Posted on Wednesday, November 26 2025
When a loved one is in hospital for an extended period, the primary caregiver – often the spouse or life partner – shoulders an enormous burden: They become the defacto companion, spending hours in hospital every day; they have to function as a patient advocate with healthcare providers; they need to keep track of treatments and medications; and in many cases, they also end up having to spend huge amounts of time traveling back and forth to the hospital, which may be far from home.The worry, irregular hours, crazy schedules, and time required both in the hospital and traveling can be debilitating: Scientists at the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) say that caregivers can not only end up with PTSD but become themselves more at risk for serious illness and even death when the situation continues for weeks or months.
Corporate housing can make a real difference
Furnished rentals, also known as corporate housing, can be a smart way for primary caregivers to improve their quality of life. Here’s how.
Reduces traveling time: Furnished suites located close to healthcare facilities eliminate the need for lengthy daily drives back and forth from home to the hospital. (Premiere Suites has multiple options in the major healthcare districts in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, and a wide variety of other cities across Canada.)
Facilitates better eating: Caregivers can find themselves trapped in a cycle of eating takeout in the car on the way to the hospital, having to eat meals in the hospital cafeteria, or simply surviving on coffee as they rush from one place to the next. Having a home base nearby with a fully-equipped kitchen means they can prepare their own meals – and maybe even bring a healthy snack or two to the hospitalized person.
Healthier lifestyle options: After supporting a loved one through a long illness, caregivers often report there were times when they didn’t even notice the seasons or what day it was. Being able to walk to and from the hospital allows caregivers to get outside and see ‘the real world’ for at least a few minutes each day, which can make all the difference in the long run.
Makes family visits easier: The broad range of options in suite sizes and layouts means that it’s easy to have family members or friends come to stay. Whether it’s to give the primary caregiver a night or two off, or to facilitate larger family visits, furnished suites make the whole experience seamless for everyone.
Pets don’t have to be left behind: When a family member is in the hospital for an extended period and the caregiver is occupied, the family pets can be the ones who get short shrift. Since most of Premiere’s furnished suites, homes and townhomes are pet-friendly, they can come along – which means less stress for everyone.
How Premiere Suites can help
As the largest provider of corporate housing in Canada, we’ve worked with thousands of organizations around the world, providing accommodation for people who need to be close to hospitals and healthcare facilities. With more than 1500 furnished suites, homes and townhomes across Canada, plus a network of more than 10,000 more furnished residences, we’ve got accommodations to suit just about everyone!