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Find care details, insights, and insider perspectives gained from 20+ years of helping seniors and families.
What to know about this topic:
- How to find the best assisted living retirement home for you
- How to know when it’s time to move to assisted living
- Further resources from ComfortLife.ca
Nanaimo retirement homes with assisted living are listed below. A move into assisted living puts you in the right environment to help you thrive anew. These retirement communities are built with optimal accessibility, offering professional care staff, in a safe, secure setting. On top of that, community amenities enhance your life even more. Contact communities listed below to find out what they offer.
IN-DEPTH REPORTSAssisted living in Nanaimo
Berwick On The Lake
At Berwick on the Lake, residents enjoy red seal chef prepared meals in their choice of 3 dining rooms. Beyond our beautiful amenities, our residents also enjoy a full wellness program. Resort style living at it's best!
Lifestyle Options: Independent Living, Assisted Living
How to find the best assisted living retirement home for you
Before you consider assisted living options, here's a look at basic considerations that should guide you, with a look at how important each should be:
Quality of care. This should be the most important thing on your list. Look at reviews of Nanaimo retirement homes. Aside from the ratings given and the tone of the review, the number of reviews also tells you something. Find reviews with values and concerns that resonate with you. Compare reviews to each other.
Proximity to family. This is a priority certainly but should take second place. Families are tempted to pick a community close to home or convenient for visiting. When you look further afield, though, increased options open up more matches with your needs. Look outside of just Nanaimo.
The cost. You get what you pay for, but when it comes to retirement homes, you want to pay for only what you want or need. As much as you might want the best for your loved one, work within your budget. Comfort Life has a longer look at how families pay for senior living.
Here are ten key questions to ask about assisted living communities, as you tour:
- How is the retirement home accredited?
- What’s included in the monthly cost?
- Are some care services billed individually?
- Does the community provide an individualized care plan?
- Are assisted living suites integrated with independent or are they separate?
- How many staff are in the community overnight? How many during the day?
- How much staff turnover is there?
- What is the retirement home’s history of rate increases?
- Do residents have a choice of where to eat?
These are just a few key questions to ask. Our Retirement home checklist has many more.
ComfortLife.ca is rich in resources, but here are five you should start with:
- Follow all the steps in choosing the best-fit retirement home.
- Know all about how you'll pay senior living costs.
- Tour communities, with our Ultimate Retirement Tour Checklist in hand.
- Ask all the important questions about senior living costs.
- Take a trial stay —try it before you buy it!
How to know when it’s time to move to assisted living
The decision is up to you and your family, but there are a few key markers to be mindful of. Here’s a brief look:
- Inattention to personal care can be a sign. Paying less attention to personal hygiene can sometimes be normal. If it’s noticeable, this can indicate depression or loneliness. One red flag is bed sores. Another is weight loss. When elderly loved ones stop eating the right foods that should be concerning.
- Lack of mobility. If a senior can’t do the daily things they need to do, that’s a concern. Chronic pain or simply old age takes a toll. If your parent or loved one can no longer navigate the home, and a rollator is no help, it's time to look for a better place. Lack of reflexes can result in a fall, which can lead to a rushed search for assisted living. Avoid that.
- Overtaxed family caregiving. Families step in to help parents, perhaps driving them around on errands or other help. But when you find yourself too exhausted to help, it's time to get assistance. Home care services can help but that also can quickly get expensive. Sometimes seniors hire this care just for the company. That’s unfortunate. Assisted living retirement homes offer so much more than just assistance.
That’s a quick survey. Here's a full look at 12 key signs it’s time to consider assisted living.
If it's time for your family to move forward, here are three resources to guide your decision:
- How to choose the right-fit retirement home for you.
- Dealing with the decision to join a retirement community.
- How to talk to parents about senior care.