Independent Living for Seniors

There are a number of typical advantages to independent living that encourage people to make the move into a retirement home. Typically, these are:

• Remain together as a couple. Barb, a retirement home administrator, tells us: "Sometimes we'll have a couple where one spouse is in long term care, and the other spouse doesn't want to have to be traveling all the time, though they're still quite capable." In this case, a seniors' home with independent living offers a way for the couple to remain close together under one roof. Homes with a complete spectrum of care, continuing care communities, are especially favourable in this situation.
• Community: You are unlikely to be as lonely here as you would be in your own home. Staying active helps you stay mentally healthy and physically fit. You can open your door and find someone to chat with; you're never isolated. The facility for easy social engagement is a very important aspect for people who decide to make the move into a seniors' care home.
• It makes life easier! The relaxing lifestyle takes care of everyday tasks for you. Some people will say, "I've got the money, why not have somebody plan my menu for me. I don't want to worry about driving to the store anymore. It just makes everything so much easier." Many people have been living in their home for a long time and, as they age, they slow down and don't want the responsibility of maintaining a large home and/or a large property. Unused rooms or areas of the house (the basement, etc.) may become an unnecessary burden.
• Peace of mind: You should feel comfortable knowing that someone is always available to help you when needed. For those who have had a fall, illness or other near miss, these situations can understandably leave you feeling vulnerable. There are other vulnerabilities faced by seniors when they choose to remain at home alone, including being targeted by crime, scams, etc. These susceptibilities are alleviated when you move into the safe and secure environment of a retirement residence.
• Health concerns. Mobility or other health concerns can arise, and these are taken care of when you move into a retirement home. In your traditional family home, stairs become a health or fall hazard. Another concern for some seniors is driving. These potential hazards become a thing of the past when you move into an independent living home where everything you need is under one roof.

Take a full look at all the pros and cons of moving into independent living.

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"The staff make you feel right at home here."

Bert, Toronto retirement home resident

The majority of independent living retirement homes are rental units, but you may be able to purchase some units or (on another hand) receive subsidized housing. The cost of retirement homes is based on a number of factors, including the types of amenities and services involved and, more importantly, where the facility is located.

A diversity of independent living seniors retirement homes can be found across Canada. Rates you pay will depend on the quantity and quality of the services and it's important you find out everything included in monthly fees. Making an informed decision about your independent living community is a very important step and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Below, we survey costs associated with independent living care, in retirement residences across the country:

Paying

Many people are surprised at what they can afford when they look at what they might consider a “high end” independent senior living home. Here are some factors to consider:

• All your costs fit under one umbrella monthly payment. You no longer have to pay for food, utilities, property taxes and all those other monthly and yearly bills that you have to pay when you remain in your own home.
• You may have more resources at hand than you realize. Typically, seniors in Canada have Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits and other income such as a work pension plus savings and equity from the sale of their family home. You might also consider the benefits of reinvesting money (among other options). Learn more in our fuller discussion of how people pay for senior care.

The costs of aging at home

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When people sit down and do the math, they are often surprised that the move into a senior living retirement home is affordable and well within their means. We offer a close look at some of the costs of aging at home vs. moving into independent living.

There's a coveted simplicity to this one-cost-to-cover-all approach, in that you will never again have to worry about individual bills, whether they have been paid, where the receipts are, etc.

That's just one more aspect of the independence created within one of these communities.

Ownership vs. renting

Some retirement village style residences do offer the option of ownership. This may be structured much like a townhouse or condominium ownership, where you purchase your suite and pay other fees. See communities listed on this page for more details.

Be sure to consider the benefits of various retirement home ownership options before you decide against the idea of renting. It is generally considered wise to own over renting but there comes a point in time where this is not certainly the case. For people of a certain age, it can be wise to rent, and invest your left over equity and savings elsewhere.