Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, and members of the standing committee.
Thank you for inviting me. It’s a great honour for me to be here today on behalf of Revera. I have worked in the senior sector since 2005, and know how important the partnership between government and industry is in delivering on our shared goal, which is to provide the best possible living options for seniors.
Let me begin by sharing some background on Revera. We are a leading Canadian-owned company, with over 55 years' experience as an owner, operator, and investor in the senior living sector. We own or operate, either directly or through partnerships, more than 500 properties across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. We serve more than 55,000 seniors and employ more than 50,000 staff, who are dedicated to providing exceptional care and service.
In terms of senior living options, we have two fundamental models. First, our retirement residences work on a private-pay, social model. Retirement living offers seniors a safe residence with access to care, meals, and their choice of social services. Some of our residents live independently, but many need assistance with the activities of daily living and medications. Increasingly, we are home to seniors with various forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, who need to live in a secure memory care area In Canada. We have 97 retirement residences, which are home to 10,000 residents, served by more than 7,000 staff in six provinces.
Second, our long-term care homes operate on a public-pay medical model, where residents, most of whom are seniors, require a significant amount of care. Approximately 80% to 90% of the residents have some level of dementia. Governments at all levels, depending on the province, assess and place residents in our homes, manage our wait-lists, and fund the care we provide.
Revera provides care for over 10,000 residents in 76 long-term care homes, served by 12,000 staff in four provinces. We actively support today’s vibrant seniors as they live their lives to the fullest every day. We also care for vulnerable seniors, those who need help eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, and taking medication.
Revera therefore brings a unique vantage point for how we can improve the aging experience for Canadians. It is from this perspective that we approach our participation in your study on advancing inclusion and quality of life for Canadian seniors.
We have four considerations to share with the committee today.
First, we believe that choice and flexibility are key to any discussion around senior living options. Housing is a very personal choice, and this does not change as you age. Seniors need and want the ability to choose the housing solution that best suits them, whether that is living in their family home, downsizing to a condo or rental apartment, opting to live in a seniors apartment, a retirement residence, or ultimately moving to a long-term care home. Only seniors know first-hand the importance of flexibility in a system focused on seniors housing. We must find a way to accommodate their individual needs and incorporate their wisdom. All too often our staff are faced with the heartbreaking task of informing seniors who have lost their health that we are not able to accommodate their specific needs. We often have to tell long-time couples, people who have been married for 50 or 60 years, that they must now live separately because one member of the couple needs to move into a long-term care home and there is no place for their spouse.
Second, it is imperative that the committee understand that the delivery of care, particularly medical care, is fundamental to any discussion focused on seniors housing. Often we see access to care as one of the most important considerations for the seniors who choose to move to a retirement residence and, of course, care is the single deciding factor that brings someone to live in a long-term care home. Mental health is also an important consideration, particularly for seniors who live alone and therefore face social isolation, which often results in depression. We frequently see this condition affecting seniors who have limited mobility due to either physical or financial limitations, yet are still living in single family homes.
Third, we believe that Canada's private sector is a key player in the future of seniors housing. Companies like Revera play a key role in advancing the innovation required to meet the growing demand for senior living options. The private sector is part of the solution because we are motivated to drive innovation. We take risks and adopt new approaches to housing and care delivery, and we do this by investing our own capital.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, we believe that seniors themselves need to be at the centre of any discussion regarding housing. Often, housing options for seniors who need care are tied to complex regulatory frameworks and government policies, making it difficult to understand the choices available. Housing, support and care services are often organized more around government, regulatory and organizational imperatives rather than around the needs and wants of seniors and their families.
We strongly urge the committee to speak with seniors who are currently facing decisions regarding housing or who have already made their decision. Revera would be happy to arrange for the committee to speak with residents living at Revera to understand first-hand the challenges the aging experience places on such decisions. As a leader in the sector, Revera is happy to be part of the conversation today and in the future to help shape a national strategy focused on senior living options.
As you may know, our company is a leading advocate against agism, which is the most socially accepted form of discrimination in Canada. We actively advocate for seniors to be respected as relevant, vibrant, and valued contributors to society. We have earmarked a significant innovators in aging fund, through which we invest in new products and services designed to help make the aging process more comfortable. We have dedicated significant resources to research and raising awareness around how society, and Canada’s business community specifically, can lead in the fight against agism.
Let me conclude by saying that Revera shares the core beliefs that underpin the committee’s efforts to advance the inclusion of, and quality of life for, Canadian seniors, and we thank the committee for undertaking this important work.