How we collect and verify our data
Our research is meant to be cited, so it has to be trustworthy. This page explains exactly how we gather senior-care data in Canada, how we report it, and where the limits are. If a study of ours does not meet this standard, we hold it back until it does.
We collect our own data
Every study is built from data we gather first-hand, mostly advertised pricing from provider websites and public listings, supplemented by short scripted pricing calls where a price is not published. We do not resell someone else's dataset or reprint a number we cannot trace back to a source.
We report medians, not averages
A few very expensive suites can pull an average up and away from what most families actually pay. We report the median (the middle price) along with the 25th and 75th percentiles, so you see the typical cost and the range around it, not a figure skewed by outliers.
Every figure carries its sample size and date
Each number is published with n (how many residences it is based on) and the month it was collected. Prices change, so a figure without a date is not much use. Where a city has fewer than five observations, we flag it as a limited sample rather than presenting it as settled.
We keep like with like
We never blend a studio, a two-bedroom, and a memory-care suite into one blurry average. Costs are broken out by suite type and by city, and we record what each price includes (meals, housekeeping, care hours) so you are comparing comparable things.
We re-collect and version everything
Studies are refreshed on a set cadence (quarterly or annually), the version is bumped, and the prior dataset is kept. Each update is logged on the study page so you can see when a figure last changed and what moved.
We only use pricing that is public or offered
We work from publicly advertised pricing or prices a provider gives us voluntarily, and we disclose the method and date on every page. We prefer manual capture and direct calls over scraping that would breach a site's terms.
When our data is not perfect, we say so
Advertised pricing is a starting point, not a quote. Your actual cost depends on the suite, the level of care, and any move-in incentives a residence is running. Some operators publish a "starting from" price that assumes the smallest suite and the lowest care level. We record what we can verify and label the rest plainly, so a number is never more confident than the data behind it.
If you spot something that looks off, or you run a residence and want to correct a figure, we want to hear about it. Corrections are logged on the study, with the date, in the open.
Who writes and reviews this
Our studies are compiled and fact-checked by the Senior Care Path editorial and research team. Where a study touches clinical, legal, or financial questions, we have it reviewed by a qualified professional and name them on the page. We only credit real, named people with verified credentials, so a reviewer's name means they actually checked the work.
See our published research