Before making any decision, you need to take into account the below steps
Finding and choosing the right residence for the elderly is a decision that can be difficult. Being accompanied by a qualified, specialized person who is attentive to the needs of his/her clientele will help you make the right decision.
1- Understanding your needs
The first step in finding a residence for the elderly is to properly assess your needs and expectations. Living in residence is a lifestyle choice that needs to be thought through. Ask yourself the right questions :
- What is your budget?
- What are your lifestyle habits?
- In which sector do you want to live?
- Have you thought about the type of residence you are looking for, for your retirement?
Retirement home: establish a budget based on your pension income
Before starting your research, set a budget based on your pension income. If you are 70 or older, you may be eligible for the Home Support Tax Credit. For example, autonomous and non-autonomous seniors who are 70 years old or older may see the cost of their rent drop significantly.
Find a residence for the elderly that fits your lifestyle
One of the important criteria for choosing your private home will certainly be “respect for your lifestyle.” Make a list of things that are important to you.
- Can you decorate your space as you wish?
- Does the environment meet your expectations?
- Will your bedtime be respected?
- Do your meal habits and times match what the retirement home of your choice offers? What about the quality of the services of the residence!
- Will you feel well surrounded and safe!
Also, think about the neighbourhood in which you want to live and the type of residence that suits you. Are you thinking of living near your current home or moving in close to where your children live?
Have you thought about the type of retirement home you are looking for, for your retirement?
When you make the decision to move into a seniors’ residence, you must also think about the type of residence that is right for you. Do you need a residence for semi-autonomous people or on the contrary, a residence for autonomous people will suit you?
This reflection is important because this new home will be your living environment for many years.
2- The presentation of the selected residences will be done at your home
Once you have established your needs and goals with your spouse and children, the counsellor will submit a selection of residences for the elderly that meet your criteria.
Accompaniment is an approach that will save you the burden of the research to build yourself a list of retirement homes to visit that, for one reason or another, may not match what you want.
The residence for the elderly counsellor who will accompany you will make an initial list of residences that meet the needs and objectives of life that you have expressed. This first selection of residences will be executed in the comfort of your home.
3- The visit of the selected residences
Of course, your counsellor will schedule appointments for you and accompany you to each visit because the choice to leave home for a home is often heartbreaking.
It is therefore important to live this moment as serenely as possible and to reduce the moments of stress that may be caused by this stage of life. Councillors regularly visit the various retirement homes to ensure the quality of the services and infrastructure of the residences that are selected.
The goal is to offer you the best solutions adapted to your situation, whether you are autonomous, semi-autonomous, losing autonomy or not autonomous at all. The counsellor works for you and not for these residences. This person is therefore objective.
Conclusion
In this post, we talked about three important conditions that will allow you to live this transition well.
- Reflect on your needs and goals
- The support of your family
- Being accompanied during this process by a counsellor
Reflecting on this decision is one of the most important steps. It is at this stage that you decide to maybe leave your home to live in a residence for the elderly. On the other hand, your reflection can also guide your choice towards home support with the help of a professional caregiver. This is where professional and family support, in this process, can help you make the right decision.
