Staying at home is the preferred choice of most of us when we age.
That's why The Care Guide brings you information and resources to facilitate that. Everything from Home Safety, including safety proofing your home in general and for those with memory care issues, to renovations, like making accessible bathrooms, the tax incentives to renovate and more.
We also give you information about Community Support Services, such as meals, social and transportation services, Adult Day Care, Senior Centres and Home Care Services that are available to make living at home easier for you and your caregiver.
Health and Wellness gives useful information about Diets, Physical and Mental Exercise and Emotional Well Being.
And our Caregiving Section addresses issues around caregiving.
Community Support
Community Support Services help to support a person's independence in their own home.
Services are non-medical in nature and include meal preparation/delivery, transportation, security checks and friendly visiting. They are delivered in your home or in the community by senior centres, adult day care programs, or others. Organizations that provide these Community Support Services can be both for profit or not-for-profit.
Home Care
Home Care refers to a wide range of services from home making supports to personal care and nursing care.
Most of the home care is government funded home care that is provided to get seniors out of hospital or rehabilitation beds. If you need home care for yourself or a parent, you need to go through each provinces central access system.
Private pay services are on the increase as families increasingly deal with caring for a parent, and are accessed directly through the provider.
Caregiving
Try to set up the caregiving routine to meet the needs and mood of your older relative. Don't force him or her to take part in activities they don't want to, but encourage joining in those they enjoy.
Becoming a caregiver to parents involves major changes for all concerned - physically, emotionally, socially and financially.
Home & Safety
If you've decided that staying in your own home is best for you, the Care Guide strives to provide you with some resources to help make sure that you do that safely.
Health & Wellness
Advances in medical technology have made it possible for you to live a third of your life after retirement. In 1970, life expectancy in Canada was 69.3 years for males and 76.3 years for females. Today, life expectancy in Canada is 78.8 years for males and 83.3 years for females.