Types of Group Residence

Deciding whether to stay home with support or move into a group residence is one of the biggest choices facing seniors looking ahead. There are a lot of residence types out there and the differences between them aren't always obvious. Here's what each one actually offers, and where the catches are.

Home Share

Home Share shows up in the news every so often as an option for senior care. The idea is simple: a house-rich senior provides affordable housing to someone, often a student, who helps out with meals, housekeeping, and some personal care. It sounds nice, but the risks are real.

Before entering a home sharing arrangement, ask whether the duties are clearly spelled out, what happens as the senior's needs grow, and whether the person renting is actually capable of providing safe care. The potential for abuse is high when a vulnerable senior is living with a dependent tenant, so a third party should be supervising. And if the arrangement falls apart, tenancy law does not care that you were hoping for a caregiver, you now have a rental dispute.

For most seniors in most situations, home sharing is not a viable option. If it is attempted, it needs to be well structured and supervised.

Co-Housing

Co-Housing residences are rented units that don't offer meals, housekeeping, or personal care, but do provide accessible housing with more opportunity for peer and intergenerational relationships.

You'll sometimes hear about sharing services in Co-Housing, like a caregiver providing cluster support to several residents in the same building to make care more affordable. In practice this rarely works. People's needs don't line up neatly on the same days, at the same times, or for the same durations. Co-Housing built specifically for independent adults with disabilities could make cluster care work, but nothing like that exists in BC right now. And cluster care means less choice over who's on your team.

Independent Living Exotics

These are owned housing units that include housekeeping and some meals, with higher STRATA fees to cover the added services. Monthly payments typically run 2 to 3 times higher than a regular STRATA unit. If personal care is needed, you'll still have to bring in a home care provider on top.

The real trap is the exit. When the senior moves or passes away, the STRATA fees keep coming until the unit is sold, and demand for these units is limited. We've seen families stuck paying $1,500+ per month in STRATA fees for over a year while a unit sat empty waiting for a buyer. Buyer beware, and plan your transition before you purchase.

Independent Living Traditional

Rented units with housekeeping and some meals. The more expensive buildings add events, outings, and activity programs. If there are personal care needs, you'll need to bring in a home care provider.

Independent Living combined with private home care is a common holding pattern for seniors trying to avoid a move to Assisted Living or Residential Care. The key to staying is mobility, so keep doing those daily strength exercises. Frailty is what forces the early transition.

Independent Living Certified

Rented units with housekeeping and some meals, plus a nurse on site and optional personal care. This is a relatively new category, operated by corporate group care companies running larger buildings with multiple levels of care under one roof.

The nurse supervision and on-site personal care come at a premium, and the hidden add-on fees can double or triple the base monthly rate. Don't assume you'll be able to stay at the same building when your needs shift from Independent to Assisted Living or Residential Care. The facility's job is to keep beds filled, so whether a unit at that location is available when you need it is anyone's guess.

Assisted Living (AL)

Rented units with housekeeping, meals, and personal care included. Residents need to walk independently, with or without a walker or cane, and most have some degree of dementia, cognitive decline, or other impairments.

Finding peer relationships can be harder than families expect for residents who are still cognitively sharp. There is some opportunity for connection with the care staff, depending on how the location schedules its team.

Residential Care (LTC)

Rented units with housekeeping, laundry, meals, and personal care. Residents are often unable to walk independently and have advanced dementia or serious cognitive decline. LTC buildings are lockdown units, and most residents cannot leave the building or grounds on their own.

Most LTC residents are not cognitively intact, so the main ongoing relationships they have are with their care providers. Continuity matters at every cognition level: the people who see you each day need to know you and know what your normal looks like. When a cognitively intact person with severe mobility issues is faced with LTC placement, we push hard for care at home instead, for as long as it can possibly work.

Care at Home: When Care at Home is Best