Keith Dyer welcomes me into his unit, a small bachelor apartment on an upper floor of the Williams Lake Seniors Village.
The suite has a small kitchen, a table and chairs, a recliner, and his bed and side table sit in the centre, in front of the window which overlooks the courtyard.
Dyer moved into the care home from his rural property in Likely, where he had retired in a double-wide mobile home, with five acres and a border collie.
It had been his dream, having come to the region for many years to guide hunting and fishing trips on his eight weeks of holidays from his maintenance job with the Langley school board.
But like often happens in real life, things shifted.
“I’m five minutes from the hospital,” explained Dyer, noting pancreatic attacks have resulted in him being taken to the hospital by ambulance twice since he moved to the facility in March of 2023.
He recalled the changes which led to him moving into Williams Lake and the assisted living situation.
His partner had moved away, and though he said he and his partner still speak daily, he described how he became isolated and was drinking heavily.
Smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and drinking a “40-pounder” or over a litre of alcohol a day, something had to change.
Health problems began to take their toll, and pancreas issues led to a need for painkillers and he was less able to take care of the property and himself.
So his daughter, her husband, their two children and five dogs all moved up from Delta to live with him, with the intention of helping take care of him.
But Dyer said he found this living situation overwhelming and it led to him spending most of his time in his room by himself.
“I finally couldn’t take it anymore,” he said, of the crowded and noisy living arrangements on the rural property.
So instead, Dyer chose to move while he could, to be in the care home.
‘This place has done nothing but good for me,” he said, of his government-subsidized accommodation, thanks to his low income.
While telling his story, a knock at the door signals the arrival of staff with the painkiller he requested. Since his move, Dyer has quit smoking and drinking, though he does rely on fentanyl to manage the pain.
“It’s a positive environment, people are happy,” he said of his life there.
Dyer said he usually spends time each day in the “bistro” area, visiting with fellow residents, where he said they talk a lot about the old days.
Dyer is now president of the residents’ association and while he said there’s not much of a night life, he’s happy.
“I’m in heaven, I love this place,” he said.
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