Lists of reports on this page:
Find care details, insights, and insider perspectives gained from 20+ years of helping seniors and families.
What to know about this topic:
- Benefits you gain in a faith-based retirement home
- Testimony from seniors about retirement homes' value
- The importance of focusing on the quality of care over faith
- Questions to ask faith-based communities
Finding a retirement community where your faith is respected or valued can add a deeper layer of joy to your choice in senior living. Faith-based is a generalized category, of course, and we offer more dedicated lists on our site:
IN-DEPTH REPORTSFaith-based retirement homes
FEATURED
Sagecare 147 Elder Street
147 Elder Street, North York,
Ontario, M3H5G9
Enlightened dementia care touches more than memory. 147 Elder St. is a place that provides opportunities for the joy and meaning still ahead when wellbeing can no longer be realized at home.
Lifestyle Options: Memory Care
FEATURED
Baycrest Terraces
55 Ameer Avenue, Toronto,
Ontario, M6A 2Z1
We are Toronto's Finest Kosher Retirement Residence located on the Baycrest campus. We offer Independent & Assisted Living and Memory Care. Baycrest Terraces, "Where Life Thrives". Call us today for more information.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care
FEATURED
Belmont House
55 Belmont Street, Toronto,
Ontario, M5R 1R1
A superb retirement home nestled in Toronto proper, featuring a variety of apartments and suites, along with a fitness room for active seniors, an on-site convenience store and more.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living
FEATURED
Aspira Kensington Place Retirement Living
866 Sheppard Avenue West, Toronto,
Ontario, M3H 2T5
A resort-like retirement residence in Toronto featuring a fitness centre, beauty salon and a variety of other luxuries, including a private dining room and more.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care
FEATURED
Forestview Retirement Residence
537 Finch Avenue West, North York,
Ontario, M2R 0A8
Forestview Retirement Residence is North York's newest seniors' residence. We offer Independent Lifestyle and Full Service Assisted Living Accommodations and Services, plus Short Term and Respite Stays.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living
Richmond Hill Retirement Residence - Verve Senior Living
70 Bernard Avenue, Richmond Hill,
Ontario, L4C 0W7
Richmond Hill Retirement Residence offers full service including meals, housekeeping, active adult, independent and assisted living. Our focus is on maintaining good health, great food, new friends & lots of laughter!
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living
OPAL Vancouver
438 West King Edward Ave, Vancouver,
British Columbia, V5Y 05M
438 West King Edward Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Y 0M5 Opal offers a full continuum of support from Independent Living to Complex Care/Dementia Care/Long Term Care. Allowing the opportunity for aging in place.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Memory Care, Long-term care
Symphony Senior Living Kanata
27 Weaver Crescent, Kanata,
Ontario, K2K 2Z8
Enjoy the natural setting of the surrounding Kanata Lakes with access to all essential amenities. Symphony Senior Living Kanata is community that offers a variety of service packages and suites to fulfill all your needs.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care
The Village of Erin Meadows
2930 Erin Centre Boulevard, Mississauga,
Ontario, L5M 7M4
Mississauga's unique continuum of care featuring a vibrant Main Street with Independent Living Suites, Retirement Apartments, Full Service Suites, Assisted Care, Memory Care and Long Term Care.
Lifestyle Options: Apartments, Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care
The Meadows of Aurora
440 William Graham Drive, Aurora,
Ontario, L4G 1X5
The Meadows of Aurora is a Christian Seniors Lifestyle Community that promotes the wellbeing of individuals 65+. Residents experience nature’s green spaces, memorable dining experiences and great times with friends.
Lifestyle Options: Active Living
Shepherd Terrace
3758 Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough,
Ontario, M1T 3K9
Shepherd Terrace offers a variety of independent and assisted living suites within the renowned Shepherd Village. With its long history of providing caring service you’ll love the amenities and the excellent services.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living
Four Elms Retirement Residence - Verve Senior Living
1500 Steeles Avenue West, Thornhill,
Ontario, L4J 4H6
Four Elms is an elegant Retirement Residence offering the finest in Senior Living. Choose a suite style that is perfect for you and enjoy an active lifestyle, fine dining and the company of good friends.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living
Prince of Peace
300 Prince of Peace Way, Rocky View County,
Alberta, T1X 1G2
Prince of Peace a variety of suites styles with kitchenettes and incredible mountain views. It's the perfect residence for seniors who are active, require some assistance, or have memory care needs.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care
The Lodge at Valley Ridge - Verve Senior Living
11479 Valley Ridge Drive NW, Calgary,
Alberta, T3B5V5
At The Lodge at Valley Ridge, you'll enjoy spacious suites, impressive cuisine, and exceptional services. We have recently renovated. We welcome the opportunity to show you our great community.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living
Evanston Summit
150 Evanspark Manor NW, Calgary,
Alberta, T3P 0N4
A Catholic non-profit residence focusing on providing a lifestyle for independent seniors who appreciate the opportunity to live stress-free, with like-minded, active older adults.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living
New Horizons Tower
1140 Bloor Street West, Toronto,
Ontario, M6H 4E6
A well-established not-for-profit, NHT is committed to enriching the lives of seniors. Gracious dining & café, a terrace garden, daily fitness, a vibrant Concert Series - there is plenty for residents to enjoy at NHT!
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care
Richmond Care Home
27 Nixon Farm Drive, Richmond,
Ontario, K0A 2Z0
Richmond Care Home is a unique 16-unit retirement home designed for women living with dementia. We offer exceptional long-term and respite memory care, that's very reasonably priced in an intimate home-like setting.
Lifestyle Options: Memory Care
Livita Barrington Retirement Residence
450 Yonge Street, Barrie,
Ontario, L4N 4E2
Nestled in a picturesque garden, Livita Barrington offers charming cottage living with amenities moments away. Our dedicated team know each unique resident, and provide a personalized approach that feels like home.
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living
Ashley Oaks Retirement Residence
200 Rivermont Road, Brampton,
Ontario, L6Y6L4
Ashley Oaks offers a vibrant and active lifestyle. Our new community has a touch of European charm with spacious suites, delicious cuisine, and a variety of amenities. It's not just a place to live but a place to thrive!
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living
Benefits you gain in a faith-based retirement home
Here’s a look at advantages and what to expect in a faith-based retirement community:
- Weekly and daily religious observance is encouraged. If it’s your custom to pray before meals or to eat kosher daily, you may find such practices poorly understand in secular retirement homes. Unfortunately, in some environments, these practices might even be discouraged or disrespected. In any case, faith-based retirement homes encourage daily observance, and you are sure to find a group of friends who observe in much the same way as you do.
- Celebration of religious events. Celebration of specific holidays in a faith-based community will follow from the religions observed there. This is suitably comforting, of course, for those who celebrate Hannukah or Christmas. It’s nice to openly celebrate these times with friends your age in the community you have chosen. Celebration of many religious holidays can get “watered down” by some secular retirement homes. Those who feel that festivals have a specific meaning will find their beliefs honoured in a faith-based community. For Christians, for example, it can be deeply important that Jesus’ birth is observed at Christmastime or that the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated at Easter Time. In a faith-based retirement home, activities may be scheduled around church or synagogue time, so you won’t miss out. It’s nice to feel that respect for faith observances. In a secular community, for example, you may find things scheduled for Sunday morning without respect for the fact that this is a special time for you.
- Inclusion of or proximity to worship places. Many faith-based retirement homes may have a multi-purpose chapel where a variety of faith services can be held. Some communities are built close to affiliated churches or synagogues.
- Care staff may also share in your faith. In a faith-based community, there is the possibility of deeper compassion apparent in care, for sharing faith with fellow residents and with caregivers, including doctors and nurses on staff, all likely to share in the same faith as you, here.
- Opportunities to make new friends from your faith background.
- Prices and fees may be lower, especially if the community is non-profit.
Testimony from seniors about retirement homes' value
Ruth makes her home at one Christian retirement community in Toronto. She puts it simply: “My faith is very important to me, especially after I have had some health crises. And it’s very important to me that I am in a place where faith is important. We have a chapel here, a Bible study group, and it’s important that I can share my faith with others and have others share their faith – as well as their struggles.”
The importance of focusing on the quality of care over faith
- Get the care you need. Many non-religious retirement homes offer exceptional care, of course. It should be every family’s top priority to get the proper care your loved one needs.
- Balance and understand your priorities. There are other typical priorities in the retirement home search such as proximity to family, cost, and level of care available. For example, some senior couples may want to move together under the same roof, in a continuing care community. The full continuum of care required by these couples may not be available in all faith based retirement communities. How do you measure these priorities against each other?
- Know what you’re getting into. Simply because a home is faith-based does not guarantee that it will be free of problems. Faith-based homes are not immune to personal conflict, maintenance problems and worse. This is a sad fact, but those narrowly focused on finding a community in their faith should bear this in mind.
Questions to ask faith-based communities
How well-qualified is care staff? Acquiring the proper care is the most important consideration in looking at a retirement home.
Are people encouraged or expected to participate in religious observances? Some people may be rightly cautious about communities where religious observation is assertively pushed by staff or others.
What are the true values that are apparent in the community?
Is there acceptance for people of other religious backgrounds, including those who are non-churched?
Are multiple faiths respected by the community (some communities above list both Jewish and Christian as an affiliation)?
