What is The Average Cost of Senior Living?

Sue Wilson, Director of Care of Magnolia Gardens Care Centre, is the first contact for families who are investigating the options for increased care for aging loved ones who are no longer safe at home or whose care needs require professional supervision.

“Families are always looking for the best possible care for their loved one,” says Sue, “but many haven’t thought through what it entails, so initially there can be a bit of sticker shock.”

She takes a pragmatic approach to the conversation. “Our cost per day is less than what you would pay for a night in a reasonable hotel and dinner in a local restaurant, but it includes so much more.”

A large part of the ‘much more’ she talks about comes in the form of 24-7 medical and personal care handled by a team of professional and compassionate nurses and care aids.

In conversation with family members, Sue urges them to do the mental math—adding up the expense of hiring professionals to provide extended care, retrofitting bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces with appropriate safety equipment, and installing an emergency alert system. In contrast, the cost of living in a BriaCare Center like Magnolia Gardens, a space designed with residents’ needs in mind, is reasonable.

But caring for the whole person goes beyond meeting their medical needs—ensuring a high quality of life for every resident requires attention to detail. “Our residents enjoy private studio suites decorated with their own personal furniture and mementos. This isn’t a hospital or a facility, this is home, and they can make the space their own.”

“Meals are prepared fresh in-house by our Red Seal Chef and his team, in consultation with a registered dietitian—they are delicious and nutritious. Our Recreation Team ensures every day includes music, fitness, friendship, and laughter,” says Sue.

In 2018 Canada Mortgage House Corporation released their Seniors Housing Report noting that the cost of 24-hour licensed care for seniors living in the suburban areas surrounding Vancouver averages $7,419 a month (for those living in the City of Vancouver the cost spikes to $8,808.)  Sue proudly notes that the monthly cost at our BriaCare centres in Langley ($200 a day) and Tsawwassen ($225 a day) comes in below average, but the quality of care is well above average.

“This is an investment in your loved one, and it has high returns for family members.” she says, “When they hand over the role of caregiver to us they can go back being a family once again.”