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Nursing Homes Near Me: Discover the Best Care

There are 7.6 million seniors in Canada, and many of them would benefit from senior care.

If you’re looking for top-rated nursing homes in a good location, it can be difficult to separate the best from the rest. There are many different nursing home options, and which one you choose really depends on what your loved one needs out of senior care.

In today’s post, we’ll help you search for the perfect senior living solution for your loved one. It starts with a Google search for, “nursing homes near me”, but that’s only the beginning. From there, you must look at some important criteria to determine whether or not a nursing home is the right fit.

It’ll take some work on your part, but this isn’t a decision to take lightly. Keep reading and let us help you navigate the process.

Your Loved One’s Needs

The best place to start your search is by assessing your loved one’s needs. As mentioned above, there are plenty of local elderly care options in Canada, so you need to figure out which one will provide the right type of care.

Firstly, there are independent living communities. These are best for healthy seniors who simply want to downsize their living situation and be around other seniors.

Assisted living, or nursing homes, are best for seniors who struggle more with age-related illnesses and pain. These communities have staff around 24/7 to assist with things like dressing, bathing, and administering medication.

Finally, memory care is a specialized type of nursing home for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. It’s estimated that over 700,000 Canadians are currently living with dementia. Memory Care has highly trained and experienced staff to help with the unique challenges that dementia presents.

Choosing the right type of community will directly impact their quality of life, so this is one of the most important parts of the process.

“Nursing Homes Near Me”

The location of your loved one’s nursing home matters a great deal. Finding a community close to home ensures they’re in familiar territory. It also makes it easier for family and friends to visit, which makes the transition much smoother.

Type, “nursing homes near me”, into Google. This will give you all of the options nearby, both good and bad. From there, you can separate the best from the rest with ratings and reviews from loved ones of former residents.

Nursing home reviews can tell you plenty about life in a senior living. If there are any red flags about the treatment of residents or the actual facility, you’ll find out in the reviews. In many ways, bad reviews can be more helpful than good ones.

Select 3-5 of the top-rated nursing homes and contact them for tours.

Take Tours

Taking community tours is an essential part of the selection process. In doing so, you and your loved one can get your eyes on the community to determine if it meets each of your standards.

It’s important to go on a tour with a list of criteria. For example, you may want specific amenities, such as outdoor space or an in-house fitness center. You may also want a particular type of apartment-style room since that’s where your loved one will spend much of their time.

Take your time and be attentive on a tour. Pay close attention to the way staff treat residents and make note of how well-maintained, safe, and clean the actual facility is. Next, we’ll discuss a few of the most important features of a good community.

Staff Qualifications

The staff is one of the most important aspects of any nursing home. The qualifications of staff members become even more important when you start talking about assisted living and memory care.

You can ask your tour guide how staff are trained and what standard they’re held to. If an opportunity presents itself during your tour, don’t be afraid to speak to them to get a sense of their level of compassion and care for the residents of the nursing home.

Amenities On Offer

In many ways, the amenities that the nursing home contains can tip the balance in your loved one’s decision. Every senior living community offers something unique to its residents. One might have a pool and spa, while another might love nice outdoor walking paths.

Here’s where it’s important to understand what your loved one wants. The amenities a community provides will impact their day-to-day life more than any other piece of criteria you’re factoring into this decision.

The Activity Calendar

The best care facilities will also have a daily activity calendar to promote health, wellness, and socialization among residents. These 3 things are all integral to your loved one’s quality of life and overall health moving forward.

For example, seniors should get at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity per week to prevent things like osteoporosis and heart issues. An activity calendar will have plenty of things to promote and facilitate exercise among residents.

Socialization is important because so many seniors suffer from social isolation, which leads to anxiety and depression. Find a community that makes an effort to build social relationships between residents and your loved one will enjoy a fruitful life.

Dining and Nutrition

The flip side of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in senior care is dining and nutrition. A good community will have in-house dining, as well as rooms equipped with full kitchens where residents can cook their meals. As for an in-house restaurant, it should have a rotating menu of nutritious and tasty foods that account for all residents’ dietary needs.

Good nutrition becomes more and more important as we age. Seniors need lots of vitamin D, vitamin B12, fibre, and calcium, among other things to prevent diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

Weigh Your Nursing Home Options

What started with a Google search for, “nursing homes near me”, will turn into an all-out search for the perfect community for your loved one. Doing your due diligence in this process will always ensure you find the right place for them to settle down.

At Retirement Concepts, we offer high-quality senior living at an affordable price point all over Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec. To tour one of our communities and learn how your loved one will enjoy their time, contact us today.