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At the age of 14, John’s family relocated to Montreal where he would later purchase his first home, meet his wife, and begin his career in publishing at the Canadian Business Magazine. As a member of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, a component of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Communications and Electronics Branch, John was uniformed as a member of the Canadian Army. By the time he reached retirement, John carried title of Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), the most senior non-commissioned member rank in the Canadian Army. Still an avid reader, John also enjoys spending time in the community and keeping busy with friends and family, making new memories at the retirement community he is proud to call home.

In early 2018, with the help of subject matter experts and ORCA’s Dementia Task Force, resources were developed to pilot the initiative, including educational tutorials for retirement home operators and staff. A Dementia-Inclusive Reflection Checklist, designed to initiate discussions on whether current practices and services in a retirement community reflect an environment that is dementia-inclusive. The pilot project saw participation by 169 staff from 30 retirement communities in Ontario, and two additional communities outside of the province. Based on the results of this pilot project, ORCA will continue to evolve the initiative in all retirement communities in Ontario and nationally.

Ontario Retirement Communities Association (ORCA) members are so committed to the benefits of these nurturing and vibrant communities that on September 22 and 23 they are opening their doors across Ontario to show neighbourhoods just what they have been missing. In all sincerity, my wife and I are very, very happy here,” says Art, speaking candidly about life at the Toronto-area retirement community that the couple calls home. In fact, a 2018 poll conducted by DART Insight and Communications shows that 96 per cent of Canadians agree that social interaction is important for seniors’ health and wellbeing, while 91 per cent of Canadians agree that they do not want to be socially isolated in their later years. The Ontario Retirement Communities Association (ORCA) represents 93.6 per cent of all retirement suites in Ontario, accommodating over 56,000 seniors.

And as the current system in Ontario is facing increasing pressure on the long-term care system, and a growing number of seniors in alternate level of care (ALC) settings, now is the time for innovative solutions and big change. A Senior Services Benefit is a monthly allowance – sent directly to the senior to help pay for housing and care needs. It’s designed to alleviate financial pressures placed on seniors and would empower them to stay in the community among friends and peers longer where they can live and thrive. For other seniors, it’s about being pushed into long-term care sooner than necessary because of insufficient resources to pay for the home care they need.