your needs or your lifestyle. You can make the trial stay as long as you want. Several weeks ought to give you a full taste of what life is like. During this time, you and your family will learn everything you need to know, in order to make a considered decision about your future.

The possibilities are endless, really, and you can find out exactly how flexible the homes are. Contact homes near you to learn about trial stays.

There are also respite care stays and convalescent care stays available at many homes. These also offer an illuminating glimpse into life in a local care home.

Think about the positives of living in a retirement home

The positives of moving into a retirement residence include the following:

• Opportunities for companionship and socializing
• Promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle with fitness clubs, spas, bowling alleys and putting greens
• Large private suites (one and two bedroom) and well-equipped home theatre rooms, as offered by many retirement homes
• Residents are encouraged to bring — and many suites can accommodate — some familiar home furnishings
• Retirement home residents have a lot of independence and privacy but live in a safe environment
• Personal support and health-care services can be accessed and paid for as required

Next steps and further reading on Comfort Life

Here are some of the next steps you could take on ComfortLife.ca:

• Learn why people move into a retirement home.
• All you need to know about how to move into a retirement home.
• Learn how people afford a retirement home.

Further advice from our site, following the journey of making your decision:

• Senior care advisor
• Using a Case Manager
• Why people move into a retirement home.
• Retirement Home Costs
• What to expect in independent living
• What to expect in assisted living
• Quick Facts About Seniors' Homes
• Retirement Home Checklist
• Moving into a retirement home.