Solva was created to help you find a retirement community without having to do endless research on your own. We can narrow down your search quickly because – after we learn about what you’re looking for – we’ll know which retirement communities will best suit your needs for care, pricing and location. Since we have overseen many communities in Ottawa and/or visited every community in Ottawa since then, we can also narrow down preferences and personality.

We are the only Search Assistance Program in Ottawa to have a top tier of staff who have all physically worked in the industry. Our founder has more than 25 years of experience in both retirement homes and Long Term Care facilities. We have a retired RN leading our Education and Outreach program who has more than 30 years of experience in LTC, geriatrics and public health. Our Program Director is a Registered Kinesiologist who worked in several communities and our Principal Consultant owned her own elder care company for many years, assisting clients at home, in retirement homes, and in the hospital. 

Finally, and again very importantly – no one on our team is paid commission. Unlike other similar services, we focus on education based discussions which lead to referrals that truely match your needs. We can do that as our team has no agenda based on remuneration.

We offer our full service to all of the Ottawa area from Cumberland to Carp and south to the more rural communities of Manotick, Osgoode and Greely. We are also able to provide light search assistance in SD&G, Cornwall, The Ottawa Valley, Brockville, and Kingston.

It means we will never ask you to pay us for what we do. Our liaison, research, follow up, communication, resource and information sharing, as well as accompaniments on tours* is free.

We will:

• Never ask you to sign a contract to work with us or ask you for your credit card before we begin;
• Never ask you to compensate us if you choose to move into a residence that doesn’t partner with us;
• Never ask you to pay for our time if you choose not to move into any home we have referred to;
• Never ask you to pay for information that is publicly accessible!

*We can accompany you on up to two tours at no charge. With that said, we will continue to provide guidance and support all along the way at no cost.

We are funded by our retirement community partners who pay us a flat fee for our services. Unlike similar services who charge up to one month’s rent (this can be as much as $8000!), we have a program that is fair to all our partners and our clients.

Our Advisors are also the only ones in Ottawa we believe, to be paid a salary and not paid on commission. We do not have any targets, incentives, bonuses or a ‘pay-per-stay’ compensation plan. This means that we will never suggest a property for higher remuneration and we will always be impartial, independent and non-aggressive.

Absolutely! We can help you not only understand everything being said to you but also help you ask the right questions or those you may forget to ask. We take the time to get to know you and your wants, needs and preferences and then while on tours of communities we can advocate for you in this process and make sure you’re not being sold something outside your goals when you started this process.

Then we’d love to hear from you to start making a plan and to chat with you about things to consider. We are always working with your best interests at heart, so if now is not the right time, that’s fine. We will keep in touch, and will always be here to answer any questions you might think of. We also offer a free concierge program to Age in Place, so if that would be more beneficial for you, let us know!

We want what you want. Whether that means remaining at home or relocating, that is entirely your decision. At no time will our team ever try to convince you either way. In fact, we would warmly welcome helping anyone wanting to age at home create proactive plans by coordinating services that enable just that – Aging in Place!

We have services to help you age successfully at home and can help you coordinate services to remain at home with freedom, independence, and confidence for both you and your family.

Our founder Christine’s background is LTC and she has an education in LTC Management with the Canadian Healthcare Association. She is always happy to chat about LTC anytime but there is a process of admission to LTC that is regulated and beyond what we can offer. Nevertheless we can certainly educate, coach and guide you to the right people to speak to. We can share with you publicly accessible information regarding the LTC process including admission process and who to contact as well as the website for wait-times, public reports and other documents. We can also share some strategies about what others have done while waiting for LTC.

Please refer to our full Privacy Policy to read more about how we take and store your information.

We can’t unfortunately. While Solva and its representatives will do all they can to provide you with up to date and accurate information, it is your responsibility before you sign your lease, to confirm pricing for services offered and to understand how this pricing is structured.

You are entitled to receive a Care Home Information Package (referred to as a CHIP) from your chosen residence, which details all services provided, what is included in your monthly rent and the additional costs associated with further care, if applicable. You should review all information carefully and ask any questions of the sales consultant, if you do not understand their offering or terminology. If you are not provided with a copy before or at the time of lease signing, please ask for one.

Solva is always happy to discuss with you any pricing structures that retirement homes offer, and what they mean. Solva is not responsible for any changes in prices that retirement homes may make, nor for guaranteeing any pricing from retirement homes in our communications with you.