Dignified.ca
We are a 100% Canadian company located in Ottawa, Ontario. We were founded in 2015 with the sole purpose of helping people find the information they need to make informed decisions. We're not a big company — we're just a handful of people working to make a really useful resource for you.
My story
Hi, my name is Eric Dewhirst. I'm the creator of Dignified.ca, and this is how our site came to be.
My father was a man who took care of himself and those around him. In the winter of 2013, he had a nasty fall while at home alone and ended up breaking his arm badly. From that moment on, we realized that someone needed to be with him, or at least not far away — because of his lack of balance, he was falling more often. Sometimes he would fall out of bed at night and my mother would call me to come over to help pick him up and put him back into the bed. This was manageable, for the most part, because we rallied as a family to support him and my mother. In the fall of 2015 my mother and my siblings could no longer provide the 24 hour care for my father in the family home. So we did the unthinkable — we decided that we would look for “Nursing Home” that could care for him, perhaps even just for a little while as we figured out a plan.
We then entered the world that perhaps you are entering right now: What are the options, where are they, and how does all of this work? Our goal was to find a suitable solution that was close to the family home so that our mother could drive over easily and visit at any time of day. It sounded like a straightforward task: Put together a list of senior housing residences in the neighbourhood and go visit them. Right away it became apparent that it was not going to be easy to get a straight answer, from anyone. The first few websites I visited had some listings but not all, and the ones that they listed were across town. Furthermore, they wanted us to give them our phone number so they could call us directly. I have been a internet tech entrepreneur my entire adult life and that is just not how the Internet works. I do not need someone to tell me what's near me; I want to find that information on my own, and do my own independent research at my own pace. The more I looked into this problem, the more it seemed that this process is broken — and if there was ever a time that one needs easy to find and clear information, it is when you are trying to find the best place for a loved one.
So there was a problem that needed to be solved: Searching and finding senior care, and specifically senior housing, is very location specific; yet nobody was trying to solve that aspect of the problem. There is a big difference between a few kilometres away and 15 kilometres away, especially if it means a spouse or a loved one has to drive to that location to visit. The second major problem is that there are many websites that list some, but not all, of the residences. Listings on these sites are included because they paid to be included, such that so you never know if you are getting the whole picture, or just part of it. From the outset, the vision for Dignified.ca was to create a Canada-Wide National Database of all senior housing options, ranging from those that have a few rooms to residences that have hundreds. Our goal is to show you all of the options, and to provide you with information that you need, so that you can then put together a list of residences that suit your needs. You should be able to know that you are looking at all of your options, not just some of them.
In the end, my father moved into a home that was less than a kilometer from my house and two kilometers away from my parents house. I had no idea this wonderful residence (Villa Elmsmere) was in my neighbourhood — and we only discovered it because of a friend of my brother's knew the owner and suggested we go talk to them. If that conversation had not happened, we would have missed out on this gem of a place. Once my father was settled into the Villa Elmsmere, out of frustration, I created Dignified.ca. I collected up the most authoritative list of homes across Canada and built a search tool that allowed people to search based on a desired location. And, sure enough, people started to use it, and find the information they needed to help them in this one critical part of their time of need.
That is my story, and this is why our mission is simple and straightforward: Give you the information you need so you can find the right place for your loved one. No gimmicks, no games, no annoying advertising.
Why no ratings or reviews?
We would love to provide honest and valuable reviews. However, we have found that any reviews that are collected currently are incomplete; and, their feedback is either out of date, or so heavily biased such that it only unfairly skews one's perceptions of the residence one might be interested in. What we have found is that each residence is unique, and one size does not fit all. From our experience, it often comes down mainly to the staff and how they interact with your loved one. We have put together some advice articles to help you get through the decision making process.
Is your service really free? How are you paid?
Our service is really free! There is absolutely no catch or obligation. This site is funded by referral fees. A small percentage of homes listed on Dignified.ca pay us a fee for every happy customer that we introduce them to and who decide to move into their home. Their payment or arrangement with us does not influence our listings results, we will always show and order the homes based on the distance from the location you are searching from. We will always provide you with the information we have and not withhold things like, phone numbers, website addresses, amenities and features or pictures of the residence. Our business is to help those that need help finding a home or home care that is right for their specific situation. We have been in your shoes and we know you are emotionally drained and frustrated trying to get a straight answer, that is why we are here, to give you the straight goods.
Our service is the most ethical senior living consulting service in Canada. We can say this because:
- None of our staff are paid commission, they are paid salary. There is no incentive to place you in a home to get a commmission;
- All of our staff have signed our Code of Ethics and Standards of practice, which states that they provide you with the information you need and offer recommendations based on your criteria NOT based on potential remuneration.
- We do not make you sign an exclusivity agreements where you must only work us like everyone else in the industry.
- We will not be pushy with follow-up or try to convince you to move. This is a big and complicated decision and we respect that!
- If you want to do the research on your own, that is great, we list all of the information that we are allowed to publish so you have all the information you need to find the solution that meets your needs.
If you want help, we are here - plain and simple.
Our promise to you
Dignified.ca's commitment to you is to provide you with honest and unbiased information. Our intent is to provide you with the information you need, and ensure that you can make an informed choice regarding your needs, or the needs of your loved one. We also provide free advice on this website on how to choose the right residence that suits your needs.
How to get in contact with us
If you wish to get in contact with us please do so via the Contact Us page.
Thanks for stopping by. — Eric Dewhirst