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Is now the right time for congregate living? BY GAIL GRANT
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Jack and Margaret Fleetwood moved to a retirement residence when Margaret’s health concerns curbed her independence.
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oes the thought of moving to a retirement residence make you hyperventilate? Do you worry that making this move would compromise your independence? Have the horror stories relating to Covid firmed up your resolve to put off congregate living for as long as possible? Where we live matters, particularly in our senior years. The decision to move out of their home was forced on Margaret and Jack Fleetwood, each 77, when Margaret had her first stroke in April 2020. She suddenly found herself unable to drive or function in the kitchen, and she tired easily. “When my second stroke happened a month later, we knew things had to change,” she said. The Fleetwoods sold their house and moved to an upscale retirement residence in Bolton. “The move has been mostly positive for us,” said Jack. “The staff is warm and welcoming. While I miss the proximity of nature and the golf community we enjoyed in our former home, Margaret feels safe here knowing there is in-house 24/7 nursing support if she needs it. And I can always drive to the golf course.”
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Carmel Hili
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armel Hili’s life is balanced between service and activism. He grew up in Malta, joined the Jesuits at the age of 17 and, several years later, immigrated to Canada to study theology at Regis College. “I ultimately made the decision not to be ordained as a priest, but my years studying theology were the foundation – and the roadmap – for my life,” he says. After changing his calling, Carmel became one of the first employees of the Toronto Christian Resource Centre, a not-for-profit organization that established drop-in centres for the homeless,
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as well as food programs, job training and advocacy in the social housing area. In his role as a community worker, he helped develop programs for at-risk youth, low-income families and people who were homeless. “The goal was always to help people help themselves, not to simply provide handouts,” he says. In the 1970s and ’80s, when developers were moving into Toronto’s downtown core and razing rooming houses to make space for highrises, Carmel helped save many from the wrecking ball. He actively advocated for all levels of housing,
I know I’m fortunate to have support services such as a cleaning crew, gardening helpers and a handyman, but these will take me only so far. The niggling what’sthe-next-step whispers are becoming more insistent, and I’ve noticed a number of people in my sphere either making concrete changes to their living space or mulling over thoughts of moving into a seniors’ facility. Reasons to consider a change of address vary widely, but what I hear mentioned most often is the burden of keeping ahead of home maintenance or the constant administration required with condominium living. A two-storey home for a person with mobility issues is a definite problem, as is country driving for people with diminished eyesight or motor skills. Or the tipping point could simply be the fact that preparing meals has become drearily tiresome. What if we were to consider the move to a seniors’ living community as a positive lifestyle choice, one that provides opportunities to create new friendships, learn new skills and participate in fresh activities, all the while taking comfort in the fact that necessary support services and amenities are close at hand?
