As care needs change, many older adults and their families in Ottawa face an important decision: remain at home with support services or move into a retirement home with assisted living. While cost is often the first consideration, factors such as reliability of care, social connection, and overall quality of life play an equally important role.
Living at Home in Ottawa: Familiar, but Increasingly Complex
Staying at home offers comfort and familiarity, but as needs increase, it often requires coordinating multiple services and managing rising costs.
Common At-Home Expenses
Living independently may include:
- Rent or mortgage and property taxes
- Utilities (hydro, water, gas, internet)
- Home maintenance, snow removal, and landscaping
- Groceries and meal preparation
- Transportation
- Home care services such as personal support, homemaking, medication reminders, and nursing care
Funded Home Care: Helpful, but Limited
Ontario provides publicly funded home care through Ontario Health at Home, which can support eligible individuals with personal care and homemaking services. While valuable, these services often come with limitations:
- Wait times for services to begin or increase
- Scheduling that may not align with preferred routines
- Different workers attending visits, making care feel less personal
- A focus on task completion rather than relationship-building
As a result, many families supplement funded care with private services, increasing monthly costs and adding stress to care coordination.
The Financial Reality
Depending on the level of support required, the cost of living at home in Ottawa can range from:
- $1,500–$4,000+ per month for light daily support
- $4,000–$9,500+ per month for moderate daily support
- Significantly more for higher or overnight care
These costs are often variable and unpredictable, especially as needs change.
Social Isolation: A Key Factor in Decline When Living at Home Alone
Beyond cost and logistics, social isolation is one of the most significant—and often overlooked—challenges of aging at home.
As mobility decreases or driving becomes more difficult, opportunities for regular social interaction can quietly disappear. Days may pass with limited interaction beyond brief care visits or phone calls.
Social isolation is widely recognized as a leading contributor to physical, emotional, and cognitive decline. Reduced social engagement has been linked to:
- Increased risk of depression and anxiety
- Faster cognitive decline
- Reduced motivation and physical activity
- Poorer overall health outcomes
Even with home care services in place, visits are typically time-limited and task-focused, leaving little opportunity for meaningful connection. Many individuals continue to spend long periods alone.
Brookside Retirement Living: A Connected, Supportive Alternative
Brookside Retirement Living offers a small, purpose-built community where residents are never lost in the shuffle. Care is relationship-focused, not transactional, and meaningful moments are part of everyday life.
All-Inclusive Support Living at $2995 per Month
Brookside’s monthly fee includes:
- Private accommodation
- Utilities, taxes, maintenance, landscaping, and snow removal
- Nutritious daily meals
- Homemaking and laundry services
- Medication management
- Social and recreational programming
- 24/7 emergency support and on-site staff
- Physician accepting patients
Unlike at-home care models, support at Brookside is consistent, immediate, and personal, delivered by familiar staff who know residents and their routines.
Residents and families also benefit from direct access to ownership, allowing concerns to be addressed quickly and thoughtfully—without layers of bureaucracy.
The Value of Community and Connection
At Brookside, social connection is built into daily life. Shared meals, activities, and casual conversations provide ongoing opportunities for engagement, helping to reduce isolation and support emotional and cognitive well-being.
These everyday interactions are not just social—they are essential to maintaining independence, purpose, and quality of life.
Comparing the Experience
|
Living at Home |
Brookside Retirement Living |
|
Multiple bills and providers |
One predictable monthly cost |
|
Variable care schedules |
Consistent, on-site support |
|
Task-based care visits |
Relationship-focused care |
|
Higher risk of isolation |
Built-in community |
|
Limited access to decision-makers |
Direct access to ownership |
Conclusion
Aging at home can work well in the early stages, particularly with minimal support needs. However, as care requirements increase, costs rise, services become more complex to manage, and the risk of social isolation grows.
Brookside Retirement Living offers a thoughtful alternative—combining predictable costs, reliable support, meaningful relationships, and a strong sense of community. For many Ottawa families, this provides not only practical value, but peace of mind and an improved quality of life.
Schedule a visit or virtual tour today: Leasing@brooksideliving.ca
