Summer 2001 - The Canadian Jewish News
As L'Chaim Retirement Home rapidly takes shape at 718 Sheppard Avenue West, excitement is growing in the community over the prospect of this new and wonderfully different alternative in retirement living.
Giving real credence to the phrase "you're not getting older, you're getting better," L'Chaim intends to make the transition from a resident's own home to retirement home as smooth as possible. Maintaining and enhancing quality of life is paramount, says founder Judy Cohen, and the community's enthusiastic response to date indicates that the time is indeed ripe for the l'Chaim concept: big enough to offer all the bells and whistles, state-of-the-art safety features and services, yet small enough to devote thorough care and attention to the individual. Says Judy, "the act of moving into new physical surroundings is nothing compared to the angst that leaving one's family can cause. We're not just a building to move into, but a new family to join. When we say we care, we really mean it; it's not just an advertising slogan. We will take a personal interest in each and every resident. We will respect their privacy, but we'll also want to know what's going on with them and give them every opportunity to integrate themselves into our little 'community' ".
Enhancing the communal feeling will be a host of activities, Jewish cuisine served three times daily in the dining room, and a welcoming environment that will duplicate, as closely as possible, the family setting. There will also be a huge party room for seders and simchas of all kinds. "We want the aspect of 'retirement home' to be transparent," says Judy. "In other words, we don't want want the grandchildren to say, 'let's go to the retirement home to see Zaydie,' we want them to say, 'Let's go see Zaydie!' "
With construction proceeding rapidly and opening slated for mid-summer, reservations have been brisk - so much so, according to Judy, that people for whom logistical preferences are important (floor number, direction of exposure, etc.) are advised to move quickly before the preferred units are snapped up. She's extremely gratified that the community has taken to the concept so readily. "I was always confident in our approach," she says, "but until you move from the drawing board to the live stage, you never know how people will respond." So impressed have some early customers been, in fact, that they've joked about retiring early themselves to take advantage of the facilities. "One customer said, "Never mind YOU, Ma - I'm moving in," chuckles Judy.
Small in size but not in features, L'Chaim boasts a number of unusual amenities and services, like an exercise and physio room and an onsite hairdresser. Add to all its other advantages its ultraconvenient location on Sheppard just west of Bathurst, and L'Chaim becomes a compelling new-home alternative for independent-minded seniors.
L'Chaim is a member of the Ontario Residential Care Association, and plans to open this summer. For further information, call Judy Cohen at 416-398-7898. You can also e-mail her at info@lchaimretirement.com.
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