A person’s home is the most important place in their life, offering a sense of familiarity, comfort, and security.
“Ageing in place” is a popular term these days, but what does it really mean for older people as they make critical decisions about their future? Generally, ageing in place means living in a community that allows older people to maintain independence and control over their lives, while being sensitive to evolving lifestyle needs.
Whether that means downsizing to a place that is more age-friendly or moving into a retirement community, the focus is on providing a home-like approach with the benefits of social interaction and a place where senior couples can spend the rest of their lives together, or solo agers can thrive.
Benefits of Age-in-Place Communities
When weighing your options for senior housing in Canada, it’s important to become familiar with the full spectrum of services, amenities, and activities that are a part of Age-in-Place living. Senior living communities like All Seniors Care ensure that they deliver the support services that residents need to maintain ongoing quality of life throughout the years.
Peace of mind — no more chores
Some housework, like gardening and cooking, may be therapeutic. But other chores, such as bending over to clean floors or climbing ladders to change light bulbs, can be dangerous.
Besides, after decades of cleaning toilets, clearing gutters, and doing laundry, you may be ready for a break. Independent living communities provide a maintenance-free lifestyle that gives you time to enjoy your retirement.
When you chose to age-in-place at ASC, the residence provides light housekeeping and laundry services in addition to on-site maintenance. If your refrigerator stops working or a light burns out, someone will come fix it!
For those who just can’t shake their inner handyman, We Can Build It workshops give you the opportunity to learn alongside our maintenance staff, or you can help clean up the community garden for spring planting.
Focus on Nutrition
Tired of buying groceries, cooking, and washing dishes? With meals made by Red Seal chefs, residents in senior communities enjoy delicious food that caters to their unique nutritional needs.
As we age, nutritional needs change and many seniors require special diet plans to avoid ingredients that interact with medications, exacerbate medical conditions, or lead to digestive issues. To complicate matters further, as ageing progresses, needs change, meaning that your dietary requirements must evolve along with you. Having a team of health professionals to help you manage those changes is invaluable!
As a bonus, restaurant-style dining rooms mean mealtime can be a fun social event that residents look forward to, even with current physical distancing guidelines in place.
An antidote to loneliness
More than a quarter of seniors in Canada live by themselves. While some alone time is a positive, isolation poses a very real — and common — risk to older adults. In fact, loneliness can lead to health complications, depression, and increased cognitive decline.
Socialization is one of the top reasons why many people make the switch to living in a retirement community. At a time when Covid-19 has curtailed our social calendars, having dedicated activity directors on hand to facilitate safe activities and check in vulnerable seniors is important.
You can join a craft group, book club, or take a new fitness class to meet peers in a pandemic friendly way. Active residents enjoy calendars full of fun and exciting opportunities, including:
- Travel clubs
- Coffee meet-ups
- Spiritual/Religious study groups
- Cards and Bingo
- Happy hours and morning brunches
For residents with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, All Seniors Care provides specialized programs catered towards their needs and abilities. When you choose to age-in-place, these programs and services can help you maintain functional health for longer. When needed, you can transition to a higher level of care without leaving a community that you’ve come to love.
Flexible Care Options
Seniors can move in and start decorating their new apartment, quickly making it their home. With minimal daily assistance, residents maintain their independence and regular routines. As needs change, the level of assistance can progress without ever having to leave your home, even including memory care.
Access to healthcare experts
Since a team of health professionals are on-site, help is always available. This means that care is readily available when needed, or that some conditions may not progress as quickly.
24-hour Security
How older adults perceive the safety of their neighborhoods shapes their health. One survey of 18,000 people over age 50 found that those who perceived neighborhoods as unsafe were more likely to experience functional decline over a 10-year period and were less likely to recover from mobility problems.
All Seniors Care wants every older adult, whether they live in or outside of our communities, to always feel safe. With that in mind, all our residences offer:
- 24-Hour on-site supervision,
- Emergency 24-hour call system in all suites & all common areas
- Heat, smoke & CO detectors in all suites and common areas
- Emergency call system in all suites and common areas
- Regular safety checks
Senior living apartments built with your needs in mind
Elderly adults cherish having a space that is truly their own — a space that doesn’t simply act as a home but feels like one.
At ASC we work to provide a comfortable environment where seniors can age-in-place and customize the level of assistance they receive. Should they be needed, Assisted Living & Memory Care Suites offers access to a full range of assistance, including nursing supervision, medications, foot care, and more. With options for both individuals and couples, you get the care you need while your relationships are supported.
To find out more about how our team members are committed to providing compassionate, high quality care in a supportive family environment, contact us today. With senior housing options across Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, there are many options to choose from.
