RINKS ( Retired, Independent, No Kids )
My husband and I are RINKS who live in a very nice area an hour southeast of Orlando and only 15 minutes from the Atlantic Beaches. We thus want to age in place. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Relying on the charity of friends is not the best plan.
A better approach would be to network in DEPTH with other boomers who will face similar issues to brainstorm solutions. It is not an impossible task to perhaps set up your own CCRC ( Continuing Care Retirement Community ) without the legal and regulatory hurdles which together with the profit motive make these places too expensive for most.
Aging in Place
According to the census, the number of Americans in their 60s will jump 71% from 2005 to 2020. Young boomers are in luck because entrepreneurs will rush to cater to their needs as they age so long as they have financial means. Semico Research published a report in July 2013 claiming the health and wellness monitoring market for Aging in Place will reach $30 billion by 2017.
Websites and organizations have already sprung up all across the nation, in individual communities, states and nationwide to help people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.
Aging in Place is our personal preference and I think the choice of everyone else. We all want to live in our homes for as long as viable.
The key is to compile all pertinent information long before you need it. We had to take care of an elderly uncle who had never married. As a result, we are now experts at aging issues long before our time.
The key lesson we learned was that you need to live in a location that is easily commutable to whoever you hope to help you age in place.
MOVE, if you have to, long before your health declines or you will end up falling down and being forced into Assisted Living prematurely.
Assisted Living
Seniors who need assistance and whose children live out of state or are childless are prime candidates. There are 2 major negatives.
The first drawback is how expensive a decent Assisted Living facility is these days and it can only cost more in the future. Another major disincentive is that everyone there would basically be old and sick.
I intend to set up arrangements ( house cleaning, grocery shopping, nursing aide when necessary ) with various vendors to assist with my daily living when the time comes. I am hopeful that this setup would delay my need to move into Assisted Living by many years.
Continuing Care Retirement Community
I am hoping to get the word out to folks who are planning to downsize or relocate to a warmer climate to consider my area. A neighbor 2 houses down is selling her house ($250K) in order to finance her move into assisted living while a neighbor across the lake would probably have to do likewise ($375K) in another couple of years.
Folks in this loosely-structured "CCRC" can then look after each other needs either on a paid or volunteer basis depending on the relationship between the parties involved. It would also be more economical to purchase outside services (lawn or house maintenance, transport, etc)
as a group rather than individually.
Please feel free to contact me by email or phone if you have questions about my idea of building slowly over time our own Continuing Care Retirement Community.
Make Your Home Senior Friendly
Falls are the leading cause of infirmity and injurious death among older adults. Fall prevention is thus crucial to one’s ability to age in place.
A lack of support in the shower or bathroom, inadequate railings on the stairs, loose throw rugs, and obstructed pathways are all possible dangers to an older person. Simple and low-cost modifications to an older person’s home can greatly decrease the risk of falling.
You can greatly reduce the risk of falling by installing brighter lighting, accessible switches at both ends of the stairs, additional railings, grab bars, nonskid flooring, a hand-held flexible shower head, walk-in bathtubs and the removal of throw rugs and clutter.
More expensive home modifications include ramps for accessible entry and exit, walk-in shower, sliding shelves, stairlifts, or even home elevators.
Aging in the Future
Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a smart house which incorporates technology which could open and lock doors, close blinds, turn on lights, and more.
There is also an in-home monitoring system that inform family members about an older relative’s daily activities, health status, and potential problems.
This would allow older adults to remain in their own home while still maintaining their independence without their families having to worry about their well being.
Assistive technologies include communications, health and wellness monitoring, home safety and security.
The above is not the only smart house that has popped up. The University of Florida has created one as well. It has smart refrigerators and pantries which can detect food consumption and expired products.
Their smart laundry machines can coordinate with the smart closet to notify the resident when it is time to do laundry as well as aid in sorting the laundry. Every room is specially designed with these and many more smart features to aid their living situation.
ACTION TAKEN
God willing, we shouldn't need nursing care for another decade or two but it is never too early to start planning how to age in place.
I have just set up a social group called "Baby Boomers Network" on Facebook at
facebook.com/groups/babyboomers888
to network with folks who think my idea of setting up a CCRC is worth exploring further.
Please check it out and post your comments so we can further the discussion. Better still, why not join as members especially if you are either a boomer or soon to be one.
CALLING REALTORS
May I suggest that you refer any boomer clients of yours aged between 50 to 70 looking to buy in the Viera/Suntree area to this page if you have a listing in Six Mile Creek. It might just possibly tip the scale in your favor if having a neighbor focused on organizing a loose-knit "CCRC" in the future is important as they age in place.