Helpful Services for Seniors in Toronto

Posted by Steve Jones

Sun, Sep 27, 2015

Recently we’ve published blog posts on senior home safety:

• How Seniors’ Diets Change with Age
• When a Parent Moves Back Home
• Which Wheelchair should you buy?

Today we’re going to look at some Toronto Services that can make life easier and safer for seniors.

In Toronto, were lucky to be in one of the most liveable cities in the world. Part of this means having access to resources that make life easier for us as we age. The City of Toronto provides a guide to all the various types of municipal services for seniors. These can be anything from resources to help older people with health issues, to transportation services, to activities to help pass the time. We’re going to take a look at two of the helpful services available.

Meals on Wheels

If an elderly loved one is living at your house and they are alone during the day, it can be difficult to make sure that they get a hot meal. Meals on Wheels is a useful Ontario service that provides hot meals at lunch time to those in need of support. The program runs throughout the province and is funded by non-profits and the provincial government.

Here in Etobicoke, the Meals on Wheels program is run by the Canadian Red Cross. For a small fee, Meals on Wheels will deliver a hot lunch daily, Monday through Friday. They also offer additional meals on weekends at an extra charge. This service helps insure that your senior relative is getting a proper, nutritious meal and that they are safe at home.

To learn more about Meals on Wheels, visit their website here.

The City of Toronto guide also lists other available meal services for seniors including group dining, community kitchens and nutritional counselling.

Wheel Trans

For those with limited mobility who need to travel within the city, Wheel Trans is a great option. You may have seen the Wheel Trans vehicles zipping through the street of Toronto. They’re quite different from a regular TTC bus because they have all sorts of features to accommodate those with different needs. For the price of a TTC fare, Wheel Trans will drive an individual with limited functional mobility from their door to their destination. Wheel Trans is run by the TTC and operates within the city of Toronto area.

To be eligible for Wheel Trans, you must schedule an interview with Wheel Trans customer service to see if you fit the criteria for the service.

To learn more about Wheel Trans, visit the TTC website.

These are just two of the valuable services available in the city for seniors who need support. If you know a senior who needs hot meals during the day or help moving from one place to another, Wheel Trans and Meals on Wheels are good options. If you know someone who might need even more support, perhaps an in home care worker to help with needs around the house, please contact us at Qualicare.