Assisted Living
Assisted living can mean different things to different people and mean different things in different parts of Canada, but on the whole assisted living is housing which is made available to seniors or those with disabilities who need some level of care to remain independent but don’t want or need 24-hour care.
As Canada’s population continues to age with more seniors than ever before enjoying their retirement, finding solutions to affordable housing and health care contingencies will continue to pose a problem. Canadians are also living longer healthier lives, so they want to retain as much of their full independence as possible.
In British Columbia, there are currently some 550,000 seniors over the age of 65. This is projected to rise sharply so that by the year 2031, that number will increase to 1.4 million.
Across Canada, assisted living homes are usually self-contained, and wheelchair accessible apartments or apartment style homes.
Residents of the facility receive hospitality and personal care services such as meals, housekeeping, laundry, recreational opportunities, assistance with medications, and a 24-hour response system. Residents in assisted living homes can interact fully with one another; they can also have time alone, as well as private time with their friends and family.
Much care has been taken to make these facilities as comfortable as possible for the residents. Someone who lives at an assisted living facility would not have to be concerned with having to prepare meals every day because there is a central kitchen and dining facility that they can use and it also serves as a great place to socialize with others. This social interaction greatly reduces the isolation that some elderly, disabled or handicapped people can suffer when living alone.
Good facilities emphasize the socialization aspect. They offer activities and events crafted for their residents while remembering their different disabilities and needs.
For more information on assisted living in Canada, try a google search for your local area. Each province handles this differently, and you can get access to such facilities privately as well.