Find a retirement home in Greater Montreal

The most effective way is to work with a senior living advisor who tracks availability at Montreal residences every day. Visavie offers this support free of charge, 7 days a week, with targeted options from the very first conversation.

On the island, there are many residences, but vacancies change from one week to the next. Calling each residence one by one takes days that many families simply don’t have. A Visavie advisor starts by understanding your loved one’s situation, including level of independence, care needs, budget, preferred neighbourhood and timeline, then presents only the residences that match. She then organizes the visits and stays by your side until move‑in day.

Reach the team at 1.888.847.2843, through the contact form or by meeting our senior living advisors.

Involve them in the search instead of deciding for them: visiting residences together often changes how they see the move. Visavie organizes these visits and presents settings that respect their tastes, neighbourhood and pace of life.

This refusal is very common. For many Montreal seniors, leaving the home they’ve lived in for decades also means leaving their neighbourhood, their neighbours and their routines. Yet the warning signs often pile up: outdoor staircases that become dangerous in winter, as on many Montreal plexes, a nearly empty fridge, forgotten bills, growing isolation.

A few approaches that help ease the situation:

• talk about safety and quality of life rather than loss of independence
• suggest “just visiting,” with no commitment
• favour a residence in their current neighbourhood so they keep their bearings
• include a trusted professional, such as their doctor, in the conversation

Many seniors discover during a visit a social life they no longer had at home, especially in an independent living residence. Your Visavie advisor can target residences in the very area where your parent lives, across more than 40 sectors of Greater Montreal. And for you as a caregiver, the Info‑aidant service from L’Appui offers a listening ear and advice to get through these difficult conversations.

A private seniors’ residence with a call for help system and staff on site at all times reduces the risk that a fall goes unnoticed. Visavie targets Montreal residences suited to your parent’s actual level of independence.

A first fall is often a warning sign. When falls keep happening, the real question becomes: how long would your parent stay on the floor before someone found them? For the sandwich generation, already juggling work and children, this worry quickly becomes a daily one.

The right choice then depends on how much help they need. Someone who is still independent for personal care can do very well in a residence for autonomous and semi‑autonomous seniors, with meals and housekeeping taken care of. If help with bathing, dressing or getting around is needed, a residence for semi‑autonomous seniors will be more appropriate. In all cases, a certified residence must meet the safety requirements described on Québec.ca. Your Visavie advisor helps you target the right type of setting from the first call.

The right neighbourhood is the one that cuts travel time for the relatives who will visit most often. Visavie covers more than 40 sectors of Greater Montreal and focuses on those that make life easier for the whole family.

A residence 15 minutes away instead of an hour is the difference between a weekly visit and a monthly one. Before choosing, think about the commute from each person’s home and workplace, proximity to the hospital where your parent is followed, and access to public transit. Good to know: residents of the Montreal agglomeration aged 65 and over ride for free by bus, metro, train, REM and paratransit with the STM’s Free 65+ fare.

Some of the sectors served:

• East: Anjou, Saint‑Léonard, Rosemont, Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve, Pointe‑aux‑Trembles
• Central and north: Ahuntsic‑Cartierville, Villeray, Côte‑des‑Neiges, Ville Saint‑Laurent, Montréal‑Nord
• Southwest: Verdun, LaSalle, Lachine
• West Island: Pointe‑Claire, Dollard‑des‑Ormeaux, Kirkland, Pierrefonds

The full list is available on the Greater Montreal page.

By combining a residence that fits your real budget with available financial assistance, including the tax credit for home‑support services for seniors aged 70 and over. Visavie presents residences within your means and clarifies what is included in the rent.

In Montreal, prices vary widely depending on the neighbourhood, unit size and care required. Two residences with similar rents can end up costing very different amounts once services are added: meals, housekeeping, help with bathing, medication distribution. Comparing these items line by line avoids unpleasant surprises a few months in.

On the financial side, the tax credit for home‑support services for seniors covers part of the services included in the rent of a private seniors’ residence. When the expense hits all at once, it can be received through advance payments rather than once a year. Our financial assistance page for Quebec lists other programs worth checking.