A Guide to Retirement Care & Senior Living in St. Albert

As the second-largest city in the Edmonton region, St. Albert is a charming, quaint city boasting various parks, botanical arts nature, theatres, community centres, and hiking and biking trails. As the city has no shortage of outdoor spaces and recreational facilities, there are numerous opportunities for seniors to keep active and engaged after retirement. If retiring in St. Albert sounds like the right fit for you, Cared Upon can help you go through your options for senior living communities in the city. 

Residents and tourists of the city have a wide range of seasonal activities available to them, as the city provides a range of outdoor spaces such as outdoor sports areas, parks, lakes, and trails. Retirees who prefer being in nature can find themselves kayaking, canoeing, or fishing at water bodies such as Lacombe Lake or Big Lake. Additionally, you can find a variety of golf courses to visit, with the Sturgeon Valley Golf & Country Club and Sandpiper Golf & Country Club being the most popular golf courses offering picturesque views and fine facilities. The St. Albert Botanic Park, a garden filled with a wide variety of flowers and plants, is also a popular attraction for many locals, as you can find yourself walking around and exploring the variety of landscape architecture, flowers, and events it has to offer. 

St. Albert has a cold and temperate climate, with freezing, cold winters and warm, comfortable summers. A significant amount of rainfall is seen annually in the city, even during its driest months. The average summertime temperature in St. Albert sits at around 22°C (71.6°F). During the wintertime, you can find an average temperature to sit near -5°C (23°F). 

Whether it’s assisted living or a retirement community, St. Albert offers its senior residents a variety of reliable and affordable options to choose from when it comes to their care needs. While you can expect the cost of assisted living to typically start from $2000-$3000, the Alberta government works with numerous non-profit organizations and housing providers to offer subsidized options to choose from. If eligible, programs such as the Rent Supplement Program, Seniors Self-contained Housing Program, and the Seniors Lodge are designed to help subsidize the cost of retirement care based on your personal income.

Rent Supplement Program: The Rent Supplement Program was designed to subsidize the cost of housing for those needing both long and short-term assistance with rent. The Rent Assistance benefit is a long-term benefit program that offers low-income Albertans direct payments to their tenants to cover the cost of rent, with the coverage amount being individually calculated depending on both the local market rent and your household income. The Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit is a short-term benefit offering support to Albertans that are working on improving their current income situation or are not currently receiving support through benefits such as the Alberta Seniors Benefit. Similar to the Rent Assistance benefit, those eligible will receive support for covering their rent paid directly to their tenants. However, those receiving the Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit may only receive support for up to 2 years.

Seniors Self-contained Housing Program: Functionally independent seniors, regardless of whether they require assistance from community-based services, are offered apartment housing at a reduced cost based on 30 percent of their household-adjusted income through this program. Their subsidized rent also covers basic needs such as sewer, water, and heat expenses.

Seniors Lodge: Seniors that do not require specialized health care may be eligible for the seniors' lodge program, which offers rooms, meals, and housekeeping services for those 65 and up. Lodge rates may vary depending on each housing provider, however, all seniors participating in the program must be left with a minimum disposable income of $322 per month.

Depending on the care you require and your personal lifestyle, the cost of retiring in St. Albert can vary. When it comes to senior support for finance and budgeting during retirement, the Alberta government offers assistance with monthly expenses to those needing additional help.

Alberta Seniors Benefit: Seniors making an annual income of $29,285 or less (or $47,545 for senior couples) are entitled to a benefit that is determined by a number of factors. Your income, your type of accommodation, your marital status, and whether you are receiving the Old Age Security pension will determine the amount of support you will receive under this program. Additionally, If you are a new Alberta resident, you may receive these benefits in the month of your 65th birthday, or 3 months into your permanent residency in Alberta.

Special Needs for Assistance for Seniors: Low-income seniors making $29,285 or less annually are entitled to up to $5,105 per year to help cover the cost of health and specific personal items. For senior couples to be eligible, the household income made annually should be $47,545 or under. This program helps older adults cover the cost of items such as appliances, furniture, health support, or personal support. While health support can cover the cost of certain prescriptions, personal support covers the cost of services such as housekeeping, yard maintenance, medical trips, respite care, and more.

Seniors residing in St. Albert should receive a package in the mail six months before their 65th birthday outlining every program they are eligible for. For more information on eligibility and benefits, visit the official Alberta website.  

For seniors not eligible or looking for government funding, there are several different ways they can look to fund their retirement. 

Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs): Using a Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) or a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSAs), your post-retirement income is dependent on the amount you put into these accounts when you first began saving and the interest you received.

Investment accounts: More commonly, many older adults turn to taxable investment accounts, such as stocks and bonds, as a post-retirement income source. 

Employer-sponsored pension plans: If offered by your employer, you may be eligible for an employer-sponsored pension plan. This plan involves your and your employer contributing money towards your retirement over the course of your employment.

To learn more about your post-retirement income source options, visit our resource centre.

Alberta’s Health Services is known for its philosophy of offering health care that allows seniors to live independently at home for as long as they possibly can. All residents of St. Albert must register with the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan to receive coverage for health care and health services, such as medically required services and certain hospital services. However, the Government of Alberta supports their senior population by providing additional, premium-free health coverage to costs not insured under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan for seniors 65 and over. 

Coverage for Seniors Program: The Coverage for Seniors program covers additional health services such as specific prescription drugs under the Alberta Drug Benefit List, home nursing care, clinical psychological services, and chiropractic services. 

Dental Assistance for Seniors: Eligible seniors aged 65 and older are entitled to dental coverage of up to $5000 towards their dental services every 5 years.

Optical Assistance for Seniors: Every 3 years, eligible seniors are offered up to $250 in funding to cover the cost of optical services. This also includes and covers the costs of lenses, frames, and prescription glasses. 

Home Nursing Care: Seniors eligible are given up to $200 annually to cover the cost of physician-referred nursing care from the senior's home. 

For further information, you can visit and/or contact these sources: 

Alberta seniors benefit: A resource center for receiving senior financial assistance.

Recreation Fee Assistance Program: Information on how to sign up for Fee Assistance.

Alberta's Seniors Information Phone Line: call 2-1-1 or visit 211 Alberta