Crashing 9 Chartwell Retirement Home's Open Houses!

On January 17 and 18, Chartwell hosted a National Open House event - and I crashed it!

Friday

I set out to hit as many Chartwell retirement homes as I could. Along the way I made a video at each home I toured to give you a peek inside, and tell you more about retirement living.

My planned route on Friday started at Chartwell Wynfield in North Oshawa. From there I'd head east to Chartwell Bowmanville Creek in Bowmanville, before working my way back west. I'd hit Chartwell Colonial, Chartwell Harwood, and finish my day off at Chartwell Pickering City Centre. It was an ambitious plan - I'd never toured more than 2 retirement homes in a day, but I figured I could manage.

Chartwell Wynfield - Options to check out a retirement home

A bit about Chartwell Wynfield in Oshawa

• Independent living and assisted living
• Suites start from $4,040/month (at the time of writing)
• Studios, one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus den, and two-bedroom suites
• Amenities include a bistro, library, and covered patio

At Chartwell Wynfield I talked about the different ways you can check out a retirement home.

If you want to have a look around inside you can:

• check out an open house, like the one I'm at
• schedule a tour (and if you go on a tour, most homes will offer you lunch so you can try the food - which I highly suggest doing)

Or if you want to get a feel for retirement homes without visiting each one you can:

• use Elderado to review and compare every retirement home
• likely find people from local retirement homes at 55+ events in your neighbourhood
• visit to each retirement home website

Chartwell Bowmanville Creek - 3 things to lookout for on a retirement home tour

A bit about Chartwell Bowmanville Creek in Bowmanville.

• Independent living
• Suites start at $4,521/month (at the time of writing)
• Studios, one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus den, and two-bedroom suites
• Amenities include an indoor pool, indoor putting green, demonstration kitchen, and cafe

At Chartwell Bowmanville Creek I shared 3 things to keep an eye out for when you're looking at retirement homes:

1. Do staff acknowledge residents? Homes where staff acknowledge the residents when they pass in hallways tend to have a warmer feel and higher resident satisfaction. And bonus points if staff acknowledge residents by name.
2. Are there spaces outside your room where you can see yourself spending time? A lot of residents are downsizing, the transition to a smaller living area is a lot smoother if there's other places in the retirement home where you're comfortable.
3. Are activity calendars and menus posted throughout the home up to date? It's not the end of the world if they're not, but it can be a sign the home lets the details fall through the cracks.

And don't forget to trust your gut. This is your home, if it doesn't feel right, keep looking - you can always circle back.

Chartwell Colonial - What is the RHRA?

A bit about Chartwell Colonial in Whitby

• Independent living
• Suites start at $3,021/month (at the time of writing)
• Studio, and one-bedroom suites
• Amenities include a movie theatre, bistro, country kitchen, and renovated patio

At Chartwell Colonial I explained what the Retirement Home Regulatory Authority, or RHRA, is.

• The RHRAs responsible for licensing and inspecting retirement homes in Ontario
• If you have a complaint or need to report harm, the RHRAs there to help.
• RHRA inspection reports are public and free to view.
• There are some retirement communities that look like but are NOT retirement homes, and those residents aren't protected by the RHRAs safeguards.
• You'll know a retirement home's licensed because their RHRA licence will be on display, usually near the front door.
• At Elderado we only include licensed retirement homes, as well as long-term care homes.
• You may have virtually no contact with the RHRA, but it's good to know they're there if you need them.

Chartwell Harwood - How much does it cost to live in a retirement home?

Some information about Chartwell Harwood in Ajax.

• Independent living
• Suites starting from $4,226/month (at the time of writing)
• Studios, one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus den, and two-bedroom suites
• Amenities include a library, fitness room, pub & lounge, and courtsey van

At Chartwell Harwood I tackled one of the most popular topics when it comes to retirement living - PRICE!

• Not all retirement home prices are created equal.
• Some homes have a la carte pricing, while others are all inclusive.
• Typically, as your care needs increase, so does the price.
• You may be able to offset some of these costs if you qualify for free home care from Ontario Health atHome, but that's likely not going to be enough - whether you're in a retirement home or private residence.

I want to give props to Chartwell for including prices on their website. Only about 1/3 of retirement homes do this. I think public price transparency should be required across the board.

Chartwell Pickering - What's in the local area?

Here's some info about Chartwell Pickering City Centre in Pickering.

• Independent living
• Suites starting from $4,227/month (at the time of writing)
• One-bedroom and two-bedroom suites
• Amenities include a games room, fitness studio, movie theatre, and library

Saturday

On Saturday I started at Chartwell Barton in Newmarket, and worked my way south to Chartwell Park Place in Aurora.

Chartwell Barton - Long-term care vs. Retirement homes

A bit about Chartwell Barton in Newmarket.

• Independent living
• Suites start at $3,288/month (at the time of writing)
• Studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites
• Amenities include a library, fitness studio, activities and games room, and a tranquil backyard.

At Chartwell Barton I went over the difference between long-term care and retirement homes.

• Long-term care is subsidized by the provincial government and typically cheaper, while retirement homes are private care and costs go up as care needs rise.
• Most long-term care has a sterile feeling, while some retirement homes can rival high end real estate.
• Long-term care has long waitlists, while retirement homes average less than 85% occupancy.

Alexander Muir - Are you in the same cohort as the other residents?

Chartwell Alexander Muir has since changed ownership, and it's now Venvi Alexander Muir Retirement Residence in Newmarket.

• Independent living
• Studio and one-bedroom suites
• Amenities include a lounge, theatre, billiards room, and patio

At Alexander Muir I talked about the importance of being in the same cohort as your fellow residents to get the most out of retirement living.

• Leigh and Lori from Discerning Seniors are big advocates of this, and they were the ones who brought it to my attention.
• If you're active or social, you'll probably have more fun with other active and social residents. If that's you, you should have a look at an activity calendar and the amenities. Find something you can see yourself doing if you moved in, and ask the salesperson if you can drop in and take part. I bet they say yes. I get it, this can be a little outside our comfort zone, but if you're serious about moving in, it's worth it to get an idea of the neighbours and amenities.

Chartwell Hollandview Trail - Do you know about the Residents Bill of Rights?

A bit about Chartwell Hollandview Trail in Aurora.

• Independent living and assisted living
• Suites starting from $5,450/month (at the time of writing)
• Studios, one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus den, and two-bedroom suites
• Amenities include a country kitchen, a variety of common areas, a grand piano, and movie theatre

At Chartwell Hollandview Trail I talked about the Residents Bill of Rights - it goes hand-in-hand with the RHRA. There's a few rights I think are worth highlighting:

• The right to apply for publicly funded care.
• The right receive care from an external care provider.
• The right to have his or her choice of care services provided by staff who are suitably qualified and trained.
• The right not to be restrained except in accordance with the law.
• The right to have his or her lifestyle and choices respected as long as nobody crosses a reasonable line.

Nothing crazy, but it's important to know your rights.

Chartwell Park Place - Questions to ask on a retirement home tour

A bit about Chartwell Park Place in Aurora.

• Independent living
• Suites start at $2,995/month (at the time of writing)
• Studio and one-bedroom suites
• Amenities include a library, movie room, lounge, and pub

At Chartwell Park Place I touched on having questions prepared when you tour a retirement home. It's easy to get caught up in the moment during a tour, so it helps to have questions prepared when you come in for a tour.

• Do I have quality of life questions? Medical concerns (both in the short term and long run)?

The more open you can be, the better the salesperson can help. Asking questions is gonna help you find the retirement home that's right for you.