When one conjures the image of a retirement home, the scents, sounds and imagery are not often enticing. Dated furniture, powdered eggs, bargain bin artwork – a hospital-like quiet.
A Holiday Retirement community is nothing of the sort. Inspired by cruise ships the hallways and atrium are wide, brimmed with glass windows and illuminated with sunshine. A happy buzz emanates from the dining room as residents chat, perhaps about the morning yoga class they took together or the happy hour they will partake in during the afternoon.
"This is an all-inclusive scenario," says Transition Specialist and Community Sales Leader Paul A. Libin, as he proudly tours us through what one can see is his pride and joy. Libin works at the Canyon Meadows Independent Retirement Living community, one of the roughly 330 communities Holiday Retirement owns throughout North America. Twenty-five of these are located in Canada with two locations based in Calgary: Deer Run and Arbour Lake.
"We have a very busy monthly schedule with activities and events," he says.
Indeed daily schedules are posted throughout the building, featuring items like carpet bowling, rummoli, darts, billiards, sing-alongs, health and wellness seminars, puzzle time, and sitting soccer.
"There’s always a wide variety," Libin asserts. "We try to cover it all."
Guest speakers may include representatives from the Arthritis Society, the Parkinson Society, or a Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist, happy to answer any health questions.
As we check out the exercise room, which overlooks the dining hall and central atrium, Libin boasts that the majority of residents do take time to use the equipment and stay in shape.
One might need to in order to work off the three meals prepared daily from scratch by Red Seal Chef Andy Heart in the elegant dining hall. On Saturday the lunch menu included a Tex-Mex salad, fresh baked bread, a cilantro chicken breast served with mashed potatoes, gravy and spinach, and a Boston Cream Pie for desert. If the main menu was not to one’s liking a chef’s choice selection was also available: garlic and Chardonnay prawns on rice, BBQ hot dog, chef salad or veal.
All meals are served with the choice of fruit juice, water, coffee and tea.
While lunch is designed to be the heaviest meal of the day, portion sizes are fully customizable to the diner’s appetite. Fresh fruit and salads are always an option, and between meals a hydration bar and coffee and tea counter provide beverages and pastries baked in-house as well as fruit, yogurt and candies.
Sugar-free options for diabetics are always on the menu and gluten free options can be worked out as well.
A private dining room, seating eight to ten, is available for residents to use to introduce family to the community upon moving in, or to book for special events and birthday meals. Additionally, once a month the chef hand-picks residents for whom a private dining experience is created.
But wait! The best is still to come. Residence at a Holiday Retirement community entitles one to a free one-week stay at any of the other locations every year. This means Maui, Florida, Nevada, Phoenix – all-inclusive.
Guest suites resemble any room at an upper-end hotel and offer the same accommodations. All three meals are still provided, as is the in-house shuttle service with which you may take excursions to nearby malls, parks or other ventures.
These guest suites are also open to families coming to visit.
Holiday Retirement is not assisted living; it is high-end living for retirees who have maintained their zest for life. A games room and full library is on-hand, stocked with books the Calgary Public Library rotates every few weeks. Have a game of bridge, attend a wine and cheese or tapas soiree, tap your feet to one of the frequent entertainers that perform on the mini-stage before the sea of dining tables.
An on-site beauty parlour and barbershop is open almost daily for resident cuts and basic spa treatments.
Suites don’t come furnished but furnishings are available. The community will also help future residents with the downsizing process if they are relocating from a home to a community unit.
Floor plans include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom, though currently at Canyon Meadows all of the two-bedroom units are filled. Suites offer a European sized fridge and freezer, cupboard space, and a large amount of storage. Bathtubs can be customized to the resident’s preference, including a lipped entrance or a walk-in shower with bench.
The colour palette is neutral but the staff will help residents with a feature wall should they wish one to be painted.
If one still desires to cook, a resident kitchen is open for the taking.
The communities are pet-friendly so no resident need to say goodbye to their furry companions. The rooms are equipped with heat, air conditioning and built-in hepa filters so even smoking is permitted in rooms, and goes virtually undetected by neighbours.
The monthly fee also includes an outdoor parking spot with plug-in, but should a garage space be required, one can be provided for an additional $75 per month. Scheduled transportation with the on-site shuttle service is, however, included.
Laundry facilities are located on every floor and do not require payment. Weekly housekeeping as well as utilities are also included in one’s rent.
And to the gay community, Libin says "Would our doors be open? It goes without saying."
Security, comfort, transportation, and socialization: these are the assets of living at a Holiday Retirement community. No buy-in is required, no long-term leases needed.
If curious about how affordable independent retirement living might be for you or your loved ones, visit the Holiday Retirement website for more information and a sample meal on the house. This carefree dwelling arrangement might be more reasonable that you think.