Why Small Care Homes for Seniors Are the Future: Insights from Allan Dugas

In an age where personalized care is becoming increasingly vital for our aging population, the choice of where seniors should reside in their later years is crucial. Small care homes are emerging as a significant trend.

Advocate Allan Dugas, a vocal proponent in this field, highlights the profound advantages of small care homes for seniors, using his experiences at Tideview Terrace in Digby, N.S. to illustrate his points.

Dugas, who lives with spina bifida, opted for the small care home model to avoid the impersonal atmosphere typical of larger long-term care facilities. He found a setting where individual autonomy is upheld, with a strong focus on community and connection.

Tideview Terrace offers private rooms and communal living spaces, creating an environment that feels less like an institution and more like home—a balance that many seniors seek.

The National Institute on Ageing supports this sentiment in a recent report, which recommends small care homes as the new standard for senior care across Canada.

Designed to house only 10 to 12 residents, small care homes provide a warm, familiar atmosphere that fosters a sense of belonging and considerably enhances the life quality of seniors, especially those facing cognitive challenges.

Explore the myriad benefits that small care homes offer as seen through Dugas’s advocacy and personal experience, and understand why this model could very well shape the future of senior care.

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Key Takeaways

• Small care homes offer a personal and supportive environment, fostering increased autonomy and a home-like atmosphere.
• This care model is championed by experts as a viable standard for addressing the needs of Canada’s aging population.

The Benefits of Small Care Homes as Highlighted by Personal Experience

The insights from individuals like Allan Dugas profoundly illuminate the growing shift towards smaller, personalized care settings. Living with spina bifida, Dugas chose Tideview Terrace for its departure from the clinical ambiance found in larger facilities.

A resident of Tideview, he enjoys both private and shared spaces, promoting respect and freedom within the community. This model not only supports the practical needs but also enhances the emotional wellbeing of seniors.

A National Institute on Ageing report advocates for small care homes as the gold standard for senior care, arguing against the impracticality of expecting all seniors to remain independently at home.

Instead, they suggest a more appealing alternative with small care homes, where the environment feels less clinical and more inviting, particularly beneficial for those with cognitive challenges.

Dugas’s choice underlines the significant role that personal preference plays in care, showing that supportive environments tailored to individual needs lead to thriving seniors, a quality often absent in larger facilities.

Advocacy for Small Care Homes in Senior Care Policy

Shifts in perspectives about what constitutes quality care are pivotal. Rather than viewing senior living solely through the lens of medical necessity, a holistic approach that prioritizes individual needs and desires is essential.

Small care homes cultivate relationships and a sense of belonging, lost in larger settings. By housing fewer residents, caregivers can offer more devoted attention, thus enhancing life quality and fostering deeper connections.

This nurturing environment promotes both physical and emotional health, demonstrating that treating seniors with respect and allowing individual expression can enable them to flourish.

As policymakers reform senior care, these insights underscore the importance of making small care homes the norm rather than the exception.

With over 6 million seniors in Canada and 93% preferring to age at home, the urgency to deliver quality home care is clear. Families seek peace of mind, and caregivers deserve recognition and support. This isn’t just a marketplace—it’s a movement for better quality elder care. Join our marketplace today and find quality home care matches in minutes.