Retirement Lifestyle Options in 2009

A cruise-ship on land
For some people, the option to pay one price to cover all amenities, activities, services and meals is appealing. Leaving behind the hard work required to maintain a family home, these seniors embrace the all-inclusive lifestyle, similar to that found when checking into a resort or boarding a cruise ship. “What is most important to us, within this model, is that we offer our residents as much freedom and choice as possible,” says Louis-Philippe LeBlanc- Boucher, general manger of Masterpiece West Island, Residence and Spa in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.

Parkland at the Lakes

Paul Darrow

Moving away from the institutionalized style of assigned mealtimes, for example,Masterpiece West Island has a bistro, which serves food from seven in the morning until nine at night. “We serve fresh, healthy food all day long and residents are also able to enjoy five-star fine dining in the evening in our main dining room,” LeBlanc-Boucher says.

Usually included in all-inclusive rental packages, such as the one offered by Masterpiece, are meals and snacks, housekeeping, daily activities and outings, cable and 24-hour care staff in case of emergency. Other à la carte services may include assistance with medications, bathing, dressing and other basic healthcare and wellbeing services.

To appeal to active seniors, more retirement communities are including a vast menu of facilities and amenities to keep residents emotionally and physically fit. Masterpiece West Island offers a well-equipped games room with a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit, two bowling alleys and card tables, a stateof- the-art cinema, a therapeutic pool and fitness centre, a hair salon and a library. “We want our residents to come here and really enjoy life,” says LeBlanc-Boucher, a sentiment echoed by many residences across the country.

“Most of our residents who live in rental facilities are around 82-years-old or older and don’t necessarily want to think about the costs associated with everything they do,” explains Susan Gerard, vice president of marketing and communications with Amica Mature Lifestyles Inc. “It’s much less stressful to know what your rental fees include each month and that, other than the phone bill, you really have no other expenses related to living.”

Condo lifestyle
Another popular choice among more independent seniors is the option to buy a condominium within a retirement community. This growing trend can be seen across the country, but remains more popular in some provinces.

Amica Mature Lifestyles Inc. has five adjoining condo complexes in Ontario and British Columbia, which are now either occupied by seniors or under construction. Because these condos are adjoined to full-functioning retirement communities, owners have the freedom (included in a condo fee) to use any of the amenities. Though meals and housekeeping services are not included, they can be added on for an extra fee.

“If the weather is bad and a condo owner hasn’t had a chance to go grocery shopping, they can simply make a reservation and eat in the dining room that night,” Gerard says.

For Amica, the age of condo owners range from about 65 to 85 and older. “The flexibility of owning your own condo tends to appeal to the newly retired, who want to downsize, but may still spend some time travelling and don’t necessarily need meal plans or housekeeping services.”

Condos within retirement communities tend to cost on par with similar living spaces, depending on location.

Masterpiece Evergreen

Chris Brolin

Learn more about retirement condos.

Own with a life lease
Another option is the life lease model. This model allows seniors to own a “share” of their retirement residence and accompanying facilities, which are owned and operated by a sponsoring non-profit or community-based organization.

Within the life lease model, there are a variety of accommodation choices, including bungalows, apartments and townhouses, all intended to meet the changing needs of today’s seniors.

Unlike condos, many life lease communities are restricted to adults 55 or 60 and older. “The life lease communities being built today have wellness centres, fitness and dining services on site allowing seniors the best of both worlds—independent living accommodations coupled with access to care,” says Christine Thomas of Life Lease Associates of Canada. “Also, under a life lease, you are exempt from paying land transfer taxes, which can result in a significant savings, depending on the location of the community.”

Learn more about life leases.

Respond to changing needs
Finally, many seniors and their adult children are looking for the ability to easily access services across a continuum of care. This means having access to the level of care needed upon arrival, as well as having the option to increase or decrease that care as needs change.

The concept of aging in place is one that has gained popularity in recent years, resulting in the development of retirement communities that include everything from independent rental units through to long-term-care facilities in a single interconnected campus.

This choice often appeals to couples who may require different levels of care—or expect to—at some point. “We have a couple who moved into one of our apartments but eventually the wife was no longer able to look after her husband,” says Sheila Nason, marketing manager with Riverside Court. “Instead of having to relocate, the husband simply moved into special care, while the wife kept their apartment. They still have their meals together every day.”

The Village of Humber Heights in Etobicoke, Ontario offers similar services. A three-phase care model allows seniors to move seamlessly between the levels of service, while sharing common spaces and facilities. “When people move into seniors residences, they’re often coming from homes where they’ve lived for 40 to 60 years—this is a big deal,” says Deborah Beckman, retirement admissions co-ordinator with Oakwood Retirement Communities Inc. “You don’t want to have to make that move more than once.”