Senior Housing

Modern Senior Housing Options

There comes a time in many people’s lives when senior communities with assisted living become necessary.  Many of the modern senior housing options provide a sense of independence while simultaneously offering the support that seniors need to ensure their safety and comfort later in life.  The options range from senior independent living, which is basically a reduced rate housing community where hospitality and support services may or may not be provided, all the way to specialized care facilities for people with Alzheimer’s disease.  These facilities give family members peace of mind that their loved ones are taken care of, without leaving the burden of care on their shoulders.  And as seniors’ needs for assistance increase, it is easy to transition into a higher care level either in the same facility or at another location.  

While there may sometimes be negative connotations surrounding senior housing, many of the modern facilities are nothing like the sterilized hospital-like settings that often come to mind.  They are more like communities where senior independent living is encouraged; residents have their own apartments and they can come and go as they please.  The communities often have amenities like swimming pools and recreational centers where residents can gather for celebrations and activities like painting, sculpting and group exercises.  Meals are prepared for the residents in the communities with higher levels of care and assistance, and various medical services are often provided onsite.  

If you are trying to decide whether assisted living might be right for your mother, father or any other elderly person in your life, there are many factors to consider.  If they require more care and assistance than you or anyone else in their life can feasibly provide, it is probably the best option.  The difficult decision is deciding what type of facility is best based on the kind of care they need.  If someone who needs constant medical care is registered into an independent living community, he or she might be happy with living experience but will not receive the medical help they need.  If they are in good health, on the other hand, this type of community will be perfect for them, whereas a facility with around-the-clock care might feel constricting and make them unhappy.  

Senior housing has evolved and many options are available today.  With careful consideration of the elderly person’s needs, it should be easy to find the right place.

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A New Direction for Senior Housing

span style=”font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”;”>Home builders are currently facing a rapidly emerging demographic that has forced the housing industry to begin shifting away from traditional forms of real estate development into methods that cater specifically to the needs of seniors. According to the United States Census Bureau, 100 million U.S. citizens, or a third of the country’s population, will be 50 years or older by the year 2010. Many of these seniors and retiring Baby Boomers are now starting to transition from larger homes in which they have resided for years into more manageable accommodations. Consequently, real estate developers are currently scrambling to provide housing that meets the need of the Baby Boomer generation.

Home builders are not only adjusting due to the massive size of the senior population on the horizon, but also because of the significant purchasing power of this blossoming demographic. The younger generations that the housing industry has focused its efforts on in recent years have been relatively poor in saving their earnings and liberal with financing their homes. Conversely, seniors generally maintain strict personal finance principals whereby wages are saved and any debt is paid down as quickly as possible. Therefore, while many younger homeowners are using the bulk of their earnings to pay heavily leveraged home mortgages, many Baby Boomers are preparing to utilize their savings and the equity in their current homes to purchase the residences in which they plan to retire.

The housing industry is also embracing a shift away from the traditional assisted-living facilities into communities that offer seniors more independence and freedom. Boomers are frequently relocating into planned-unit developments (PUDs) and gated communities where regular dues are paid to a governing Homeowner’s Association (HOA) that provides for many of the amenities that they require. HOA’s will often maintain a homeowner’s yard, roof, and home exterior, while also providing for utilities, security and common areas that can include pools, clubhouses, golf courses, tennis courts, walking trails and community activities.

Other developments address many seniors’ desire to live near people with similar interests at a comparable stage in life by limiting homeownership to those over a certain age. These retirement communities also often offer a neighborhood grocery store, a pharmacy, restaurants, and more community involvement and activities that can help with the eventual transition to assisted-living facilities. Seniors have become increasingly attracted to communities that offer the convenience, mobility, amenities and freedom to maintain rich and active lifestyles as opposed to the institutional and more sterile environments provided by the more traditional models of senior housing facilities.

In terms of home features, a recent survey conducted by the Internet Home Alliance Research Council revealed that 63% of seniors have home offices in their new homes, while an amazing 70% have broadband internet access at home. The days of studio apartment-style senior living are on the wane as the vast majority of our aging population is looking to the increased square footage offered in homes with at least two bedrooms and full-sized kitchens. These findings clearly evidence the desire of seniors to maintain their connection with the world and further prolong their preferred lifestyles.

It is clear that seniors and Baby Boomers are expecting longer lives and better health and mobility than previous generations. As a result, the housing industry will need to continue to adapt in order to provide these very important segments of the population with housing that will foster the environments and lifestyles these groups require.

Kappa Kappa Gramma: Senior Housing on College Campuses Attracting Lifelong Learners

The popularity of senior housing nestled alongside golf course fairways is being challenged by seniors’-oriented apartments and condominiums within walking distance of college and university campuses. Called “university based retirement communities,” or UBRCs, these properties offer college coursework and a host of attractions and activities that many seniors find especially desirable.

Andrew Carle, an assistant professor and founding director of the program in Assisted Living/Senior Housing Administration at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, explains the phenomenon. “Boomers came of age in the dorms. They still go to the games, wear the sweatshirts, and love the idea of continuing education. People feel younger when they are surrounded by 20-year-olds. And they want the perks that come with college life: theater, classes, guest speakers, the library, even hanging out. This is the only model community that is intergenerational by definition. To me, it’s the future of senior housing.”

Numbers alone seem to support Carle’s opinion. Although AARP surveys have found that the vast majority of Baby Boomers don’t plan to move out of their homes or away from their communities when they retire, 10 percent of those aged sixty-plus actually do so. Considering the fact that there are 78 million Boomers, perhaps as many as eight million of them would consider a different lifestyle—including UBRCs.

Noting that there are more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the U. S., Professor Carle concludes that college- and university-affiliated housing “has the potential to be literally the future of senior housing in this country.”

Some of these properties offer assisted living housing, although most, according to AARP, are senior apartments or continuing care retirement communities. The appeal, of course, is the availability of college coursework, as well as such campus amenities as computer labs, fitness facilities, sporting events, and medical and dental services.

Here’s an example. Oak Hammock is a 270-unit independent living senior project situated on 136 acres at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Residents are issued campus identification cards that allow them unlimited use of campus facilities and activities. Oak Hammock’s Institute of Learning, a cooperative venture that involves the university and Elderhostel, provides continuing education coursework taught by university professors and experts in particular fields of study. Classes are held on the project campus, and are free to residents. Gainesville residents aged 55 and older are also eligible to attend.

The Institute of Learning offers classes in art and music appreciation, literature, creative writing, current events, philosophy, and many others, all of which have no prerequisites, tests or grades—even homework is optional. “The Role of the Media in the 21st Century,” “Ancient Peoples of the Western Hemisphere,” “Why Mathematics Really Does Count,’” “Energy for the Future,” and “Africa: A Continent in Change” are representative courses.

The 22,000-square foot, state-of-the-art, health club is outfitted with two heated pools, massage and physical therapy facilities, and is staffed by graduate students who serve as instructors and personal trainers. Wellness programs are available at the facility as well. There’s a 70,000-square foot Commons Area that features a theater venue, auditorium, art studios, and a business and computer center.

Oak Hammock boasts about its elegant dining, which is available in formal and casual settings. There’s also a sports bar and grill, and an ice cream parlor. There’s a pet park and an on-site veterinary clinic that provides routing checkups and pet-sitting. Transportation services and customized group travel packages and programs are provided. There are walking trails, gardens and lakes. Housekeeping services are available, and 24-hour security is provided, with gate-controlled community access.

In addition, the project offers a “Life Care” guarantee, which is a lifetime contract that provides unlimited access to assisted living, skilled nursing and memory support as these services become necessary. The Life Care program includes on-site wellness clinics and a rehabilitation center, all designed to help residents remain independent as long as possible.

College students also benefit by working on-site at UBRCs, or by serving in internships. Universities provide the communities with one-on-one training conducted by computer science majors, for instance, or ceramics or painting workshops taught by art students.

George Mason’s Carle, an unabashed fan of these projects, sums up the appeal of university-based retirement centers. “Schools find additional employment and work-related experiences for their students and maintain that connection between alumni and faculty,” he said. “Residents get an intergenerational, active, intellectually stimulating environment. It’s a win-win.”

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Safety as Well as Style Should be Considered When Looking for Housing for Your Elderly Loved Ones. it Used to be That Senior Housing Use to be a One-s

Safety as well as style should be considered when looking for housing for your elderly loved ones. It used to be that senior housing use to be a one-size-fits-all type of housing. Now there are several types of senior housing to consider.

More About Senior Apartments
Unlike a lot of nursing homes and senior living housing, most senior apartments are privately owned. Some of them are subject to federal housing guidelines and accept only low income seniors, but most senior apartments offer apartment living and services designed specifically for independent, active seniors 55 and older. Since many of these residences are designed for active seniors, it is likely that meal service, housekeeping or medical assistance is not offered.  Since many seniors are independent, they are looking for more than just sleeping quarters in a new apartment.

Features of Modern Senior Apartments
Safety hand rails, wheel chair accessible ramps and pathways and security personnel are just some of the safeguards that are included in modern senior housing today.
Of course, safety is always the main concern when moving your parents into a new senior housing situation, but that doesn’t mean that style needs to take a backseat to efficient lighting and safety handrails.

What New Senior Apartments Offer Today
•    Modern carpet, designs and fixtures
•    Modern furniture and paint colors
•    Upscale kitchen amenities
•    Planned apartment settings, like manicured grounds, gardens, golf courses or ponds
•    Swimming pools
•    Sport courts
•    Athletic facilities

New senior apartments today shouldn’t be a place to regress; they should be a place to encourage living and embracing all that life has to offer. Depending on where the senior apartment is located, the apartments blend in well with the scenery and can be quite attractive accommodations. Often times, seniors can have their own gardens, social planners and transportation to take them wherever they wish to go.

If it is time for you to look into senior housing for your parents or perhaps you are looking for more than just an apartment yourself, look around at the wide array of modern choices that now available. After all, these are the golden years!

Senior Housing- Just More Than Living

Regardless how independent or active someone is, in the end it becomes irrefutable that one can’t take care of all the things all together by himself. When it does happen it’s important to get simpler way of lifestyle and meanwhile carefully look for senior housing facilities.

It’s true that for anyone world ends at home and that’s make a key difference while you search for living facilities. At elder’s age it’s quite difficult to change the environment of home just because you need more attention. However caregivers and family members should also get active into finding out right kind of ALF. But that requires lot of research as each will try to prove them as a best living facility.

In such situations one has to understand that all facilities don’t offer the same. So, there are certain points that one would live to focus on before you finalize with any from your list. Main aspects like services, facilities, amenities, activities and most important fees ask for more focus. There are almost 33,000 Senior housing services providers across United States so at the time of research it’s better to take help of online directories. There are other four major points to find out about:

•    Accommodations
•    Medical Care
•    Social Interaction
•    Staff Habits

Once one has a clear idea about his/her requirement, online directories can quickly help out for to find out Long term care facilities near your residence. Having family closer to you, surely make things quite easier.

For more information:- Senior housing

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Myths associated with selecting quality nursing home care suggest quick and easy ways to identify quality care. In fact, relying on these myths can lead to disastrous results. I have identified a few of the most common myths in hopes of helping you avoid some of the problems commonly found in many nursing homes.

1. The Smell Test

You’ve heard it repeatedly: “The best way to determine the quality of care a nursing home provides is to be alert to bad odors when you visit the home.”

It seldom, if ever, works. Why? Nursing home administrators have heard the very same advice. As a result, they are particularly sensitive to unpleasant odors in any area that might receive visitors. Almost all will do their best to remove offensive odors as quickly as possible, even when it means avoiding their primary responsibility to their residents.

2. The Personal Recommendation

Recently, I heard a guest on a radio talk show state that the very best way to find great nursing home care is to get recommendations from a friend. Like other myths, there is a grain of truth here, but you must check whether your friend has had extensive interactions with the nursing home recommended. Often that is not the case.

Last weekend I dealt with an emergency call from Jim, a friend who had placed his mother in a nursing home recommended by a friend. Although she was recuperating from a stroke, no nurse or aide checked on her condition for more than 14 hours. Jim discovered her in the morning with many cuts and bruises, her bedsheets soaked in blood. He was astonished that anyone would recommend such a poor care facility.

“My friend said her grandmother was in this particular nursing home,” he reported. “So, I thought it would be good care.”

“How often does your friend visit her grandmother?” I asked him.

“I didn’t think to ask,” he responded.

“And did you check the latest survey for that nursing home?”

“No,” he answered. “I thought a personal recommendation was all I needed.”

Jim’s mother is now back in an area hospital. No one knows yet how much damage this experience caused to her recovery.

3. You Get What You Pay For

Nowhere is this statement less applicable than in nursing home care. In fact, I’d replace it with another shibboleth — “Buyer Beware.” Our own research, encompassing more than 6000 nursing homes and more than 100 assisted living facilities shows no relationship between cost and quality of care. You may find quality care in an expensive facility, or you may not! Similarly, the fact that a facility is low-cost does not indicate whether you’ll get poor, average, or quality care. You have to do your homework. Relying on price as the sole indicator of quality care can lead to disastrous results.

4. Adequate Staffing Equals Quality Care

A recent report by the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging indicated that quality care for a single nursing home resident requires more than three hours each day of nursing and nursing aide time. However, statistical analysis of the latest federal database on nursing home deficiencies indicates no relationship between quality of care and staffing levels. This finding is consistent with a number of university studies.

What should you look for, then, in nursing home staffing levels?

There is a level below which nursing homes are so understaffed that quality care can not be provided. I’d suggest that you not consider any home providing a level less than two hours per day per resident. For levels greater than this, I’d focus not on the number of hours available for care but on the motivation of staff available to provide care. Those who are motivated to care for the elderly will do so. Those who are motivated only by a paycheck will probably provide shoddy care regardless of their numbers.

5. A Well-Known Chain Will Provide the Best Care

This is another myth that can lead to tragedy. Sometimes, well- known companies do provide top-quality care. In other instances, however, a quick review of newspapers and magazines will show you other companies with long records of legal troubles stemming from accusations of neglect and abuse. One such company has been sued simultaneously by several states’ attorneys general.

How will you know? The company is not likely to tell you, so you won’t know unless you take the time to look into the company’s historical performance.

There you have it — 5 myths exploded!

What does work? There is no substitute for your own personal investigation. With a little research, with personal visits to nursing homes before you sign anything, you can avoid many of the difficulties that have come to those who relied on such myths.

About The Author

Copyright 2002, Phyllis Staff. Phyllis Staff, Ph.D. – Phyllis Staff is an experimental psychologist and the CEO of The Best Is Yet.Net, and the author of How to Find Great Senior Housing: A Roadmap for Elders and Those Who Love Them (2002).

pando19 @ direcway .com

5 Myths You Should Know Before Choosing Elder Care

Senior Housing – Residential Care Options

Active seniors, who are independent in their daily activities, often want a community setting that offers social and recreational activities along with a focus on services such as transportation to shopping, housekeeping, or laundry. Independent living is for the senior looking for security, services, social activities and a retirement lifestyle, but physical and medical needs are minimal.

Independent living communities are made up of single-family homes, apartments, or a combination of both, usually in a private and often age-restricted area. The communities have common areas for such activities as social gatherings, hobbies, a library or reading room, a swimming pool, or an exercise facility. The houses or apartments are set-up with kitchens, but a central dining area where meals are served is also available. Housekeeping and laundry services are available if desired. Medical care is typically not offered, though services may be available on site for easy access.

Independent living is also known as senior apartments, congregate housing, or retirement communities.

Assisted living is for senior adults that need assistance with the daily activities of bathing, toileting, dressing, or meal preparation. If a resident uses a cane or wheelchair but continues to require assistance with mobility, assisted living is a more appropriate choice. The care provided is non-medical care only.

Housekeeping and laundry services are generally provided. Staff is available to provide extra observation for safety when mobility is an issue, or if the senior needs help to get to the dining room. Senior Housing – Residential Care Options o k

This is on Hawthorne South between Carson and Lomita in Torrance, California, which I drive everyday to commute.
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Senior Housing Los Angeles And Across The States

Regardless of the part of the country you reside in, there are options for ailing seniors that keep dignity intact, while still providing the level of care necessary for the individual’s needs. Senior housing Los Angeles, senior housing New York, and senior housing Seattle are all available, as well as every place in between. You may be wondering what level of care is necessary for your loved one, as well as what is available near you. Finding out your options is as simple as doing an Internet search. First, it is good to be familiar with what kind of care your loved one needs or wants. Is he or she still in good physical health, but just needs some help with getting from place to place? If this is the case, independent living communities can be a great option. These communities let your loved one live in a condo, apartment or other independent housing situation, while providing a shuttle bus or alternate transportation method to get around. This way, seniors can still basically go where they want and do whatever they need, making decisions independently. Another option is the continuing care retirement community. In this sort of living arrangement, your loved one can have independent living, assisted living or nursing home care all in one facility. Depending on the level of care that is necessary at any given time, seniors can move back and forth between the different options. This can be nice because your family member will get to know and trust the staff, as well as get the chance to make friends and build a sense of community. Once you have determined the kind of situation that would be best for your loved one, you can search for the appropriate kind of senior housing by zip code, city and state. Then, you can use criteria such as licensing, cost and amenities to figure out which one is the best possible fit. Scheduling a time and day to visit the facility is a great idea, too, to see what the staff is like and if the environment seems comfortable. So if you’re looking for senior housing Los Angeles to New York has a home that, with a little bit of research, you could rest easy leaving your loved elder at.

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California Senior Housing Community

There are families in which senior members reach the age when they wish both to live independently and as well as still relish the facilities of a senior housing community . This will be a concern for the senior wishing to get advantage of this opportunity and also the younger members of the family who need to find the foremost appropriate place for his or her elderly parents.

As an example, amidst all the potential locations in the State of California (and there are 535 senior housing communities in California) it’s continuously wise to check their services on the community’s websites so as to settle on the acceptable one. The website retirement homes com  offers a manual to retirement living by highlighting numerous selections.

There are senior housing communities placed in a vacation atmosphere by the sea and other in an urban location. Other choices are acceptable for an ecologically inclined senior member who would love living in an area filled with natural foliage.

The primary move for a younger friend is finding a suitable senior housing community for the family’s senior members is to apply for for advice.

The California Registry offers its services by replying  commonly asked questions regarding geographic preferences, care desires and budget demands. They respond to matters that may necessitate counseling services for the seniors. A client assessment questionnaire is sometimes required in order to make the method easier for the counselor’s analysis of potential the senior housing communities that are applicable for a particular senior member.

Short listed options and advised locations are sent by means of e-mail, fax or mail to the inquirer and this capability saves time, money and effort for the family. If  there will be an critical need for a senior member to be relocated without delay to a senior housing community, the California Registry also takes the necessary actions to facilitate that emergency request.

Some useful tips for selecting a senior housing community are as follows:

1. Make a briefing for a 1st visit. This allows you to be seen by the directors at once . However, if you have got already determined on a specific facility, go there unannounced, especially during mealtimes, so you’ll be able to examine how meals are dealt with.

2. When there is no workers present, move toward a dweller and have a word to the person so as to get some insight into his or her feeling in that specific senior housing community.

3. Don’t be taken in by the nice appearance of the facility. Of course, it is foremost that the facility will be orderly, clean and without offensive smells. What one should seek for, is that it’s well maintained and kept in sensible situations but not necessarily over-decorated.

4. Intensely observe how workers and residents cooperate with each other. It is crucial that the occupant is comfy with the staff. The psycho-social wants of the residents must be met by the staff. See if the residents appear down. Maybe that is a sign that they will not be receiving the highest quality of life that they had expected.

5. It is fundamentally vital to comprehend and perceive the terms and conditions of the leasing deal or resident agreement. Discover what is included and what is not included within the services and whether there are additional prices not pointed out in the document. In addition, ask to look at the facility’s state licensing check up survey.

6. Lastly, notice out what will happen if the cash runs out. Sometimes residential care homes have Medi-Cal agreements with the State that give for the guardianship of residents whose funds are exhausted.

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Senior Housing Costs… Know Before you Go

In my 10 years as a senior specialist , the two questions I run into most when I’m helping people research housing are, “How much does it cost?” and, “Can I afford it?” The best way to find the answer to those two questions is my simple golden rule: “Know Before You Go.”

If you go shopping for a car, you need to know if you can shop at the Ford dealership, the Cadillac dealership or look for a good deal on a second hand vehicle. And it’s the same with senior housing.

There’s a wide range of housing and lifestyle options for all budgets, and you absolutely must know how much money your parents have to work with BEFORE you start looking at specific options. What you want to avoid is showing your parents options they fall in love with, only to find out afterwards that they are not financially viable.

To get you started, I’m going to tell you about two specific numbers that are critical points for the marketing professionals you’ll be speaking with, so having them handy will speed up the process and allow you to get more specific information from them.

The information you’ll need will fall into two categories: Assets and Income. With Assets, the number you’re looking for is your parents’ total Net Worth, also referred to as Total Combined Capital Assets. This is the total combined value of all the assets they own, such as Cash, Saving Accounts, Checking Accounts, Money Market Accounts, Certificates of Deposit, Stocks & Bonds, IRAs, Annuities, Real Estate, Cash value of insurance policies.

What you should NOT include are things like the car, china and crystal, furniture, etc. These are considered commodities and don’t factor into the official financial picture. A good rule of thumb is to not include anything they use for daily living, the primary exception being their current home.

Also, it’s not important that each of these areas is specifically broken out. The people you will be dealing with are looking for one, bottom-line number. If a portfolio already exists simply get the value of the portfolio. You simply need to know the total asset base you have to work with.

When calculating Income it is important to focus on AVAILABLE income. The actual term used by senior housing professionals is “Total Available Monthly Income.” So when doing your calculations, count ALL income, regardless of whether the person is using it now or letting interest and dividends roll into the principal.

The most common sources of income are Social Security and Pensions. Often older adults will live very comfortably on their pension and social security and consider that to be their ONLY income. But to be accurate in your research process, you have to dig deeper and look at the entire picture, adding ALL income into one pot. Other sources may include: Interest and Dividends earned from assets, IRA Income and Rental Income.

When you have tallied all of the annual income from these sources, add it all up and divide by 12. This number is the Total Available Monthly Income. It doesn’t mean they have to spend it or take the payout on it. It just has to exist. What you want to know is how much money is available each month without starting to spend down the asset base.

Whether you are considering purchasing traditional real estate or moving to a retirement community, know before you go! Do this homework in advance and you’ll save yourself stress, emotional anxiety and valuable time in your research process.

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