Phyllis Odenbach Sutton
With plans currently uncertain for Old Ottawa East’s (OOE) own senior’s building – the Greystone Retirement Residence – The Mainstreeter recently accepted an offer to tour Amica’s new retirement residence in the Glebe. Building access is at 35 Monk Street, but many OOE residents may more easily pinpoint its location as the former site of the Beer Store and parking lot on Bank Street, south of Fifth Avenue.
Amica Glebe offers three types of living units- Independent, Assisted and Memory Care. Photo by Annie Staples
Residents are able to engage in a wide range of activities, including poker, billiards, crafts and cinema. Photo by Annie Staples
A fully-appointed beauty salon is available for residents. Photo by Annie Staples
Our visit was just days before the grand opening ceremony and the arrival of first residents on July 20. Many of the larger suites are already rented with some availability remaining for studio and one-bedroom units. Suites start at $4,750/ month. Over half of the new residents (60 – 70%) have ties to the Glebe, being current or former residents of the area or having family living in the area; we were told that some OOE residents will be moving into this new residence soon. One of the Memory Care floors will be welcoming residents starting on July 29.
This is the 22nd Amica residence in Ontario; these residences are privately owned retirement homes for seniors and do not receive government funding. When asked why Amica chose the Glebe for their newest residence, we were told by Ted Gaisford, General Manager at Amica The Glebe, that “building a community within the neighbourhood is of the utmost importance to us. Our front door is our window into the community and their window into us. The community network starts with us getting to know our residents first and deciding what’s important to them. Every person’s view of a good life looks different.”
Amica The Glebe is comprised of 61 Independent Living units (on floors 2, 7, 8 and 9), 61 Assisted Living units (on floors 3 and 4) and 40 Memory Care rooms (on floors 5 and 6). I imagine that like a number of readers, I was not familiar with the distinctions between these categories. Independent Living is for seniors who require little to no assistance with daily living. Assisted Living provides seniors with assistance for the activities of daily living such as mobility, grooming, personal hygiene, and medication management. Memory Care units are for seniors with a form of dementia such as Alzheimer’s that requires specialized care.
The building boasts some very impressive views (garden, Monk Street, Bank Street) and has a wide range of amenities. These include a three-season patio with a lovely garden, a wellness centre, a beauty salon, a massage therapy/physiotherapy treatment room, games rooms, a small cinema /presentation centre, a billiards table, a poker table, gardening opportunities, a tuck shop, a craft kitchen, a private dining room and a pub. Amenities on the Memory Care floors include outdoor balconies, activity rooms, motorized pets, a serenity room and an indoor-outdoor terrace.
Outdoor patios and gardens are open to all residents to enjoy. Photo by Annie Staples
“There are so many things to love about this residence, from the neighbourhood walkability to the outdoor spaces within the building,” says Teri Stern, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing at Amica Senior Lifestyles. “Residents can enjoy their own personal balconies, or larger shared terraces throughout the building. The indoor-outdoor terrace on the 5th floor in Memory Care features a central garden and circular walking path, ideal for residents with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Our 2nd-floor grand garden terrace, available to all residents, is partially covered and heated for year-round enjoyment.”
In terms of parking, Annie Staples (The Mainstreeter’s photographer) and I were the first visitors to use the bike racks out front (they were still covered in some protective plastic), and we were told that Amica has partnered with a local parking lot to provide discounted staff parking.
