COVID-19 and Retirement Homes

Thank you for visiting ComfortLife.ca - Canada’s trusted guide to retirement living and care. 

We’re here to help you research and compare communities and care options, and ensure you have answers to all your most important questions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Comfort Life and Our Kids Media teams are working remotely in an effective way, using the infrastructure and technology we have in place. We're steadfast in continuing to advance the bold new tools and initiatives we're working on in 2020. 

How are Canadian retirement communities managing COVID-19?

Given COVID-19’s elevated risk to older adults, retirement communities have taken strict precautionary actions to ensure the safety and well-being of their residents and employees, and to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

At this time, most retirement communities are only allowing essential visitors and they're screening upon arrival. If you’re currently looking for a community for yourself or a loved one, we recommend you call or email the community to leave your contact information so they can reach out to you when it's deemed safe. It's unlikely you’ll be able to schedule an in-person tour at this time. Active adult gated communities or condos may have looser restrictions (as of March 23). However, please maintain social distancing measures as recommended by Health Canada. 

Here are some important things to bear in mind: 

• Many retirement homes are still accepting new move-ins (as you can now see on their listing on our site). These are still very welcoming, vibrant places to live, offering excellent care. 
• Many retirement homes are taking extraordinary precautions to protect seniors in their care. 
• During social isolation measures, you can find retirement homes offering virtual tours. 

Read about many examples of excellent senior care in the COVID-19 era. These include stories about:

• Seniors staying connected
• Gratitude for great care and compassion
• Staying healthy and active despite quarantine
• Exceptionally inspiring caregivers and seniors 

Below, you’ll find links to official statements from retirement communities and home care agencies, including outlines of their safety protocols, and updated information about how they protect seniors in their care.

Thank you to front-line staff 

We’re proud of the agility and leadership retirement and care communities across Canada have taken to protect the health and safety of residents, employees, supplies, and service providers. 

We extend a heartfelt thank you to all retirement community and /home-care team members for their role in caring for and protecting Canadian seniors during this unprecedented time. We also want to send our gratititude to health care workers across Canada and around the world, working on the front lines against this pandemic, risking their lives. It's impossible to properly give thanks for the sacrifices they're making. With them in mind, we reiterate the need for everyone (who’s able) to maintain social distancing measures as recommended by health authorities. 

And to you, thank you for using ComfortLife.ca and for your trust. We're going to get through this, together.

Read statements and updates from some leading senior care companies and communities:

• Amica Senior Lifestyles
• Bayshore Home Health
• Boardwalk Communities 
• Bria Communities
• Cherish at Central Park
• Delmanor's Inspired Retirement Living
• Esprit Lifestyles
• Greenwood Retirement Communities
• Heritage Place
• Legacy Senior Living
• Metta Lifestyles
• MTCO Holdings including Allandale Station and Balmoral Place
• Optima Living
• Origin at Spring Creek
• PARC Retirement Living
• Parkland Lifestyles
• Park Place Seniors Living
• Revera 
• Schlegel Villages
• Seacliff Manor by Piroli
• Sifton Properties
• Spectrum Home Health Care
• Sts. Peter and Paul Residence
• Symphony Senior Living
• Tapestry Senior Living
• Verve Senior Living
• V!VA Living

Finally, here are other resources related to seniors and COVID-19 

• How to help seniors during the outbreak
• How to protect seniors during COVID-19
• How to talk to seniors about the seriousness of COVID-19

• Advantages to senior living despite COVID-19
• Senior care in the COVID-19 quarantine
• Retirement homes with virtual tours
• Staying active during quarantine