Vancouver’s senior living retirement communities encourage people to gain a new perspective on life. The best senior care providers in the city (like those listed above) create an environment where people rediscover passions and interests they may have set aside. While people are raising families, paying the mortgage and, well, working toward retirement, interests that are in fact self-sustaining take a back seat. And seniors living on their own find it difficult to break out of the spell of familiarity, whether for couples, or singles (including widows and widowers). Older people fall into a pattern of over-simplicity when healthy social interaction wanes. Cooking for one or two makes meals less appealing. Even as yardwork and housework becomes too much for them, they try to push on through.
When seniors move into a community, though, they find new opportunities for learning and change. These are multifarious:
- They can explore new interests through opportunities such as classes offered within the community.
- Outings to local activities and attractions help them expand their interests. There’s opportunities for interactions with other members of the community. Who doesn't need more friends?
- Amenities within retirement homes include spas, exercise rooms, swimming pools, etc., meeting grounds for friends, offering ways to get active as a natural part of a daily routine.
Read about others' renewed outlook on life, in Vancouver senior living retirement communities
Rest assured, though, that the move has many benefits that go well beyond simply getting care. Here’s a brief glance at several stories of renewal and enhanced life that come from people living in retirement communities:
- Katie began guitar lessons nearly two years ago, at the age of 87. This was an expression of Katie’s lifelong passion.Critical to Katie’s renewal of joy in music was the move into a seniors' community.
- Yul Kwon had a goal to win the Boston Marathon. He began running in his 60s, though he really started putting his energy behind the larger goals after he retired, and continued to chase his dream after moving into Tapestry at Westbrook Village Vancouver.
- At Tapestry Westbrook Village, Peter found that the community’s Fit Feb event was the motivation he needed to get active. He joined in and was given an “accountabilibuddy.”
Read the full, original stories on Tapestry’s blog.
“We find that many of our residents take on new challenges and participate in programs they never thought they would,” says Anna Louie, marketing director for PARC Retirement Living. Exercise and personal renewal are part and parcel of life in PARC communities across Greater Vancouver.
- Gerda, a 99 year old senior at Summerhill PARC is excited about exercising. “I stopped playing tennis at 93,” she says. But she still participates daily in Summerhill PARC’s LivingBalance program. “I go to exercise everyday,” says the near-centenarian. Rather than letting herself be forced to reckon with aging, she’s remained “a force to be reckoned with,” says PARC’s website.
- Bette at Westerleigh PARC in Vancouver likes to say that her life purpose is simple, “to be healthy and happy.” Like many others, Bette says that keeping their home and maintaining the life they were used to was indeed “just too much.” In her new home, she’s found that “there’s so much that goes on here.” She has much more freedom: “We can go on holidays when we want and I can visit my family. I just wouldn’t be able to do that if we were still living in a house.”
Read more about these and other residents of PARC who are living a better life in communities than they did on their own.
More about senior living in Vancouver
For those who are active and want to get out into the wider community and participate in events around Vancouver, the city has no shortage of activities for seniors, including:
- Museums, galleries and theatres
- Churches
- Festivals
- Historic sites
- Parks with walking and hiking areas
There are many museums and art galleries in the downtown core and surrounding areas, such as the Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver Maritime Museum, and the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art and the Khlahowya Village in Stanely Park also offer galleries and displays of traditional Aboriginal artwork and a firsthand look at a rich and vibrant culture through performances, tours, cuisine and more in the Village.
Vancouver’s art scene is also deeply ingrained in local theatre. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre, which houses the Vancouver Opera and Ballet British Columbia, provides one-of-a-kind masterpieces, while the Firehall Arts Centre sports more experimental performances and Arts Club Theatre Company delivers new performances and old theatre classics.
Churches and places of worship in Vancouver include Westside Church, Coastal Church, St. John’s Vancouver Anglican Church, Vancouver Buddhist Temple, Zawiyah Foundation, and Vancouver Chinese Baptist Church, to name just a few. The city of Vancouver offers a wide range of religious services and locations for all faiths.
Among some of the most popular annual festivals in Vancouver are the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival in the summer, Vancouver Fringe Festival and CanWest Comedy Fest in the fall for theatre and comedy lovers, CelticFest Vancouver in mid-March, Caribbean Days Festival in late July, Vancouver Chinatown Festival in early August, and other cultural festivals throughout the year. Popular music and film festivals include the Vancouver International Jazz Festival in June/July, the Vancouver Chamber Music Festival in July, MusicFest Vancouver in August, and the Vancouver International Film Festival in September/October. Additional literary, performance, and food and drink festivals are also featured throughout the year.
Those interested in exploring some history may like to check out Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood with cobblestone streets, an antique steam clock, and plenty of charming little shops and restaurants. Britannia Shipyards, Forbidden Vancouver, and Roedde House Museum are also infamous destinations to explore and sightsee.
There are over 220 parks, 10 beaches and a beautiful freshwater lake to choose from within Vancouver to walk, bike or simply spend a nice afternoon relaxing with family and friends. A number of fitness centres, marinas, golf courses, and communities centres also offer activities and entertainment. Apart from golfing, cycling and walking in the plentiful parks, there are exciting whale watching trips and the Grouse Mountain SkyRide (with a Refuge for Endangered Wildlife), plus area arts and culture classes, workshops, luncheons, flea markets, and free movies.
Retirement communities provide access and transportation to many of the above activities and services, as well as involving residents in organizing intra-community events and programs to enhance their experiences.
With a stunning landscape that includes breathtaking views of the North Shore Mountains, scenic outlooks and an above average temperate climate (especially in winter months), the city of Vancouver provides an ideal setting for some of the country's premier retirements communities.
