If someone has high needs, similar to needing care in a hospital, and cannot be cared for at home, they usually move to a Long Term Care residence which is the newer name for a nursing home. There are also buildings, though, that are meant for retired people who either need no or only low levels of assistance but who want certain types of support called Retirement Residences. Recently, I visited three such residences on behalf of some older relatives to look at what is offered and more importantly to find out what a retirement residence costs.

How Do Retirement Residences Charge Their Customers?

All of the residences I visited charge a monthly rent for a “suite.” A suite could be anything from one room with a bathroom shared with one other room (called a “companion suite”) to a 2-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen, dining room, living room and den.

All of the ones I visited are rented on a short-term basis. The customer can provide 30-days’ notice that they are moving out and that will end their financial obligation. (The residences did not mention it, but I think that means they can also give a resident 30-days’ notice to ask them to move out. I would check this carefully before signing any agreement or moving in! )

What Costs Are Included in a Retirement Residence Rent?

All of the residences I visited include the cost of the heating, electricity, air conditioning, and water in the monthly rent. One included the cost of internet, cable TV and telephone in the resident’s suite also. The other two charged extra for the use of internet, TV and telephone in the resident’s own rooms.

Parking is usually not included. There are often very few parking spaces available for rent. Guest parking is free but there may be limited spaces.

How Much Does the Cost Increase Each Year at a Retirement Residence?

I was not able to get much information about annual cost increases. The sales persons all agreed that costs do go up.

This is worrying as most pensions are either not indexed or only partially indexed to inflation so unlike costs they do not go up much if at all.

Part of the cost of the rent is controlled by the Ontario government to a fixed increase of 1-3% or so based on inflation.

The cost of food, activities, care and nursing support is not regulated and could go up much more per year.

The prices I received included tax, if applicable.

Does the Retirement Residence Apartment Come Furnished?

Generally, guests provide their own furniture. So you are expected to bring your own beds, end tables, chests of drawers, TV, computer and living room and dining room furniture if applicable.

Usually window coverings and floor coverings are provided.

All of the suites had walk-in showers with a small step needed to get over the sill into the shower. None of the suites had bath tubs. All of the buildings had a bath tub, usually an upright walk-in whirlpool type tub in the spa but for an additional fee to use.

The walls were usually a creamy white. All of the residences I toured would let you hire professional painters to change the wall colour, at your cost, provided you also paid the cost to re-paint back to the original colour when you were leaving.

The resident usually has at least some control over the heating and air conditioning but they may only have the ability to adjust the temperature slightly higher or lower.

What Services and Supports Does a Retirement Residence Offer?

I noticed that most of the residences run by large companies offer very similar services as part of their monthly rent. The three I visited offer:

• An emergency call button in the suite and an emergency pull cord beside the toilet in the bathroom in the suite. They usually also offer a single button that can be worn or carried around the building. The call goes to a 24-hour 7-day nursing team in the building. If the nurse is unavailable, it goes on to the Personal Support Workers in the area.
• Health care planning and assessments on a regular basis to identify if a resident needs more assistance.
• Lunch and supper in a group dining room where the residents can sit where they want and at the time they want, usually within a 2-hour time frame. Some also offer breakfast or a continental breakfast.
• A “bistro” or “café” where residents can get a cup of coffee or tea and a small snack such as a cookie or muffin, apple or orange, any time. The cost of the snacks and drinks is included in the rent.
• Most of the residences have some type of “social” gathering for a snack and conversation on a regular basis. Snacks at these events may be somewhat fancier and include cheese and crackers or hot appetizers etc.
• Some suites include a refrigerator and microwave. Some suites meant for residents with no care needs include a full kitchen with a stove, oven, refrigerator and microwave. Certain fire-risk appliances such as hot plates are not permitted in any suites. Other appliances like toasters and kettles are permitted unless there is concern that the resident may forget them and cause a fire.
• Daily activities for the residents. Attendance is voluntary. Types of activities include games, gardening, crafts, discussion groups, fitness classes, memory-enhancing games, jigsaw puzzles, book clubs, movie watching, etc. Often the residents themselves will propose types of activities based on their interests and abilities. Holidays and special days are usually marked with extra activities.
• An excursion mini bus that is wheelchair and walker accessible. Travel on the bus is included in the monthly rent so trips to gardens, restaurants, shopping malls, parks etc. is free. If the excursion goes to a Blue Jays game, theatre performance, or casino, the residents pay their own admission and entertainment fees.
• A housekeeper tidies and cleans the suite once a week and washes the bed linens.
• Like in an apartment building, there is usually a garbage chute somewhere in the hall for residents to dispose of garbage between weekly tidies. If mobility is an issue, though, this should be considered when planning.
• Access to laundry machines. Some residences had washers and dryers in the actual suites. More commonly, access was provided to laundry machines on the same floor but in a common area. All offer to do laundry for residents for an additional fee, if desired.
• Access to a Doctor. All of the residences had a medical office where a visiting doctor can provide examinations and checkups. All residences also had a dental hygienist, hearing doctor, eye doctor and other health professionals visiting on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. The costs of these services, if any, are paid by the resident not included in the rent.
• Access to fitness and health activities. Some of the residences have small gyms with some exercise equipment. All of them, though, offer group fitness activities such as seated exercises, walking clubs, etc. The cost of the activities is included in the rent.
• Access to a Theatre. Most residences had a room set up as a theatre. It is used to show movies but also for activities such as Bingo and educational talks or performances by visitors. The cost is usually included in the rent for most activities.
• Access to an on-site hair salon for haircuts and styles. The resident pays for the services.
• Access to an on-site spa for massage and manicures. The resident pays for the services.
• Access to a “Library” room. These tend to be fairly small with a few comfortable arm chairs and a selection of some books. I suspect many of the books are donated by other residents.
• Access to a Chapel or Spiritual room. Often local faith groups will provide services in the space for residents to attend although this depends on volunteers in the local faith community and cannot be guaranteed.
• Access to a Pub. Although none of the tours described any access to alcohol, it appeared from their flyers that most of them have some sort of bar service available at least some of the time. The resident would pay separately for any drinks.
• Access to a Show Kitchen. None of the residences appeared to offer access to a full kitchen that the resident could use whenever they wanted. Instead, they seem to have access only under certain conditions or they can only watch a chef working in the kitchen.
• Access to a Dog Wash. All of the residences allowed guests to bring their dog or cat to live with them. This may be an issue if you have pet allergies.

The suites are locked by the residents but staff has a pass key to enter for cleaning and emergency calls. Most residences use keys but some use electronic fobs.

The buildings have a security desk and are locked from the early evening until the early morning. Visitors can enter any time, day or night, but must identify themselves with the security desk.

All suites at the residences I toured had fire sprinklers in the bedrooms.

What Kind of Additional Care Do Retirement Residences Provide?

The Residences offer more care and support as the resident requires it. This additional care comes at an additional cost. Some residences provide a set amount of care at a fixed price per month as an “Assisted Living” rent package. Extra care above that in the package is also available but at an extra cost.

Typically, Assisted Living rents include

• Daily room checks to ensure the person is healthy and their suite looks ‘normal’
• Assistance with one bath or shower per week
• Assistance with medications
• Some assistance with daily tasks such as getting up and dressed or getting undressed and settled for sleep
• Some minor reminding that it’s time for a meal, etc., if needed

Who Decides That a Resident Needs More Expensive Care at a Retirement Residence?

One thing that alarmed me at one residence was it was made clear that the residence medical team would decide when a person needed a higher, and more expensive, level of care. The resident or their family would have no way to disagree. Hopefully, the home is ethical in its approach but given the very high cost of additional care it was worrying to think the resident could be assessed as needing more care without any checks or balances on that power (other than moving out of the building altogether.)

For the other two residences, the decision is usually made jointly between the family (if applicable) and the resident. It’s important to be aware that Retirement Residences can generally not provide the same high level of care as a Long Term Care nursing home so they want residents to apply for a LTC home when eligible due to the very long waiting lists for LTC beds. It can take years after going on a LTC waiting list to get a room.

But What Does a Retirement Residence Cost Per Month In Mississauga or Oakville?

Sorry it’s taking so long to get to the key info. It’ll actually be described in detail in Part 2.

Here’s some numbers to consider:

In all cases, a one-bedroom suite has a separate bedroom and living/dining room plus a private bathroom.

At one residence, for one person, a one-bedroom suite (with only fridge and microwave, no internet phone or cable for TV) with no care services at all is

• $3800 per month for 540 square feet or
• $5100 for 900 square feet.

This includes meals and activities, emergency call services and excursion bus rides.

For two persons sharing the costs are

• $4650 and
• $5950 per month.

Yes, ouch!

At another residence, for one person, a one bedroom (with only fridge and microwave but including internet, cable for TV and telephone) with no care services at all is

• $4340 per month for 531 square feet.

This includes meals and activities, emergency call services and excursion bus rides.

For two persons sharing the cost is

• $5090 per month.

At the third residence, for 2 people a one bedroom plus den (with only fridge and microwave and not including internet, TV or phone) with no care services at all is

• $7316 per month.

I will go through more cost details in part two. Frankly, I’m a bit too depressed to keep writing right now as these costs are much higher than my relatives’ monthly income—and these prices are with no care at all!

Related Reading

• How Much Does a Retirement Residence Cost near Oakville or Mississauga? Part Three
• How Much Does a Retirement Residence Cost near Oakville or Mississauga? Part Two
• You Think You’re Fine For Retirement But What Happens If Your Partner Dies? Will You Still Have Enough Income?
• Retirement Planning: What Will You Actually Do With Your Life?

Join In
Do you live in a retirement residence or does someone you love? We’d love to hear your insights into what you pay, what is or is not included, and what you would suggest others consider. Please share your insights with a comment.