Choosing a dementia care home for someone you love is an important decision. Families often begin with questions about safety, care, costs, and what everyday life will look like.
But there is another question worth asking.
Will the person I love feel at home here?
For more than 25 years, Highview has focused on creating homes where people who have dementia can continue to enjoy familiar routines, meaningful relationships, and as much independence as possible, for as long as possible.
At Highview Kitchener, that philosophy comes to life in two dedicated dementia care Houses: Blair Creek House and Cedar Creek House.
Two Houses, Four Cottages, One Familiar Way of Living
Located at 20 Reichert Drive in Kitchener, just minutes from Highway 401 at Homer Watson Boulevard, Highview is easily accessible to families throughout Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and surrounding communities.
Highview Kitchener consists of two Houses, each with two cottages.
Blair Creek House includes Edwards Cottage and Treffry Cottage. Cedar Creek House includes Bowlby Cottage and Cooper Cottage.
Each cottage is home to just 13–14 people, with private suites and shared living spaces designed around the familiar rhythms of home.
At the heart of each cottage is an open kitchen and harvest table where people gather for meals, conversation, and everyday activities.
This smaller setting gives our Associates the opportunity to truly know each person; their history, routines, preferences, and the little things that make them who they are.
Curious what life looks like at Blair Creek House and Cedar Creek House?
Come for a VisitYour Day, Your Rhythm
At Highview Kitchener, the day is guided by the person, rather than an imposed schedule.
Someone who enjoys sleeping in can have a slower morning. Another person might be up early, ready for coffee and breakfast. Some enjoy helping prepare meals, setting the table, or folding laundry. Others prefer a quiet place to sit and enjoy the activity around them.
We believe in doing with, not doing for.
That means looking for opportunities to support people in continuing to participate in everyday life, rather than automatically doing everything for them.
Dementia changes many things. It does not erase the person.
What Does an Ordinary Day Look Like?
An ordinary day at Highview Kitchener might include baking together, an afternoon of painting, a visit from a therapy animal, or live music in the cottage.
Our activity calendars include art therapy, pet visits, exercise, music, games, baking, and opportunities for spiritual connection.
Music is a familiar part of life, with visiting performers, sing-alongs, and groups such as the Cambridge Ukulele Ensemble bringing people together.
Throughout the year, birthdays, holidays, seasonal traditions, and special events give everyone something to anticipate and enjoy.
And, of course, in Kitchener-Waterloo, Oktoberfest deserves a celebration of its own!
There are birthday socials, anniversary celebrations, seasonal gatherings, and opportunities to welcome entertainers and visitors from the broader community.
Some people enjoy joining a group. Others prefer a one-to-one conversation, listening to music, or watching from a comfortable chair nearby.
And there are all the everyday moments that don't appear on a calendar.
Sharing a cup of tea. Helping prepare lunch. Sitting beside someone in the kitchen. Enjoying a familiar song.
The goal isn't to keep everyone busy.
It's to create opportunities for connection, choice, and purpose throughout the day.
Visit Highview Kitchener-Waterloo. See Blair Creek House and Cedar Creek House for yourself.
Book a TourGardens and Outdoor Living
At Highview Kitchener, our secure perennial gardens have been growing and maturing for nearly ten years, creating beautiful outdoor spaces that are part of everyday life.
Enclosed walking paths provide opportunities to enjoy fresh air, movement, and the changing seasons. Screened porches overlooking the gardens offer comfortable places to sit, visit with family, or simply enjoy being outdoors throughout three seasons of the year.
Beyond the gardens are peaceful views of neighbouring farmland and the green, naturalized spaces of the Grand River Conservation Area.
For someone who enjoys walking, gardening, watching the birds, or simply sitting quietly and taking in the view, these spaces offer opportunities for connection with nature.
And for families, the gardens and porches provide welcoming places to spend time together.
These outdoor spaces are more than beautiful surroundings. They're part of our approach to dementia care, supporting independence, familiar routines, and meaningful moments throughout the day.
Care That Knows the Person
Thoughtful dementia care involves more than helping with daily tasks.
Our specialized Associates are available around the clock to support personal care, medications, meals, mobility, and changing needs.
The smaller cottage setting allows the team to learn how each person prefers to move through their day.
How do they like their morning coffee? What helps when they're feeling uncertain? Which music brings a smile? Do they enjoy company or quieter moments?
Knowing these details helps care feel familiar and personal.
Highview Kitchener also offers access to a visiting family physician who provides regular in-home visits. Our team can collaborate with geriatric specialists, memory clinics, and other healthcare professionals when additional support is needed.
Families remain important partners, sharing the knowledge and relationships that help each person continue to feel known.
How to Choose a Dementia Care Home in Kitchener-Waterloo
If you're beginning to explore dementia care in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, or the surrounding communities, here are some practical considerations.
1. Begin with the Person
Before comparing homes, think about what matters most to the person you love.
What routines bring comfort? What abilities remain? What support is becoming more important?
A good starting point is imagining what an ordinary, enjoyable day might look like six months from now.
2. Understand Your Care Options
In Ontario, families can explore private retirement living, Assisted Living, and dedicated dementia care without applying through Ontario Health atHome. Waiting times are generally shorter, depending on availability.
Long-term care follows a different pathway. Applications are coordinated through Ontario Health atHome, and waiting times can be two years or longer, depending on the community and homes selected. The government subsidizes nursing and personal care, while individuals contribute toward accommodation costs.
Some families choose private dementia care while waiting for long-term care. This is sometimes called a gap strategy.
Exploring dementia care in Kitchener-Waterloo? Visit our Alzheimer Society endorsed homes, where every day feels like home.
Come for a Visit3. Visit Two or Three Homes
Websites and photographs are helpful, but visiting allows you to see daily life.
Look beyond the bedroom. Notice the shared spaces, dining areas, outdoor gardens, and how team members interact with people.
Ask what an ordinary Tuesday looks like.
And ask how the home gets to know someone beyond their medical history.
See our virtual tour here of our dementia home.
4. Understand the Costs and Future Care Needs
Ask what is included in the monthly fee, which services cost extra, and how the home supports changing care needs.
Can someone remain in the home if they need more help with mobility, eating, or personal care?
Understanding these details early can help you plan with greater confidence.
5. Think About Timing and Moving Day
There isn't always one clear moment when it's time to move.
Consider daily life, safety, social connection, and the well-being of the person providing most of the care.
When the time comes, familiar furniture, photographs, routines, and a carefully planned moving day can help make the transition gentler.
Come See Highview Kitchener for Yourself
The best way to understand life at Blair Creek House and Cedar Creek House is to visit.
Walk through the cottages. Spend time in the gardens. Meet the Associates. Ask questions about care and everyday life.
Phone number: (519) 893-2374
There's no pressure. Just an open invitation to see what home feels like here.
We also offer our free 7 Steps to Choosing a Dementia Care Home guide, with practical questions and tools to help families understand their options.
Even if the person you love never moves into a Highview Home, we hope our experience can make a difficult process a little easier.
Dementia Care in Kitchener-Waterloo
A home, not a facility.
Blair Creek House and Cedar Creek House are Alzheimer Society endorsed homes where people living with dementia are known, supported and part of everyday life. If you're wondering whether it's time, or just want to see what life could look like for someone you love, we'd be glad to show you around. Take your time. We're here to help.
Come for a Visit