Living in a purpose-built building for seniors with a vibrant community around you can help people age gracefully in place, says a seniors services manager from a local independent and assisted living home.
"While many seniors want to stay at home where they are comfortable, we've found in a lot of cases that may not meet their changing needs," Sarah Smith, manager of The Cridge Village Seniors Centre, says.
"As we age, our mobility needs can change. We could be in a home with stairs that are tough to navigate, or the bathtub lacks handrails and may be difficult to get in and out of. It also can be really isolating for seniors to live alone if they've lost the ability to drive. It can be more challenging to cook for one and you may not be making the same kind of meals you would have when you had your family at home."
The Cridge Seniors’ Village Centre offers seniors a comfortable place to call home, with beautiful one- and two-bedroom suites located in an award-winning heritage conversion building on 14 acres of multi-use property centrally located close to all amenities, including the Hillside shopping mall.
The renovation and addition was constructed specifically with seniors in mind, with wide hallways that accommodate all mobility needs, handrails where needed, automatic doors where there need to be, walk-in showers in all units, and level walking paths all through the gardens and around the building.
“Your definition of home doesn’t need to be the place where you’ve been for 50 years. You can have a new home that can still feel like home,” Smith says.
Are you considering a move for yourself or a senior in your life? Here are five reasons to consider The Cridge Centre for your new home.
Sense of community
“While you have your own suite here in the building, you will make friends with both our fantastic staff and your neighbours. We watch out for each other!””
Another part of getting to know each other is that we are able to meet your individual needs and likes.
“That sense of community can be missing when folks are in a condo or house by themselves,” Smith says.
Activities
With a variety of activities scheduled for every day of the month, there is something to do for every taste. Out trips are planned in the centre’s wheelchair-accessible bus, which takes the residents all over the Island, from sandcastle competitions in Rathtrevor to dinner theatre in Chemainus.
“So many times we’ve had adult kids trying to reach their parents, and they have a tough time getting a hold of them because they’re so busy with things to do here,” Smith says.
“That being said, no one is making anyone do anything. If you want to curl up with a book in your living room, you can do that too.”
High quality food
Meals are made from scratch daily, using locally sourced and organic products where possible.
“Our food is high quality, and people seem to love it,” Smith says. “We treat our residents the way we would treat our own families.”
Safety minded
Besides the various safety and accessibility features built in the Cridge Seniors Centre, all residents have an extra element of personal security.
Each resident wears a button on their wrist or around their neck to call for help in emergencies This calls a staff member in the building who will help with next steps.
Age in place
“We encourage seniors to make the decision to move to Assisted or Independent Living proactively. If you come before you need all of our amazing services, then you are able to age in place longer, as your needs change,” Smith describes.
Services available at the Cridge Centre include private independent living, and subsidized assisted living (through Island Health). In either type of housing, you are able to get home support services if you need them.
To learn more and book a tour today, visit cridge.org/seniors-services.
