The 2020 pandemic has opened our eyes to many what-ifs, and even more so about our most vulnerable, our loving senior relatives and friends.
However, the coronavirus or any other virus cannot change the fact that the aging population will continue to grow, and with it we need to know about our options.
- Long-Term Care Homes – subsidized by the Government of Ontario. Seniors can live and receive 24-hour nursing, personal care and help with daily activities.
You can expect to receive the following services in a long-term care home:
- shared dining room, TV rooms and other living areas
- nursing and personal care on a 24-hour basis
- access to health professionals
- individual care plan (reviewed every 3 months)
- furnishings (e.g., bed and chair)
- meals (including special diets)
- bed linens and laundry
- personal hygiene supplies
- medical/clinical supplies (e.g., walkers and wheelchairs for occasional use)
- housekeeping
- individualized religious and spiritual services
- social and recreational programs
- medical services
- assistance with activities of daily living
- Optional services are usually available for a fee such as hairdressing, cable TV, telephone services and transportation.
- Retirement Homes are assisted living option that provide housing and care services. They do not receive government funding and residents pay the full cost of accommodation and any care services they purchase.
Services can include:
- meals
- assistance with bathing, personal hygiene, dressing or mobility
- dementia care
- administering of medication
- incontinence care
- Rental Housing subsidized by the government also known as Supportive Housing, is a paid assisted living option where the rent is a fix amount calculated based on your annual income. It includes light assisted care a few times a week coordinated through the Local Health Integration Network.
- Support for Daily Living is a support for senior who can and want to continue living independently in your own home by offering onsite personal support workers. This is a coordinated service provided by Local Health Integration Network
- Residential Care Homes are private home that have been adapted to provide a cozier setting for senior care to a smaller group (usually up to 15). They count with a living-in caretaker and in some cases, they are managed by nurses.
The services include:
- Comfortable private or semi-private rooms
- Daily home-cooked meals
- Housekeeping and laundry service
- Medication management
- Social programs and activities
- Transportation to appointments and events
- Independent living is an option for healthy active seniors who do not need assistance with personal tasks such as personal care and eating. There are many forms of these communities and some of these are: 55+ Communities, Active Adult Communities, Adult Lifestyle Communities, Life-lease Communities, Retirement Communities, Retirement Homes, Senior Apartments, Seniors Housing.
Your local real estate agent (a.k.a. Magda Zecevic) can help you find the best one for you.
Now that we know about the different senior homes available, we also need to consider new questions to ask to keep our loving elders safe during the current threat or any other that may come.
- What is your infection control plan/measures?
- Do you train all your employees for your infection control measures?
- If sharing a room, how do you isolate resident who are contagious?
- If residents are sharing a washroom, what is the residents/ bathroom ratios?
- What are the percentage of full-time employees vs part-time?
- What is the residents/nurse ratio?
- How do you support families to stay connect with residents?
- Is there/will there be a designated area for family to visit during a pandemic?
- Do you train families/relative to use personal protective equipment (PPE) in the case of a pandemic?
- Do you provide PPE to families during a pandemic?
Another concern we constantly have about our aging parents is about local support. Thankfully we now have Community Helpers (https://communityhelpers.ca/) that connect vulnerable citizens with helpers in your community that can provide services like grocery shopping, mail pick up, yard maintenance and phone check-in for a social chat. Please visit their website to learn more, request their service or volunteer.
Sources:: https://www.ontario.ca/page/seniors-find-place-to-live
by Norys Loreto
Web Marketing Consultant – BeeOnline.ca
