By Rita Monteiro, Founder of Alivio Downsizing GTA|NCR Inc.
Canada is aging — quickly. The Globe and Mail’s recent feature, “I think my aging parent needs to move out of their home. Now what?”, highlights a reality millions of Canadians are facing: how to help an aging parent transition safely when home is no longer the right place.
But the national conversation often leaves out a critical step.
Before a senior can move into independent living, assisted living, or long-term care…
their home must first be sorted, cleared, and made safe.
And for most families, that is the hardest part.
This overlooked phase of the transition — the pre-move downsizing — needs national attention.
At Alivio Downsizing, we see why every day.
Canada’s Aging Crisis Is Growing Faster Than Families Can Keep Up
According to Statistics Canada, adults aged 85 and older are one of the fastest-growing age groups in the country:
At the same time, 1.8 million Canadians are “sandwiched caregivers,” supporting both aging parents and young children
This means more families are juggling school lunches and dementia appointments in the same week — often without support.
Meanwhile, 27% of seniors live alone, the highest rate in the G7:
This increases the risk of unsafe living conditions, falls, and isolation.
In fact, the Public Health Agency of Canada reports that falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among seniors:
For many adult children, recognizing that “home is no longer safe” comes only after a crisis.
The Globe Article Gets One Thing Perfectly Right: Moving a Parent Is Emotionally Devastating
Michelle Karker, CEO of the Elliott Community, puts it plainly:
“Even though this is what I do, it’s still challenging. It’s a huge transition for everyone.”
Source: Globe and Mail (Nov. 20, 2025)
Even professionals in the long-term care sector struggle when moving their own parents. Families do too — especially when decades of memories, belongings, and identity are tied to a house.
Where Families Get Stuck: The Step Before the Move
The Globe article beautifully outlines levels of senior living — from independent living to long-term care — but the missing step is the one that blocks progress:
The home itself.
Before any parent can transition smoothly, families must:
-
Sort decades of belongings
-
Decide what stays, what goes, what sells
-
Navigate emotional resistance
-
Remove clutter and hazards
-
Pack and prepare the new residence
-
Coordinate donation, auction, cleaning, moving and resettling
This is not a weekend DIY project — especially when caregivers are exhausted.
Downsizing is emotional, physical, and psychological labour.
And it is precisely the stage where families become overwhelmed.
Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health, describes aging at home this way:
When the home no longer matches their needs, help is required — and quickly.
Why Early Downsizing Prevents Crisis Moves
The most common regret we hear from families is:
“We should have done this sooner.”
Proactive downsizing allows:
-
Safer living while seniors remain at home
-
Reduced fall risk — decluttering can reduce falls by up to 31%
-
Time to make thoughtful decisions (not rushed ones)
-
Ability to plan financially — the CMHC reports senior living costs average $3,075/month
Early action prevents the frantic “hospital-to-long-term-care” pipeline that overwhelms thousands of Canadians each year.
Why Downsizing Professionals Are the Missing Link in Canada’s Aging Strategy
Most media coverage focuses on:
-
Long-term care
-
Retirement living
-
Home care
-
Caregiver burnout
-
Waitlists
But none of these systems function well without the bridge that gets a senior from their long-time home into the right environment.
This is where Alivio Downsizing steps in.
Our team supports families with:
✔ Compassionate sorting and rightsizing
✔ Auction, donation, and disposal
✔ Packing, moving, and resettling
✔ Preparing homes for sale
✔ Assisting seniors and family members who are overwhelmed
✔ Safety-focused decluttering to prevent injury
✔ Personalized plans for seniors transitioning into care
This reduces caregiver burnout — 40% of caregivers report feeling overwhelmed
And gives families back the time, space, and emotional bandwidth to focus on their loved one — not the belongings.
The Time to Talk About Downsizing Is Now
The Globe’s Aging Well series is a vital conversation. But to truly equip families, Canada must broaden its lens:
-
Senior living options matter.
-
Quality of care matters.
-
Community access matters.
But so does the transition into that next stage.
Downsizing is the first domino.
Without it, everything else falls apart.
A Call to Families — and Policymakers
If Canada wants to support seniors in aging with dignity, we must acknowledge the practical realities of moving from home to care.
It is not simply a housing decision.
It is the emotional dismantling of a life.
And families should not be expected to do this alone.
As we often tell clients:
“It’s not if we age — it’s how.”
At Alivio Downsizing, our mission is to make that “how” easier, safer, and more dignified for every Canadian family.
If this article resonated with you, your family is not alone.
Canada is entering a new era of aging—and it’s time we talk openly about the steps between “home” and “long-term care.”
