ELEGANT ALL-INCLUSIVE ASSISTED LIVING FOR SENIORS
Duke of Devonshire, Lord Lansdowne among city’s finest retirement homes
Two of the city’s finest all-inclusive assisted living retirement homes — the Duke of Devonshire on Carling Avenue nestled in the Island Park/ Civic Hospital neighbourhood, and the Lord Lansdowne in the heart of the Glebe on Bank Street across from Lansdowne Park — are locally owned and operated by the Dymon Group of Companies. For many years, Dymon has been extensively involved in the retirement industry and has gained a significant reputation for its relentless focus on delivering a 5-star lifestyle opportunity for seniors. This same customer service philosophy permeates everything Dymon does, perhaps best exemplified by its industry leading state-of-the-art storage facilities popping up all over Ottawa.
The Duke of Devonshire and the Lord Lansdowne represent the newest generation in all-inclusive assisted living for seniors. Each resident has a large private suite and can select from studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom models. Each suite is beautifully appointed with standard features including individual fireplaces, Jacuzzi tubs or walk-in showers, granite countertops, kitchenettes, and HD flat screen TVs. Residents bring their own belongings so that their suite can really feel like home. A secure fob door access system and an advanced nurse call system are also in place to ensure the utmost security and convenience for residents.
5-STAR DINING
Residents have unbridled access throughout each retirement home, including access to the elegant dining rooms, complete with linen table cloths, bone china and black-tie service. An executive chef caters to the culinary desires of the individual resident. Menus are designed after careful consultation with residents and offer an eclectic choice including a “healthy heart” selection. Staff can also accommodate any special dietary need that a resident may have. “Dining is an important part of the day for our residents, so we work hard as a team to serve delicious food in a warm atmosphere,” offers Craig Domville, executive chef at the Duke of Devonshire. For special events, each Dymon residence also has an elegant private dining room where residents can host friends or family to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or holiday events. Specialized menus can be designed for service in the private dining rooms.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
From the moment you walk into the Duke of Devonshire and the Lord Lansdowne you will be embraced by the attention to detail that Dymon has put into both of its retirement residences. “As a fully vertically integrated real estate development company, we build all of our properties to be both aesthetically attractive as well as efficient from an operations perspective,” says Steve Creighton, senior vicepresident at Dymon. “Being locally owned and operated, we are proud to be part of the community and we want our senior residents and their families to have a real sense of comfort and security while experiencing exceptional service. In addition, being locally managed means that we make timely decisions in the best interests of our residents, without multiple layers of management,” adds Creighton.
Both the Duke of Devonshire and the Lord Lansdowne have beautiful amenities including elegant lounges, fireplaces throughout, exquisitely furnished corridors and a unique “Promenade” walkway. “The indoor Promenade streetscape was designed with a European flair that gives you a real sense of strolling down a street lined with retail shops,” offers Creighton.
Every aspect of Dymon’s retirement residences has been designed with seniors in mind. The exercise rooms are fully equipped with unique equipment, including Aqua Massage tables that allow residents to have invigorating massages while fully clothed, and T-zone vibration equipment that enhances circulation as well as increasing muscle tone and strength. The luxury movie theatres have Dolby Digital full surround sound, large 8’ by 12’ foot screens and luxurious customized seating. Special headphones are also available for residents with hearing impairment.
If residents require transportation around the city, they can take advantage of Dymon’s complimentary, fully-equipped luxury vans with full-time drivers to assist them. There is even a luxurious coach bus that is used for the extensive number of day trips that occur regularly. For those residents who wish to drive themselves, heated underground parking complete with valet parking service is available.
COMFORT AND SECURITY
Dymon’s retirement homes offer many advanced features that provide peace of mind to residents and their families. A pendant nurse call system ensures that residents are able to call for assistance should they encounter any difficulties; pull stations are also installed throughout each suite. Controlled access to each residence, along with an extensive network of security cameras ensures all activities in and around each residence are carefully monitored.
In the case of power disruption, large diesel generators provide uninterrupted service and both residences are “emergency fuel qualified,” meaning that they rank in priority with hospitals for fuel delivery. Ice storms and other weather events can cause many retirement homes to be without power for an extended period of time. “Our full generator backup system provides tremendous peace of mind for residents and their families,” explains Creighton.
Both residences also use an EMeds system that is used for the dispensing of medication. This system routinely ensures that the right person is getting the right medication at the right times, and to allow for privacy all medications are dispensed to residents in their
private suites.
AFFORDABLE RATES
Despite how beautiful the residences are with all of their exceptional lifestyle services, the monthly rental rates are surprisingly affordable. “We have a budget calculator on our websites that allows prospective residents to compare their existing living costs to their new lifestyle opportunity at either the Duke of Devonshire or the Lord Lansdowne,” says Louise Rochman, chief operating officer of Dymon’s Healthcare group. “And when you list out all of the costs that you incur in your home, including rising utility costs and property taxes, and you add repair costs, snow removal, grass cutting, food and other costs, it’s surprising how affordable living at the Duke and the Lord can be.”
Another important consideration in selecting a retirement residence is how the pricing works and whether the costs are all-inclusive (like at Dymon’s residences) or à la carte. “We feel that it is extremely important that our residents and their families can properly budget into the future,” offers Rochman. “That is why we offer one all-inclusive price from the beginning. In the event your physical or cognitive abilities change over time, you don’t have to worry about price increases usually associated with an à la carte arrangement that is very common in the industry.” The all-inclusive pricing covers such things as suite cleaning, personal laundry, 24-hour nursing support, and participation in the numerous ongoing activities.
FREE MOVE-IN TRANSITION SERVICES
One of the very unique offerings provided by Dymon is free transition services. “Many seniors know the time is right to move to retirement living, but having to deal with all of the stuff in their homes causes great stress and can be totally overwhelming. So we came up with the idea of helping out by providing free transition services to our residents,” says Devin Froislie, general manager. The transition manager can assist with such things as booking movers, choosing which furniture to move to your suite, and doing your change of address. It is left to the senior and his or her family to decide the extent of services that they want. “At the end of the day, the whole move-in process ends up being much more relaxed and the senior can move in and not feel stressed,” adds Froislie. “We constantly have residents and family members tell us that the transition services are wonderful and make the process so much simpler.”
AGE IN PLACE
The Duke of Devonshire and the Lord Lansdowne are all-inclusive assisted living retirement residences. “We find that a lot of seniors and their families are confused about the level of service offered in the marketplace,” says Louise Rochman. “There is no question that moving to a retirement home is an important decision, and you certainly want to make sure that if your physical or cognitive condition changes over time, you can be properly taken care of.”
With Dymon’s age-in-place philosophy, resident care plans can be adapted as the situation changes. This provides peace of mind for residents that they can stay and not have to transfer to a long-term care facility just because their health deteriorates. “And we really mean it!” says Rochman. “Too many times we see situations where seniors have gone to retirement homes thinking that they will be properly cared for when their condition changes, only to find out that the needed services are not available. This is very stressful to the seniors and their families. At the Duke of Devonshire and the Lord Lansdowne we are committed to accommodating our seniors as they ‘age in place,’ ” stresses Rochman.
Each residence also has a Special Care floor where residents suffering from more extensive cognitive decline can be accommodated. “The great thing is that there is the same elegant look and feel as everywhere else in the residence. The only thing that is different is the more extensive staff involvement and the additional security,” adds Rochman.
TRY THINGS OUT ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS
Both of Dymon’s retirement homes offer convalescent stays and short-term accommodation. “For someone recovering from surgery, the Duke or the Lord are the ideal places to convalesce,” emphasizes Devin Froislie. “With the relaxing surroundings, the great food, and the attentive staff, you can really put your feet up and recover. Many families also find this to be a great service, as the average person is not set up at home to properly care for a senior recovering from surgery.”
Given the importance of the decision to move to retirement living, at the Duke of Devonshire and the Lord Lansdowne prospective residents are given the chance to try things out before a permanent move.
“We have had many residents choose to stay with us for a few days or a few weeks to experience firsthand what we have to offer,” says Louise Rochman. “Many seniors end up becoming permanent residents once they try us out on a temporary basis. The bottom line is that once seniors start having their laundry and suite cleaning done for them, start enjoying delicious meals prepared by our executive chefs, and start participating in the numerous activities that go on daily, it really becomes a simple decision after that.”
NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO MAKE THE MOVE
There is no time like the present to make the move to the Duke of Devonshire or the Lord Lansdowne. It’s been a long tough winter and with spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to consider retirement living.
Book an appointment today and see for yourself the comfortable, secure and supportive lifestyle awaiting you at the Duke of Devonshire and the Lord Lansdowne — for discerning seniors who’ve earned the right to be pampered and live retirement life to the fullest.