Are you stressed by your search for the right retirement home? Are you feeling overwhelmed, not sure where to start? You’re not alone.
Ottawa has close to one hundred retirement homes, each with its own range of care, services and prices. With so many to choose from and with such important decisions to make, it’s no wonder that so many people feel overwhelmed when they start to look for a retirement home. Thankfully, there is an easier way.
Supporting Seniors has twenty years of experience in senior living and services. Whether you’re looking for independent living, assisted living, memory care, or even a respite stay, we will guide you in the right direction. A Supporting Seniors Retirement Living Guide is an expert at navigating this complex journey, as we have helped so many seniors and their families find the best place to call home.
Our retirement home search and transition support service is complimentary. There is no pressure or obligation to choose a home if you decide that retirement living isn’t right for you or if your circumstances change. We understand there is a lot to consider when thinking about moving to a retirement home. After all, it’s not just a new address. It’s a new way of life. That’s why it’s so helpful to have a retirement living guide to support you every step of the way.
Supporting Seniors will break down the search into manageable steps, and together, we’ll create a plan to help you find the top two or three places that best match your criteria. Our goal is to help you find a place to meet all of your needs—a place where you’ll feel at home and part of a community.
One of our senior clients, and her daughter, Janice, had already looked at three different places in the Ottawa area before hearing about our service. Two of the homes just weren’t the right fit, and the other was too expensive.
“Mom and I met with Laura, whom I felt truly listened to and understood exactly what Mom wanted. Because the first place we went to visit, Mom found a beautiful 1-bedroom apartment that she loved instantly! Mom’s been there for almost two months now, and she’s really settled in well. She’s made new friends, she loves the food (and so do I!) and she says there’s always something to do, which was very important to her.”
This story is not uncommon for our clients and their families. A Retirement Living Guide can provide expert advice that saves you time, money and stress. At Supporting Seniors, we help you make informed decisions, leading to peace of mind, knowing you have chosen the best retirement residence for you or your loved one.
“This was the best decision for Mom, and I am so thankful to have had Laura’s support to help us get there!”
Save time on your retirement home search
There are many decisions to make when choosing a retirement home. Every senior living community has a range of amenities, levels of care and costs. On average, seniors and their families will visit three to six retirement homes or even more on their own.
Supporting Seniors once met with a couple who had been to visit twenty different homes over nearly two years before being referred to us. The process had been exhausting for them, and with so much information, all the details had blurred together or been forgotten. They were understandably frustrated. Together, we figured out what was most important to them to have in a retirement home. Once we narrowed the focus, they were finally able to find the place they were looking for, the place that felt like home.
Touring multiple retirement residences can be tiring, especially if you’re a senior with health or mobility issues. An in-person tour typically takes an hour, or about two hours, if you would like to have lunch at the home as well. If you’re helping a parent with their search, you might have to take time off work. When you consider travel time, picking mom up and dropping her back off at home, a single tour becomes a half-day commitment. This doesn’t even include additional time spent researching, making calls, writing emails, and reviewing information.
With Supporting Seniors, you don’t have to worry about doing time-consuming research or visiting retirement homes that don’t have what you want. That’s because we’ve already done the groundwork, understanding all of the options available so that you have everything you need to make an informed choice.
The stress-free way to find a retirement home in Ottawa
Looking for a retirement home on your own can be frustrating. What’s the difference between residential care and assisted living? Are three meals a day included? What if my loved one needs a retirement home with a secure memory care floor and specialized dementia care programs? We understand decisions about care and services can be complicated. As Retirement Living Guides, we are passionate about senior living. We’ve spent countless hours, over many years, researching, reviewing, and touring residences so that we can be your trusted retirement living guide, offering you everything you need to know about senior living. We can explain the differences in care plans, costs and services, for the dozens of retirement homes in Ottawa.
Our clients often tell us they already feel better after only the first phone call. On their own, it felt overwhelming, but once they connect with us, we frequently hear:
“I’m so grateful I found your service.”
“We went from not knowing where to start to being guided and supported every step of the way.”
“I don’t know how I would have done it without you.”
Expert advice you can trust
Most people looking into senior living are doing so for the first time, so there’s a lot to take in. But before choosing a retirement home, it’s important to understand a few key points about retirement living. Costs can vary significantly from one place to another, and not every retirement home offers a full range of care. Supporting Seniors maintains a complete directory of retirement homes in Ottawa. We know the levels of care that each home provides and have up-to-date information on pricing and suite availability.
Because of the pandemic, retirement home tours are being done virtually. We understand that it’s hard to choose a place that you haven’t even set foot in. That is why, now more than ever, having a guide with firsthand, independent experience is so beneficial. Supporting Seniors has visited these homes. We know all the details, from the ambiance and lighting to the food, layout and even the smell. We really do know retirement homes, inside and out.
Avoid choosing the wrong retirement home
Over time, you or your loved one may need more support. Our Retirement Living Guides know which homes have a continuum of care, from independent living to assisted living and even memory care. Many people move into retirement living while they are still independent or need very little support. It can be easy to mistakenly assume all retirement homes provide all levels of care, especially if you’re not inquiring.
When circumstances change, a new level of care is not always available. If a resident’s needs change, they may discover that home can no longer support them.
Most retirement homes do not provide heavy care, like one or two-person transfer assistance or mechanical lift assistance. Depending on the level of care required, moving out and finding a new residence may be the only option.
Additionally, when care needs change, so do costs. Living independently, you may pay $3,800 per month for a small one-bedroom suite. If you later need assisted living, your rate could increase to $4,800 per month. That’s not a surprise we ever want our clients to face. While there are government-funded personal support services that can help mitigate care costs, the care provided in these programs can be limited.
Supporting Seniors will help you choose a home that will meet your care needs now and into the future. This ultimately could save you from moving a second time, as you will be able to plan for contingencies in care and cost.
Our complimentary service can actually save you money
The services provided by your Supporting Seniors Retirement Living Guide come at no cost to you. And with our expertise at finding the right retirement residence for our clients, we might also be able to save you money.
We break down costs in detail, making it easy to compare different residences. For example, at one residence, you could pay $5,000 per month. At another residence, you might pay more than $6,000 per month for the same care and services. Understanding these differences can help you manage your budget more effectively. With seniors living at retirement homes for five, ten or more years, a savings of $12,000 a year is significant. The total cost of retirement living may add up to be one of the largest purchases of a person’s life.
Support for you and your family
At Supporting Seniors, we understand that choosing to move to a retirement home is a big decision that matters to both you and your family. We’re here to support you and any others that may be involved with your move, like the hospital, a senior’s service, or your social worker. As your Retirement Living guide, we are your support system. We go along with you on the tours and take notes so that you can focus on the details of the home. We also take pictures of the home, including the suites that you see and like.
Having these pictures can help you when you’re deciding how to arrange your furniture before you move-in. After the tour, we’ll create a report from the notes and pictures so that you and your family can easily review and compare places, prices and care.
And we’re always available to go over the details and answer your questions.
Feel confident you've made the right choice
Contact Laura Polegato, Founder & Retirement Living Guide of Supporting Seniors, to discover your ideal retirement living options in the Ottawa area. Email laura@supportingseniors.ca, call 613-295-1984, or book online to start your search today!
