Senior Homes in Canada

Types of senior homes

"Senior home" covers several kinds of housing, from most to least independent:

• Independent living: apartments or suites for active seniors, with meals and activities available
• Retirement homes: private-pay residences with meals, housekeeping, activities and optional personal care
• Assisted living: housing with daily help (bathing, dressing, medication), called supportive living in Alberta
• Memory care: secure care for people living with dementia
• Long-term care (nursing homes): 24-hour nursing care, funded by the province and accessed through a provincial assessment

Which type of senior home is right?

The right type depends on the care needed now and likely soon. Someone who manages well but is lonely or tired of cooking and upkeep may do best in independent living or a retirement home. Someone who needs help each day with personal care fits assisted living. Advancing dementia often calls for memory care, and complex medical needs or full assistance call for long-term care.

Our free care assessment asks a few questions and suggests the level of care that fits, along with homes near you.

Paying for a senior home

Independent living, retirement homes and assisted living are mostly private-pay, though some provinces subsidize assisted or supportive living. Long-term care is publicly funded, with a co-payment for accommodation set by each province, and reduced rates for people with low incomes. Some care costs may also qualify for the federal Medical Expense Tax Credit.

Frequently asked questions

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