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Seniors home

Elder abuse affects between 4% and 10% of Canadians. Unfortunately, experts believe this number is much higher due to many more unreported incidents.

When your parent or grandparent starts getting older, it’s wise to start saving for a retirement home. After all, you want to ensure your loved ones are in safe and caring hands.

For this reason, you want to find the best seniors home you can afford. After all, elder care is often a “you get what you pay for” situation.

If you want to find the best retirement community for your loved one, keep reading. This article explores eight things to look for in a quality senior living facility.

1. Experienced, Trained, and Empathetic Staff

When searching for the perfect seniors home in your hometown, you want to find one with experienced and highly-trained staff. This is important because they will provide your elderly parent with care services, and you want to know they have been trained to give the highest standard possible.

You also want the staff to be empathetic. You want them to care about your loved one as they would family.

When choosing a facility, scheduling a visit allows you to meet and talk to the staff. This way, you can see if the staff is friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. If the employees brush you aside, you should move on to the next seniors home on your list.

2. Good Safety and Security Practices

When entrusting a loved one into someone else’s care, you want to know they will be safe. For this reason, when choosing a seniors home, you want to ask about their safety protocols. Should there be a disaster like a fire, do they have enough staff to assist everyone?

You want to visit the nursing home to see what security measures they’ve implemented. Are there apartments secure, and is there a CCTV system in place? You also want to ask if someone is monitoring the cameras 24/7.

After all, if your elderly parent is out taking a walk and has a fall, will someone notice them on the CCTV monitor and send help immediately? Don’t be shy to ask these questions when you’re touring the facility.

3. Affordable Fees

In Canada, seniors’ primary benefits are the Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Both of these can help senior citizens to pay for their retirement living. These benefits are available after a certain age; for example, elderly residents can receive OAS once they turn 65.

If you’re not on these benefits, you must pay for a retirement home from your pocket. For this reason, you want to ensure the seniors home you choose is affordable. You can find fees on the homes’ websites or contact them to enquire.

4. Sufficient Amenities

Next, you want to review what amenities the seniors home offers. You want to find an assisted living facility with enough things to keep your loved one busy outside visiting hours. Some amenities you can look for include, but are not limited to:

You may not find a retirement community with all the amenities; if you do, it may likely be unaffordable. Instead, create a list of amenities you need vs want. This can give you a better understanding of what you’re looking for in a seniors home.

5. A Varied Menu

As our bodies age, consuming and retaining essential vitamins and minerals becomes more difficult. For this reason, you want to ensure the care home you choose has a varied menu. They should provide your loved one with up to three meals daily.

You want to know that thought and care have been put into creating the menu. The facility should provide healthy and nutritious meals for each meal.

6. Good Social Environment

When you put your loved one into a nursing home, you don’t want them to live in solitude. Instead, you want to ensure the assisted living facility you choose has an excellent social environment. After all, staying connected with people is essential for our mental and emotional well-being.

You want the retirement community to have many things for your parent or grandparent to do. An excellent social calender is especially essential for parents who aren’t mobility limited. Activities can include:

7. Regular Upkeep and Maintenance

When choosing a seniors home, it’s essential to choose one that is well maintained. You want the gardens to be well-manicured and all the facilities safe.

Visiting the facility is an excellent way to ascertain a care home’s maintenance level. This lets you see if things are unkempt, dirty, or in disrepair.

If the property is damaged, it can pose a safety hazard for your elderly parent. If you find the facility is not to the proper standards, move on to the next prospective one on the list.

8. A Convenient Location

Finally, considering the location of the retirement community your loved one is moving to is essential. Experts recommend choosing a nursing home close to your loved one’s hometown. This is because it can make the transition from independent to assisted living much more painless.

Find Your Parent A Top Quality Seniors Home

Knowing what to look for in a seniors home is essential to make the right decision. There should be adequate and highly-trained staff on-site 24/7 and enough amenities to keep busy.

Remember to ask about the menu and activities provided. And finally, finding a care home close to your parent’s hometown can make the transition easier.

If you’re looking for a retirement community that offers independent living, assisted living, complex nursing care, and respite care, contact us today. We provide compassionate care that evolves with your needs.