Does Your Elderly Loved One Have A Care Plan?
December 24, 2020 9:31:23 AM
December 4, 2019 by Living Assistance Services - Senior Home Care
The majority of older Canadians want to age in place. This is not all that surprising – home is where the heart is, after all! But if home is where you want to remain for as long as possible, you’ll need to plan for it.
When people think about home modifications for seniors, they often imagine installing a grab bar or two, but there’s more to it than that.
Older Canadians are in better physical shape than ever before, but this doesn’t mean that you don’t need to plan for what you may think are “old people problems”. Mobility issues and vision changes are common. The risk of chronic conditions also increases with age.
When you’re planning your future, you’ll want to factor in the cost of renovating your home to accommodate these challenges. Did you just hear a cha-ching? While renovations can be expensive, they’re not as costly as retirement homes and assisted living facilities, which cost from $2000 to $6000 per month, according to the Government of Ontario.
Here are examples of some elder care renovations that can help make aging in place easier and safer:
You can apply for a home accessibility credit to help pay for your renovations if you:
Renovations or alterations that qualify are those that allow you to access your home and move around and function within it, and those that reduce harm when inside or gaining access to the home.
Here are a few other tips for aging in place:
David Porter, CPCA
Director
Living Assistance Services – Senior Home Care
Article Resources
Find a retirement home. Government of Ontario. (2019). https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-retirement-home#section-4
Line 398 – Home Accessibility Expenses. Government of Canada. (2018). https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-398-home-accessibility-expenses.html
Long-term care accommodation costs and subsidy. Government of Ontario. (2019). https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-help-paying-long-term-care