When the Benefits of Moving to a Seniors Community Outweigh the Benefits of Staying Home At Proactive Seniors, our team of advisors has helped hundreds of seniors through building a Proactive Seniors Plan for staying home successfully, and through our Seniors Housing Support, to find a great place to live if staying home is not feasible.  Whichever the goal or need, we help ensure that seniors and their families have the information they need to make their best decisions.  Even if moving to a retirement residence is only a remote possibility, it is a really good idea to start th ..read more

Tax time is coming, and unfortunately that means that the scams are, too! There are a variety of scams and frauds happening in Canada, and new ones are invented daily. Learn how to protect yourself from scammers and be scam smart with this information from the Canada Revenue Agency. Many scams and frauds attempt to imitate government services to gain access to your personal and financial information. To make sure that the agency contacting you, by phone, email, or mail, is legitimate, know that: A legitimate CRA employee will identify themselves when they contact you, giving you their name and ..read more

Age isn’t an automatic indicator of when it is time to stop driving, but it is important to regularly monitor yours or your loved one’s driving skills and capabilities to ensure that it is safe for everyone on the road. Although driving can help older adults to stay independent and connected to families and community activities, getting older does make driving riskier. Many health conditions may threaten a person’s ability to safely operate a vehicle. These can include dementia, problems with hearing or vision, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and diabetes. It is importan ..read more

Canadian winters can be challenging! Cold weather and falls unfortunately often do often go together, and the results can be alarming, with a large percentage of emergency visits and hospitalizations due to winter falls. Seniors are even more at risk than for falls in the snow and ice. So, how do seniors increase their safety and decrease their fall risk? Stay Active – to strengthen muscles, maintain bone health, and improve balance. Maintaining exercise habits through the winter can help muscle and bone health as well as balance, improving reaction time and minimizing the risk of falling. It ..read more

This blog is one way for us at Proactive Seniors to share information that may be of interest to you, our readers, which is why you will occasionally see guest posts such as this one. by Tina Castro, Mountain Cove Care Urinary incontinence can occur at any age but is more common in elderly adults. This condition may present as an overactive bladder, increased frequency, or increased urgency symptoms. One may find they leak some urine before getting to the toilet. While many may feel embarrassed about this condition, it is very common. According to WebMD, nearly 51 percent of people aged 65 and ..read more

Not surprisingly, this past year and a half has been like no other for retirement residences and supportive living communities.  Before the pandemic the balance of supply and demand in the private and public sectors were pretty typical.  Private retirement residences were around 80-85% capacity with always a little more supply than demand. This is a comfortable spot for our senior clients who are looking for a great match to their needs and wants.  There might be a short wait list for certain types of suites (often 2 bedrooms) but with reasonable planning we could find a great f ..read more

We want to look after ourselves as we age, including eating well, exercising regularly, looking after our mental health, and being sensible about avoiding falls and injuries. Along with the things we can do for ourselves, however, it is important to keep up with regular screening tests from our doctors and other health professionals. These screening tests can help to keep us independent, vital, and healthy. The list of tests that we should undergo will vary from person to person based on age, gender, risk factors and family health history, but here are some ideas of what you should consider ..read more

This blog is one way for us at Proactive Seniors to share information that may be of interest to you, our readers, which is why you will occasionally see guest posts such as this one. by Gabrielle Baglino, Oak Street Health Mental health among older adults affects everyone, but it isn’t discussed enough—primarily because the reporting of mental health concerns among the elder population is low, and it can be difficult to see the signs due to comorbidities. An estimated 20% of seniors have a mental health condition, the most common being cognitive impairment, anxiety, and mood disorders such as ..read more

There are numerous benefits to exercise for older adults – unsurprisingly! We know that exercise is good for us, but exactly why is it good for us, and how can we make it fun? As we get older, we have different reasons for staying in shape than our younger counterparts. The perks that come with senior exercise include: More independence – the continued ability to walk, bathe, cook, eat, dress, and use the washroom are all based on staying active. Improved balance – which means a greatly reduced risk of falling. More energy – being active actually makes you more lively and energetic, by releas ..read more

Do you experience frequent or persistent pain? Do you accept this as a normal part of aging? Do you assume that nothing can be done for your pain? Do you avoid asking for help so that you don’t bother your caregivers or doctors? Do you worry about the side effects or addiction to medications? Pain is a serious problem for many older adults. It can interfere with concentration, appetite, and sleep. It can cause mental confusion or challenging behaviours, such as aggression.  Constant struggling with physical pain can cause depression, anxiety, and social problems. But pain isn’t a normal p ..read more