Everyone is Aging Blog

I was delighted to see that John Kelly of The Washington Post did a great article and video featuring Bob Schapiro, one of the subjects of my post last week about living a life with "purpose".

Bob is a curious man who doesnt let grass grow under his feet and he seems to find purpose, friends and meaningful activities easily on his own. I think its important for those of us working in this field to serve as a "guide" by getting to know those we are working with on a deeper level and help them brainstorm ways they can engage in meaningful connections.

In the video, Bob states "I am doing something with my time that is worthwhile" a great reminder that this desire to serve others is ageless and shouldnt stop just because someone lives in a senior living community!

For many a move to a senior living community or nursing home can be a traumatic change for the resident.  Because there are so many people to offer assistance in these settings its common for residents to stop helping others, stop or reduce energy toward trying to do things for themselves, and dreaming about the future.  There are many individuals that choose a different path – whether on their own or with the encouragement of others.

Kim Ahn

Fairfax County Times photographer Shamus Ian Fatzinger was driving by a basketball court on a recent 100 degree day.  He saw a lone shirtless player and thought it would make for a good photo.  Then Kim Ahn arrived, age 74, Shamus states,“She said that she found out she had high cholesterol and blood pressure so she started playing basketball for 2 hours each day. She told me she wears a hat to keep the sun off of her face and the fleece gloves were to protect her manicure. She was also followed by a soundtrack of Vietnamese religious music that was playing on a cell phone in her pocket. Very cool lady.”

Bob Schapiro

Yesterday I had a meeting at Friendship Terrace Retirement Community, when I entered the lobby I was happy to see Bob Schapiro, a resident that I interviewed for an article earlier this year.  Click here to read the article and watch a video of Bob.

Similar to Kim shooting hoops, Bob finds purpose in collecting cigar boxes. I remember him proudly showing me some of his “finds” when I first met him.  He told me that going out and looking for these was an adventure and is what “keeps me young”.  So, I was a bit surprised to see two carts with hundreds of cigar boxes in the corner of the lobby! 

I learned that Bob is now sharing his collection with the young soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center.  The soldiers can now keep their personal items in a unique cigar box thanks to Bob!  Its great to see how he was able to turn his hobby which kept him occupied and happy into a project with such meaning!

Nursing Home Resident Council with a Purpose

Most assisted living and nursing homes have resident councils.  These are generally the equivalent of “student governments” in elder care settings.  Their structure and organization can vary greatly ranging from reviewing the details of management and operation decisions to reviewing menus and programming.  While independent living communities often have very active and organized resident councils – many times assisted living and nursing homes struggle to get residents involved.

At the Pioneer Network Conference I had the good fortune to attend a session featuring Mark Latham, Administrator of Pleasant View Center a Nursing Home in Concord, NH.  Mark shared how his community had similar challenges, and how he gave the residents the flexibility and a platform to create a resident council that has taken on some ambitious projects with meaning and purpose.

This meaningful work started with a discussion amongst residents that “hunger in New Hampshire is unacceptable”.  It set off a series of events and activities that has raised over $80,000 to date for the NH Food Bank and encouraged other communities and nursing centers to follow their model and help out.  The group has not stopped there – they are continuing to take on important issues and concerns to the residents. 

As Mark Latham talked about this change in his center – I had a visions of a Hollywood movie!  I asked if the residents getting a taste of “activities” with such meaning and purpose, did they continue participation in the traditional activities in the center?  He shared that he thought that might be a result, but it wasn’t.  This program was offering the residents another option, and fortunately because there are so many involved in the project a resident has the flexibility to skip a conference call if one of their favorite activities is scheduled at the same time.

He mentioned that the residents are open to reaching out to other communities to share what they have learned and help others – here is the contact information: Barbara.platts-comeau@genesishcc.com.

 

Click here for some additional information on the Seniors Aid New Hampshire Program.

The closing session at most trade shows and conferences can sometimes be a “commercial” for the next years show. So I was tempted to skip the closing session at the Pioneer Network Conference to catch up on emails.  I am glad that I didn’t – all of the speakers were very good – but my favorite was Omar Cain.  Omar is a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) who works in a nursing home in the Philadelphia area.  Check out this video of Omar!

Omar performed his song on the video at the conference – the entire crowd was on their feet!  

I really connected with the poem he recited before the song,

IN 1997 A GROUP WAS FORMED.

PROMINENT PROFESSIONALS PIONEER WAS BORN

CALLED FOR A CHANGE THE IMPACT WAS RADICAL

SO CULTURE OF AGING IS HUMANE AND HABITABLE

EMBRACE FLEXIBILTY, AND SELF DETERMINATION

IN A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY THAT BUILDS A RELATION

CARING FOR AMERICAS ELDERS IN A STATE OF AGING

REGARDLESS OF AGE, CONDITIONS, OR LIMITATIONS

IT’S NOT A DESTINATION AJACENT TO A JOURNEY

DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL MODELS, BUT MORE HOMELY’

THE DREAM IS IT BECOMES WORLD WIDE SELECTED 

CONSUMER DRIVEN AND RESIDENT DIRECTED

IT’S MORE THAN A TASK BETTER YET A MISSION

A RACE TO THE FINISH BUT NOT A COMPETITION

A HOME TO RESIDE TO THRIVE NOT DECLINE

UPLIFT SPIRITS AND BODY AND MIND WILL RESPOND

CULTURE CHANGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS 

TOGETHER AS ONE WE CAN SPEED THIS PROCESS

THIS IS ABOUT LIFE NOT ABOUT A PROFIT

WE GOTTA EXERCISE OUR VOICE TO SENATE AND CONGRESS

THIS WAY OF LIFE IS BETTER  PHYSICALLY  STIMULATES MENTALLY

HELP SAVE OUR LIVES WE ALL GET OLDER EVENTUALLY

IT’S A HEAVY LOAD WE ALL MUST HOLD

The folks at MetLife really churn out some great research! The other day I learned that they recently released a study “How Purpose is Recession-Proof and Age-Proof” which is a follow up to last years research “Discovering What Matters” which I mentioned back in March 09 during my first move to a senior living community.

You can read the details of both of these research projects at their website. For me this report is simply a reminder that above all else having purpose is the most important element at all ages.

It might seem like common sense, but I feel that this often escapes many of us in the senior living and care giving world.  I recently interviewed a 99 year old resident in a senior living community who shared a wonderfully unique story of purpose that he feels has "kept him alive". I hope you enjoy it! 

The other day I learned that a senior apartment building in Northern Virginia, The Marque at Heritage Hunt  had lifted its age restriction.  I spoke with the manager last week and it seems that the primary motivator for this change centered on financing issues that made it more beneficial to make the shift a traditional apartment building.

To my knowledge, this is the first community in the mid-Atlantic region to make a transition like this in my 20 year career, so I am extremely curious to see how this story plays out.

The community has never reached full occupancy, but they do report more inquiries after the change.  Although the first 14 month old child will soon be living in the building, I doubt that there will be an influx of families with children lining up to move in, but you never know. I am very interested in how young families and elders will benefit from this change or complexities that arise in the community.

I actually think that this community will have an easier time attracting the type of resident that they have been targeting since their opening.  I feel that one of the best ways to market a community for seniors is not to have a sign in front that says it’s exclusively for seniors! 

A transition like this may be a bit challenging, after all the existing residents bought into the concept of age restrictions when they moved in.  There is sure to be some anxiety in some peoples minds that opening their doors to younger people will dramatically change the community.

I hope to follow the story of this community on this blog. What are your thoughts on this change? Would you like to see this in other communities?

Photo credit: L. Roger Turner an entry in the 2004 Generations United photo contest, click here for more information Generations United and their annual photo contest.

I raised a question recently at the presentation to a group of activity directors, “If the owner of a senior living community had a choice to spend $1 million on improving the real estate or “invest” the same amount of money on programming to improve the lifestyle and culture of the community – which would be better?” Obviously the group of activity directors was somewhat dumbstruck by a hypothetical question like that; you would be amazed at how slim many of their budgets are in nursing centers and senior living communities.

After a few statements like “it would never happen”, we had a great discussion on how much better an investment would be for the residents, staff and families in a community.

Since then I have posed the same question to several groups that have included management and marketing staff at a variety of senior living communities. I have received a few comments that the consumer who is shopping for these settings would prefer real estate improvements like granite countertops, updated furniture or an elegant lobby over programming at the point of the initial transaction. 

Do you think this is accurate? If so, is it possible to better market the programming and culture of a community to the point that operators might consider investing more in this area?

 

Betty White has been generating a lot of headlines lately. She has surprised many in the youth focused entertainment industry by setting audience records with her recent appearance on Saturday Night Live and starring in a popular Super Bowl commercial.

Will this mark a significant change in how we view elders in popular culture, movies and television? I certainly hope so, but I am really counting on this recent attention around Betty White to create more awareness about an important television show on her resume – The Golden Girls.

Over the last year or so I have encouraging elders and families to think about what I refer to as “The Golden Girls Option”, especially if there are financial concerns. It has been very well received in concept, as there are so many individuals living alone in homes that are a bit too large for one person. The concept of friends coming together to share a residence can represent cost savings, but it also can offer companionship and support that can celebrate the unique strengths of the “roommates”.

• Mary doesn’t drive anymore, but she loves to cook.


• Joe never cooked but he drives and enjoys painting.


• Cindy prefers not to drive, her house is much too large, but with so many memories she finds it hard to imagine moving away.

Through minimal cost they are able to remodel Cindy’s house to offer the three roommates a fair amount of privacy. They begin work together to create their “rules” and a schedule.

Will these three live in perfect harmony together? Definitely not! Just watch an episode of the Golden Girls to see some of the scenarios that will certainly pop up. Think about the other alternatives for these three – those wont be “perfect” either!

 

I am still reflecting on my time at the cohousing conference that I wrote about a few weeks ago. I love Dene Peterson’s comment on the post where she expands beyond the sense of purpose that is achieved by living in a cohousing community, she states, 

“I think another great benefit of the “sweat equity” of ElderSpirit and cohousing, in contrast to Continuing Retirement Communities, is that our residents have smaller monthly fees which leaves them with disposable income where they can travel and enjoy the amenities in the surrounding area. The residents remain active and engaged outside their small neighborhood.”

What if we created a retirement community that made it a requirement for those residents living in independent living to provide a minimum amount of hours per month helping those in assisted living and skilled nursing. If a community with 100 independent living residents had a 10 hour minimum that would be an additional 1000 hours of support to the residents and staff.

In some communities I have witnessed a disconnection between the independent residents and those living in assisted and nursing sections of the community. A system like this could help break down those walls.

As Dene alludes to, there can probably be some cost savings achieved over time with the additional support of the independent residents … something I think very few people would complain about!

 

I was delighted to hear from Cindy Griffiths-Novak, my favorite assisted living operator today!

Cindy shares that her assisted living community, The Belvedere Assisted Living in Westlake, Ohio will be hosting another player this year, Joel Collins, a Lake Erie Crusher’s catcher.

Cindy also reports that there are now four other assisted living facilities in the area that are hosting minor league players as well. She states, “It’s a win/win for residents, families and the players!!”

Let’s hope this is a trend that continues!!

Read my previous posts about this topic 

 

I recently learned that one of the parents at my children’s school has authored a book, titled The Green Hour. I haven’t read the book yet, but here is a definition of a “green hour” from the National Wildlife Federation website:

“Children should have "green hour" every day–a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. Whether in the backyard, the local park, or a green space farther afield, time spent outdoors is essential to the healthy development of young minds, bodies, and spirits.”

As I read this I was reminded of an elder I met in one of my stays last year who shared with me that she hadn’t been outside for over a month. When I offered to go on a walk with my fellow resident, her first response was “how much will it cost?”

That conversation raised my awareness of just how many elders are isolated inside their homes, communities or nursing centers for extended periods of time. The isolation may have started because of disability, but it eventually becomes habit and the "norm" in that elders life.

Video games, television, and changes in our culture have made it “normal” for children to spend more time indoors. The Green Hour appears to be a book designed to present solutions for a healthy change.

It’s equally important for us to present solutions that bring our elders outside for “interaction with the natural world” as well. It should not be “normal” for anyone to spend a month inside!

USA Today reports that "an increasing number of developers struggling to find older residents for their 55-plus housing communities have relaxed the age restrictions to attract younger home buyers."

It looks like the developers referenced in the article are discovering that there are more market benefits to be had by creating a multi-generational community.

Now, can someone get a copy of this article down to Florida to this community? Click here for the story about the grandchild being evicted from a retirement community.

“The generation gap is an immensely misleading term. It implies that people from different generations are inherently different whereas people within a generation are inherently similar.”

This quote is from a University of Michigan student, and is just one of the good “nuggets” from the book Aging Awakenings: Assisted Living Residents Teach University Students to Overcome Ageism by Richard C. Adelman, Ph.D. which details the thoughts, ideas, and transitions of students and residents involved in an innovative program that engages college students and the residents of a senior living community.

The book details a research project that studied the thoughts and views of over 60 students at the University of Michigan. The project first had students share their thoughts on aging, which not surprisingly revealed a bias towards stereotypes that most of the elderly have cognitive and physical challenges, and that the majority of the elderly have conservative and stubborn mindsets, etc. Then each of the students engaged in a year long program where they were matched up with residents of University Living.

At the end of the program it was fairly conclusive that the experience debunked the majority of the previously held stereotypes. Every student that previously regarded the elderly as conservative, or felt that the elderly did not have the ability to learn new things before they entered the program had discarded those viewpoints at the end.

What’s’ even more exciting is the new things that the student learned from their relationships in the senior community. They overwhelmingly reported that they admired the elder’s skills in conflict resolution, their insights on death, and to many students a big surprise was that they found their insights on love and sex tremendously helpful.

I found many of the insights in this book in alignment with my own experiences in senior living communities and many of the thoughts that we discuss on this blog. Armed with the mindset that “everyone is aging”, it will be exciting to see how the students that participated in this program can help change the world and views of aging. Lets hope that programs like this will soon be required courses on campuses across the county – and imagine the all the great engagement with elders that can take place if that happens.

I highly recommend this book to staff and management of senior living communities, it should help them think differently about the value of the residents and an example of engagement with the community in a positive way.

Click here to order the book

 

As I have mentioned, the other communities I have stayed in were independent and assisted living and my accommodations included a full bathroom and kitchen. At first glance my room at Keswick seemed to be equal to most hotels I have stayed in. As I was unpacking my toothbrush in the bathroom, I realized that I didn’t have a shower!

This shouldn’t have been a surprise, because I have been to many nursing homes in my career and very few have rooms with private baths or showers. However, I didn’t bring a robe or anything to cover up on my morning march down the hall! Almost like clockwork a staff member arrived at my room with a gown and toiletries for my stay – like I said it’s a little like a 5 star hotel.

In the morning I headed down the hall for the shower. It was a huge shower with plenty of room, no barriers to entry and the ability to adjust the shower spray in any direction imaginable. If I wasn’t in a hurry, I could have spent a lot more time there. I am a huge proponent of Universal Design, while it might not be feasible for showers and bathrooms to be this large, they should all strive to be accessible. It makes it easier for those with all abilities.

It would be easy to take a negative viewpoint on the experience of having to walk down the hall to take a shower.  However, I have stayed in a few upscale bed and breakfasts where I had to do the same thing.

I know that there are some models of care that are focusing on private baths, and I can see how this will be a great benefit to residents, especially those living in these communities long-term.

 

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend a drum circle conducted by my friend Alan Yellowitz at Sunrise of Bluemont Park. In all my years of visiting communities I don’t think I have witnessed such a unique activity.

The activity started the moment Alan would start unpacking and setting up his drums. Many of the residents were asking him questions about the drums and he would share information about their design and history.

Once the drum circle started, I moved throughout the community to get different video shots. Everyone I passed in the hallway was either tapping their feet or grooving to the beat.  It was great to glance into an office and see someone working behind a desk bobbing their head to the beat.

I am excited that the community is planning to have Alan come back when some local elementary schools students are visiting. I think it will be truly a memorable experience for the children and the elders!

 

One of the pioneers in Senior Move Management, Margit Novak, President of Moving Solutions, (pictured below far left) shared the following personal story that integrates the importance of "purpose" and the concept of "staycations" in retirement communities which presents another great way to explore the hotel/retirement community concept.

Several months ago, I participated in a program on the emotions of downsizing.  Held at a nearby retirement community, the program included a panel of three community residents:  a resident of many years who had become widowed while living at the community, a wife who had moved with her husband a few years earlier, and a widow who had moved in a few months earlier.  Two of the panel members had lived nearby; one moved from another state to be near family.

One by one, the panel members described their experience of living in the community, what they had expected and what they found.  They described what a typical day was like, what they valued in the community, and how they felt about their decision to move.  They talked about a sense of purpose, of meeting new friends, of learning new things.

No one on the panel talked about the home they had left, about missing a 2-car garage, a large kitchen or a formal dining room.  No one said that closet space at their new apartment was inadequate, that they lacked privacy or felt they were “over-programmed.”

Then members of the audience spoke about what brought them to the program on downsizing.  They described their concerns about leaving their home and living in a community setting.  They talked about their reluctance to give up their garden, formal dining room or extra bedrooms for when grandchildren visit.  They talked about their concern that they would move and then be unhappy.

No one in the audience said their life had become smaller as friends moved, became ill or passed away.  No one talked about what it was like to eat meals alone, or the things they didn’t do because they lacked transportation, inclination or company.  No one talked about boredom, or depression or a sense of fatigue from the demands of maintaining a large home.

 

And then it struck me, that these people weren’t speaking the same language.  The things that made life in the retirement community meaningful, that gave residents a sense of purpose, weren’t even on the radar screen of the people who still lived in their homes.          I wondered how to connect their vocabulary, so they could understand what each was saying.  I wasn’t sure words could even suffice. Perhaps it is something that must be experienced.

I got a partial answer when a Marketing Director at a community described a “Staycation” program she had recently hosted.  Prospective residents were invited to spend three days at the community.  The Marketing Director surveyed each guest to learn about their interests, and custom-designed an itinerary for each person that included busy days and the company of resident-hosts.  At the end of the three days, more than half of the guests became serious prospects and initiated the move-in process.  “I thought I would be giving things up,” one woman commented.  “Instead, our lives would be fuller.”

As someone who spends time both in people’s homes and in retirement communities, I admit, I have a bias.  Virtually every client I meet after their move to a retirement community says, “I should have done this years ago.”  But they don’t chat for long.  They are busy going somewhere, doing something. They are busy thriving.

"Do you know of any retirement communities in the Boston area that do the hotel-type rental?  How would one find out about the possibilities for this type of rental?" 

I have received a few questions like this one lately. Since there is not a formal organization of communities offering this type of stay, here are some ideas if it’s something you are interested in.

• If you need to be somewhere specific, map your location on Google Maps


• Click on the “search nearby” link and type in “retirement community”. This should give you the location of the communities closest to your location.


• If that doesn’t generate a good list, contact the Area Agency on Aging in the region you are visiting and ask them for a list of local communities.  


• You want to focus on independent living retirement communities or continuing care retirement communities first.


• Once you have narrowed it down, your best point of contact will be the marketing department. Ask them if they have a program for guests to stay in their community. If the answer is yes, you may be on your way to a unique hotel stay!


• If its not their standard practice explain why you are interested. Since you are going to their city anyways, see if you could schedule a time to swing by the community on your trip and introduce yourself to the staff and tour the community. As I have stated earlier, I think this type of arrangement is best for travelers that are frequently going to the same location, checking out the location first and meeting staff is smart for everyone.

Definitely not as easy as calling in to book a hotel! Well, as I said before, this is not an idea for every traveler. However, for the right person and the right community it has the possibility to be a trip you will talk about for a long time!

 

I have definitely received a few comments and emails with this tone lately. Here are some of the consistent themes challenging the concept of travellers in retirement communities:

• Increased liability and exposure for the community and residents


• Different tax structure and government regulations


• Potential for criticism from the hotel industry


• Most people won’t want to invest time with the residents

All of these are very valid points, and this is also a great opportunity for me to remind the readers that a lot of the concepts I throw out there are just ideas – I like getting critical feedback because it gives us the potential to turn some of these ideas into reality.

Here are a few of my thoughts on how a retirement community might address the challenges outlined above.

First, my vision of the characteristics of the ideal traveler might be someone who is:

• Looking for a different experience


• Open to spending a small amount of time in the community with the residents


• Will be returning to the community periodically for additional trips


• Has a common bond to the resident(s) such as a profession, interest or hobby


• Has agreed to specific “rules” set by the community and perhaps even submitted to a background check

As you can see I wouldn’t suggest opening the doors to all travelers, just a select few. A typical community might only have 2-3 people a year in this “club”. Operating under this concept these guests can simply be classified as guests of the community, similar to family members that might stay in a guest suite.

Most communities have a fund or charity that they support. Instead of charging the traveler for the room directly perhaps the traveler can make a contribution to a fund like this which could offset the funds coming directly from the community and might make this a program that favorably benefits the bottom line.

If this concept works in a specific community and is beneficial to the residents, travelers and community over time – then the community might consider taking more formal steps that might classify themselves as a “hotel”.

Remember, I am just throwing “wacky” ideas out there to get us to think differently about our system of eldercare!

 

I had a brief business meeting that I needed to attend this morning and then I was able to head back to the auditorium to catch the tail end of a fantastic program that links the residents to University of Pennsylvania students. Approximately 25 students from the University of Pennsylvania for whom English is their second language come to The Watermark on a monthly basis. Residents pair off with 1-3 students and they engage in conversation.

The intention of the program is to help the students with their English communication skills – however by the look on the residents’ faces and the enthusiasm of the conversations it’s clearly mutually beneficial. This reiterates that sometimes the best thing we can “do” for our elders (or anyone for that matter) is not necessarily to “do” things for them, instead provide opportunities where they can “do” things for someone else. I have seen first hand how much elders have been able to "do" for me in my travels!

When the program finished the “instructor” had quite a challenge getting the students to stop talking and get them to the bus back to U. Penn. Several of the students brought their cameras and were eager to get pictures with the residents.

 

I really picked the right table to sit at to have my cup of coffee this morning. My plan was to have a cup of coffee and then participate in the 9 a.m. exercise class. I ended up missing the class because I didn’t leave the dining room until after 10 a.m. Many people came and went from our table I feel very fortunate to have met so many people in a short period of time.

The residents of this community really linger in conversations over their meals; it’s truly a great thing especially for an “outsider” like me or a new resident. After breakfast, I was invited to a resident’s apartment to see his wonderful collection of art. I am once again reminded that these are experiences that couldn’t be replicated if I was staying in a hotel.

I headed up to Philadelphia early this morning on Amtrak and arrived at my “hotel” The Watermark at Logan Square. I never noticed that the front desk of this community looks like it could be in a hotel! Each of my “immersion projects” in senior living communities seems to expose just how detached I have been from the details of my surroundings.

After a business meeting I was able to enjoy cheese steak in the dining room and attend a lecture with the residents in the auditorium. Several people asked me if I was there getting “my eyes worked on”. I learned that The Watermark has a program for people recovering from eye surgery at the Wills Eyes Institute . Combined with the fact that their company slogan is UN Retirement Living, I figure this is a pretty good place to explore some “everyone is aging” thinking!

Many times when I am traveling alone I am either stuck eating at the hotel bar having small talk with the bartender, or eating alone in my room. While I could have done either of these things tonight, it was great to be welcomed to dine with 4 people in a resturant that I have never met before. In addition to their good stories and curiousity about me and my life, they shared with me some impressive programs that they have participated in that link them to youth programs and schools. It would be pretty difficult to replicate this day in a hotel.

Here is a little video I made at the end of my day – definitely going to sleep well tonight!

 

I have been getting a lot of great feedback on the concept of senior living communities opening their doors to travelers! I feel pretty good about stumbling into a concept with such a positive response. Here are a few thoughts and ideas:

Good for economic reasons: Many communities around the country are having occupancy problems due to the challenging real estate market. Several people commented that the studio apartments, which many times are the most difficult for a community to rent to a resident might be ideal for travelers.

Good to share wisdom and connect the residents: Most people I have communicated with about this concept really support the mutual benefit of connecting travelers to residents. This has multiple benefits in addition to giving the community an “ageless” culture.

A great way to "test drive" a retirement community: Let’s face it, most people are a bit intimidated about making the move to a senior living community. If a community that you are interested had a "hotel" program, it could be a great way to get a taste of the community … who knows maybe your kids or grandkids might stay with you too!

It’s better than a hotel: I have discovered first hand that these communities are better neighborhoods that the ones I have lived in through my lifetime. There is no question that they have many features that make them better than the hotels I have stayed in. However, the best benefit is the people that live and work in these neighborhoods - even a traveller passing through for the night has the opportunity to experience the benefits.

I have several friends that take regular business trips out of town and end up staying in the same hotel  in the same city each time. They feel lucky if the bartender is the same and remembers who they are. Imagine the relationships that could be formed if they made their stay at a retirement community instead! It would take a traveler with the right mindset, but they would be rewarded tremendously.

Tomorrow I head up to The Watermark at Logan Square to play around with the concept a bit. As always I will try to share my thoughts and insights.

 

I have a business trip to Philadelphia planned for next week. Before I could book my hotel room the management at The Watermark at Logan Square invited me to "check in" to their Continuing Care Retirement Community instead.

I have worked hard to make all my moves into other senior living communities as authentic as possible. Although they are temporary moves, I have taken a lot of effort to put myself in a position to feel what it would be like to a permanent resident. I was very concerned that checking into a community as though it was a hotel would not be in alignment with my overall goals.

However, as I thought about it a bit more I began imagine how senior living communities might open their doors to a select group of travelers and deliver benefits to the residents and travelers.

I have some creative ideas on how this might be executed, but I will save those for future posts. My plan is to do a “mini-immersion” on this trip, I will reflect on the travel concept, but I will also be spending a time experiencing the community as if I was a resident.

Stay tuned I will "check in" on Tues, Nov. 18. As always feel free to hit me up with questions, comments, or challenges!

 

When you have been to as many retirement communities as I have, you will see some interesting things!

Today I arrived at a retirement community to interview and videotape some residents for an upcoming article. The moment I walked in the door, I was greeted by a very excited resident who said to me, "young man can you please grab that snake in the foyer and put it in the garden."

Not leaving me with much of a choice, I put down my equipment and frantically tried to grab the snake. I am not really squeemish around snakes and reptiles, and I have grabbed plenty of garden snakes in my lifetime. As I scrambled for the snake with a few retirement community residents watching I was sure this would be the one garden snake that had teeth and was going to send me screaming down the street in pain!

Fortunately I was able to grab it and get it to the garden and claim "hero status" in the community for a brief period of time!

I do a lot of pondering on this blog about how we can create communities that accept and take care of all ages as an alternative to segregating by age. Take a look at this Today Show video clip to see the alternative that we are living with in countless communities across the country.

This is a great opportunity for the homeowners association and any governing bodies that seem to be attached this legalized form of segregation to broaden the definition of this community by allowing an exception(s).

I wonder if Kimberly Broffman is really a problem to the community? Does she make too much noise playing by herself outside? I wonder how many other residents watch her and wish they could have their grandchildren living with them too?

I am concerned that if this “law” is enforced in the favor of the community it can really continue to move us away from equality and will just promote ageism. This situation is ripe for some creative thinking and a positive solution!

 

It was great to watch last night’s broadcast on ESPN of Josh Faiola, the minor league pitcher that found himself suddenly living in an assisted living residence instead of a traditional "host family" residence. It was great to see and hear Josh, Cindy and the residents of the community that I have been such a raving fan of!

I have been in communication with Josh and Cindy Griffiths-Novak the owner of The Belvedere of Westlake. I wanted to see the video before I interviewed them, feel free to hit me with any questions or ideas that you would like answered.

An article in The Daily Record this week confirmed alot of the elements that I have observed in my "travels" this year! The article states:

"Seniors are not only postponing retirement, but also looking to save time and money by living closer to where they work and play. Experts are forecasting an older-aged migration toward cities and transportation hubs."

 

If you live in a location where you don’t NEED to drive, then loosing or choosing not to drive will not impact your lifestyle that much. This is something all of us should think about regardless of our age and abilities.

Another quote from the article that confirms some of my thoughts and observations:

"Many senior communities were built with land-grabbing amenities like golf courses, tennis courts and swimming pools, so they had to be built far from the city center. Residents drive miles to the grocery store, movie theater or hospital."

In my opinion, the key "amenity" that can greatly enhance anyones lifestyle at any age is the grocery store. Look for a post or two in the near future devoted entirely to the grocery store … in my opinion the hub of any neighborhood and community.