Convalescent care for Toronto seniors

For those recovering from surgery or any other medical problem, retirement residences offer a unique option to help you recover and recuperate in style. Homes specialize in care and treatment of seniors, and amenities and features of Toronto's top retirement homes allow you to recover better and faster than you might in your own home, under the care of family.

The cost of staying in a retirement home in convalescence is generally about $100 a day (less than what you would pay to stay in a bed and breakfast). For that, you get constant care and a wealth of features that are certainly not available to you if you stay at home.

Retirement homes in the GTA offering convalescent care

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Read Toronto retirement home reviews before you commit to any senior care community here.

Why these seniors' care facilities are the perfect solution

The advantages and features of a recuperative stay in a GTA care residence are many, including the following:

• Your own room, your own bed, your own space
• Onsite nursing staff ready to respond to any of your care needs
• Special onsite care to help you recuperate faster, including physiotherapists (at many retirement homes), as well as occupational therapists and onsite features like pools and spas to help you get better faster
• Daily dining that may, in fact, be catered to your bedside at some residences
• Daily bed making
• Weekly housekeeping and laundry
• Assistance available for transferring, mobility, and other activities of daily living: assistance that you may need, especially immediately post-operation
• Room service may even be available in some GTA care homes

Convalesce at home with professional care 

Home care services in the city of Toronto also offer recuperative care. This can be an alternative to a stay in a local retirement home, or it may follow such a stay. If you are well on your way to recovering but need some tactical help, a personal service worker at home gives respite from some of the problems you face in recovery, can help continue to monitor your health, and can help spell off family caregiving.

Short stays offer a window onto a new world

Don't balk, don't mock... there are many people who take a short-term trial in a seniors' residence then choose to stay.

"We've had some pretty weakened people come here post-surgery," says a Pickering retirement home worker. "They come in with some of the very unfortunate preconceptions that people have, but then after a few days, they end up checking out some of the features we have here and they realize this is a really great place to be, no matter what state you're in. It's certainly the best place to be when you are in recovery but it's a pretty great place to be when you're fine, too. We hear it from so many people: 'I don't know what I was waiting for!'" 

Convalescent care vs. respite care

Many in the care industry, along with Ontario's Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) define respite care separately from convalescent care, with some similarities. Both types of care are offered by long-term care homes and both can be recommended by a local LHIN. Respite care is considered different from convalescent care, though, in that it is focused on providing relief for caregivers (mostly family). You do not need to have a recommendation from the LHIN, nor do you need to restrict yourself to long term care when considering either of these options. Many homes are willing to offer short stays no matter what your requirements.

We do provide a list of facilities ready to help you if you are a caregiver seeking respite care in Toronto.