Evolving Service Providing Communities for the Senior Years

                         "For the times they are a-changin'" Bob Dylan

Due to recent changes in our economy, the popularity of service-oriented communities has increased.

Communities with Services

                                                Babylon Beach House Assisted Living on Long Island, NY:

Characteristics of Service Providing Communities:

• Studio, one or two-bedroom apartments
• One, two or three meals included in a monthly fee, and sometimes snacks too
• Housekeeping - daily, weekly or monthly
• If it is an assisted living community, included in a flat rate, along with meals and housekeeping, can be medical monitoring and personal services such as dressing and bathing.

Assisted living communities offer an easy lifestyle! Who wouldn't want that??

And that is the key to their recent popularity:

Physical Deterioration as we Age

As the population ages, fewer people are independent.

Aging can mean beginning to sit for longer periods of time. We can't lift and move objects around as we once did. Our legs feel stiff and achy. We lose balance easier and purchase a cane for the first time. We just don't have the same stamina. This accelerates when we are in our seventh decade.

In past times, by our 70's most of us are closer to passing. Times are changing and people are living longer with better health care.

This means just one thing: there will be a tipping point. When will we not want our independence any longer. We will always want it, but we just don't know how long we can maintain it.

Means of Transportation is a Huge Factor as we Age

Many people define losing their independence as the time when they can no longer drive.

When aging forces us to use alternative means of transportation, it becomes more desirable to move to communities that provide transportation and services as one has already given up a huge chunk of independence.

Cities that provide good transportation systems are also desirable for seniors. Santa Monica, California, and Portland, Oregon come to mind. There are many more cities that are addressing this problem for the future.

Types of Service Communities

What kinds of service communities are there?

• *Rental Apartments for seniors: Most of these communities don't even offer leases but are month-to-month. Developers design them for an active, independent lifestyle. Eventually, you can consider hiring home care if it becomes necessary.

• *Rent with services. These communities are like the rental communities, but they also include meals, housekeeping and a few to extensive services. These communities are good to a point. If you are no longer independent, you may need to move again. Each community varies in their policy.
• *Assisted living communities with an independent living wing. These dual communities are good when only one spouse is not well and needs care, which is very common. The average age in most assisted living communities is older, in the 70's, and some have designations of being for 62+.
• *Continuing care community - guarantees ones care for the rest of life. These usually require a large deposit and monthly fee. Best for people who know they will probably not move again. You enter them when you are still younger (50+) and active. Make sure the community is financially stable.
• *Memory Care Communities: The memory goes too. Alzheimer's is on the rise. There now are communities dedicated just to care for those with dementia. Spouses would need their own housing elsewhere.

The average age for men passing is younger than it is for women. These service communities are filling up--mostly with women whose spouses have passed.

Costs

Your monthly costs are not just a mortgage, utilities and property tax. It becomes a flat fee to cover housing, meals, and services. That means it will blend all your costs of living into a new monthly amount, and it may be higher than you can afford. That is it's major flaw.

As more people turn to these communities for help, hopefully the costs would come down. For instance, when you buy your own groceries and cook your own meals, you can look for sales and cut back on costs. But at these communities, you cannot do that.

Look for affordable options now!:

I hope you have plenty of assets as you age. If ones assets eventually disappear, which is common, one may rely on the family for care. Unfortunately, today most families have two people working and no one is around to give you care. You'd best look at some affordable housing options for your old age. You'd better look now because the waiting lists are filling up.

Can You Stay Active

There is another downside to these communities: the temptation to get lazy.

That is one thing living in an over 55 community will give you: more activity and push to keep moving.

But at some point, the body wears down, and these service providing communities can fulfill ones needs.

It is a whole new world, the world of the aging senior. More and more, service providing communities vs over 55 communities are blending and evolving into a new identity.

I can see active 55 communities becoming more service oriented, and assisted living communities and service providers having more recreational and social programs as they have now begun doing.

So from over 55 communities to Service Providers and Assisted Living, and all the shades in between, there are ample choices. A lot depends on your life status in making those choices.

Retirement Places in Florida for Military

I love finding retirement places considered gems by those living there. If one is in the service, retired, or about to retire, Brevard County, Florida, is a place to consider, according to an informative article from "Florida Today."  Even if not a veteran, Brevard County sounds like a true winner for everyone.
Brevard County is also known as the "Space Coast," since the Kennedy Space Center is located there.
Veterans represent one in six residents living on the Space Coast.
The main cities include Melbourne, Viera, Palm Bay and Titusville.
When one does not like traffic and over-crowded places, but rather a slowed pace, easy access to the beach and boating, an active retirement with plenty to do, and fabulous climate, Brevard County may be your choice.
Besides relaxing days spent on the beach, there is the John F. Kennedy Space Center to explore, quaint shopping areas, King Center for Performing Arts and nearby excellent hospitals.
For military residents, it is convenient to Patrick Air Force Base. The base offers shopping, medical clinic, and pharmacy, amenities attractive to veterans.
Viera is a smaller town adjacent to Melbourne where the Indian River Colony Club, a military retirement community, is located. It is listed on the Florida and Military pages on our site. It is a large community previously only for retired officers. The rules have been changed to include 20% civilians and anyone honorably discharged from the services (see their website for requirements and features). Some of the outstanding amenities include 18-hole golf and a country club lifestyle. A very high percentage of residents are retired military.
Especially for military retirees,  this is a best place to retire.

A List of Top Retirement Communities

Photo permission of Del Webb Ponte Vedra

Here is an interesting list of top master communities ranked as the best selling in the United States. This list is from John Burns Real Estate Consulting, a prestigious firm that builders and anyone involved in real estate can reach out to for advice and consultation.

But we have an interest in this list because we wanted to see how many over 55 or senior communities were represented on their list of 50 of the "Top Selling Master Planned Communities for 2012." It turns out, quite a few. We thought you would be curious to see if your favorites made the grade.

This list is just for master planned communities. A master community is one that has many villages within one master development. If your favorite community is not on this list, it may be because it is not within a master community and stands alone. Only the top selling communities are on this list.

The communities selected are those that have been selling better than others. That is good because it probably means there is something about it that is attracting people to it.

Here are those on the list of 50 that are for over 55 or are especially good for seniors:

FLORIDA

The Villages in Central Florida by Village of Lake Sumter, Developer.

Lakewood Ranch Esplanade - not over 55 but an active lifestyle with low maintenance by Taylor Morrison in Sarasota, Florida

Nocatee in Ponte Vedra, Florida, near Jacksonville. There is a Del Webb community.

Valencia Reserve Palm Beach, Florida by GL Homes.

FishHawk Ranch Lithia, Fl. by Newland Communities - not over 55 but good for retired military.

TEXAS

The Woodlands in Houston, TX by The Irvine Company - has an independent and assisted living community.

Teravista - Round Rock (Austin) - Village Builders has a NextGen home. These homes have a home within a home, conceived by Lennar Homes. This is a floorplan where seniors and their adult children can live in the same residence but with separate entrances.

COLORADO

Highlands Ranch in Denver, Colorado by Shea Homes. Many senior activities.

The Meadows at Castle Rock, Colorado. Bonaventure of Castle Rock is an Independent and assisted living community. There is also a memory care option.

Highlands Ranch Denver, Colorado - Many activities for seniors.

NEVADA

Summerlin - Sun City in Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada.

UTAH

Daybreak Salt Lake City - Garden Park over 55 community at Daybreak.

ARIZONA

Vistancia in Phoenix, AZ

Verrado in Buckeye, AZ

SOUTH CAROLINA

Cane Bay Plantation - Del Webb - gated neighborhood in Charleston, SC.

One might further assume that these areas where they are located may be in some of the most popular places to retire.

Reference: 
You can see the entire list of 50 here.

New:  See my new post, "A New List of Top Retirement Communities,"  from the most recent list of 50 top master communities by John Burns Real Estate consultants.

Suzanne Somers Tells us to Plan for Aging in her New Book

In her new book, "Bombshell," Suzanne Somers, who has turned 65, makes some good points:
One needs to plan for aging
In essence, one needs to take lifestyle seriously. Here is the video that inspired this post:


People plan for retirement, vacations, education, where to live, what to do during the day, but does one plan for future health.

Ok, some people are doing the right things for health, but there may be a nagging thought that one could do better.

How about losing weight? It is possible. I know because I did it. When I crossed over the recommended 25 BMI into the overweight category some years ago, I said, "ok, stop, that is enough." I was thin all my life and I decided I wanted to be thin again. Me-fat? Impossible. But there it was. I could not deny it.

So one changes. I became vegetarian. I began to follow the DASH diet. And I increased my exercise. I lost 30 lbs.

It does take some discipline. Keep in mind that foods one eats now may no longer be foods to eat going forward. One learns to find healthier choices.

Suzanne's book sounds intriguing and it might be a good place to start. Another way is to sign up for the DASH Diet program from their website for a way to a healthier lifestyle. And when looking for retirement communities, here are some things one might want to look for:

Somewhere to walk
Fitness Center
Recreational amenities such as golf, pool or tennis
Social programs
Wellness Programs
Well planned kitchens
Kitchen Islands
Restaurants with healthy food choices
Farmers markets and organic grocery stores in the area

Spring Notes on Retirement

I recently posted on my website that the big news for spring is that new home prices are moving up in some markets.  What does this mean for you.  We hate hype and writing about this news is not intended to make you feel rushed to buy.  It is for your information.  What is happening is that I just had to change a lot of prices on my Florida page.  The prices had moved up slightly but still there was movement of 2 to 4 thousand $$.

Florida is still the #1 place to retire for most people.  This is because of a combination of features:  climate, prices and beauty.  Just look at this photo by Del Webb of one of their communities on the East Coast of Florida: Ponte Vedra:

If there was ever a photo of Florida that made you want to move there, this must be it!

Other recent news:

Another builder, Shea Homes is having an interesting session: On April 20th, they will talk about their solar homes.  They have been getting energy bills close to 0 in their new homes - that is the goal and that is why they call it SheaXero.  To find out more, contact Shea.

A recent get together at the Country Meadows retirement homes designated April Random Acts of Kindness month in honor of their founder.  The Pennsylvania governor liked the idea so much he also designated April 7 as Random Acts of Kindness Day in memory of Mrs. Leader.

These are just a few of the over 55 builders that bring comfort and happiness to the senior years.

It's Spring! Time to walk!

If people have been putting off walking because it is too cold outside, there are no more excuses now because the weather is getting warmer. Sometimes I procrastinate posting, but I found this article by Dole about walking to be inspiring.   

As we age, we need to keep the brain healthy.  A study now shows that walking helps.  See this motivating article "Keep Your Wits by Walking," by Dole, the fruit and veggie people. 

You might want to read their blog "Nutrition News."   Dole is a class act.  I can still remember many years ago often driving by the gigantic fruit cocktail sign in Sunnyvale, California.   For me anyway, Dole has always been a superb leader in fruits and veggies.  Now they have this fabulous nutrition blog.

Nutrition is on people's minds today like never before.  Now walking is also since there is some evidence it is good for the brain as well as the body.  If one has couch potato tendencies, walking is easy, and the best exercise there is.  Walking may be especially good as we age.  Be sure to check with a doctor if this is a good exercise and wear good quality walking shoes.

When was the last time you took a long walk.  Remembering the sights, fragrances of flowers and sounds of birds, it reminds of how good it feels to be outdoors.  If in the city, the same applies.  The sounds of people laughing, talking, and cars going by in a rush is invigorating.  City sounds and sights are plentiful.

An important part of selecting the right retirement community is noticing where the walking paths are.  Is there a place for walks in the community or nearby in the country or city.  Walking as an amenity is easily overlooked, and yet it is extremely beneficial.  Be sure there is a place to get out and walk.  If not in the community, make sure it is near.   If people are living longer, it might be wise to keep the mind in good condition.    Do not forget the blueberries, also good for an aging brain.

Niches for the Retirement Years

I think it is marvelous that a New York Times blogger linked to my website.  I can see why they would do that considering their topic on niche retirement communities.  My site has some unique retirement categories.  Some of these are military, college, and equestrian.

I am always happy to discover more of these communities known as niches.  The New York Times article talks about some of them.  They are the community in Los Angeles for elderly motion picture actors and employees, the one for retired teachers, and there is one, as well, for former postmen.  These are just a few niche retirement communities.  I agree with the article that these communities are fewer now due to the economy.   However, there is a way to connect with whatever niche one chooses.

Large and small communities alike have been growing their lists of activities, clubs, and interest groups.  To find out if some of these have large groups of enthusiasts or are at the core of the community, one must ask.

Air Force Village West...military community in LA area

For instance, the Riderwood Community in Silver Spring, Maryland has an enormous crowd of card-playing enthusiasts.   In a conversation with the manager, this was mentioned.   There are extremely numerous card clubs.  This would be a dream community for card players.

Another community I came across had volunteering groups.  There was so much interest in this that I felt if one joined this community, they would have no problem joining in some of the various types of volunteering activities.

Another example would be the environmentalists.  There are communities that are adjacent to preserves.  A recent interview with Highland Green in Maine revealed the strong interest these residents had in nature and the outdoors.

Ecology Center at Highland Green--community in Maine

Unfortunately, a person may not even know about this.  On the surface, it looked to be like any typical active adult retirement community.

One has to dig deeper.  There are niches within niches.

I am not talking about any ordinary activity.  Most communities have the usual gardening club and clubhouse activities.  I am talking about real participation and commitment on a grand scale.  They are out there.  Whatever your preference, ask around.  I think it is essential to reveal it in my community descriptions when I find it.  I think it is what makes the community unique.   It is people joining others to enjoy the same thing.

The link from the New York Times article was to my military retirement communities page.  Military communities would be a niche.  Are there niches within this niche.   Start by asking the community.    Read the New York Times article, "Why Can't I Live With People Like Me?"