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left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 05:50 PM Jul 2021

I am moving

With my age and health issues my family and friends thought I had become too much of a hermit and that it would be a good idea to live where there is more of a ‘support system’ and other people around to be of assistance if/when needed.

After much searching and thinking I have decided upon a place and will go Friday to sign the necessary leasing papers.

It’s a senior citizen (65+) place with meals (if I want them); computer room; activity room; TV/theater room; library/reading room, planned outings to go shopping, to museums, etc. I saw one room with 3 huge billiard tables (I don’t play). Lots of stuff going on. It gets 4 plus stars out of 5 online. Lots of good reviews.

When I stopped to put in my application all the staff and residents I encountered had a smile and greeted me. (Or did they snicker?) That said, I tend to be a hermit. Maybe this will get me out of my shell more. I think I need to be in a place with more people around and more activity.

To be continued ......

44 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I am moving (Original Post) left-of-center2012 Jul 2021 OP
I hope that this is a good move for you! MontanaMama Jul 2021 #1
Good for you! leftieNanner Jul 2021 #2
This is very interesting. Tell us how this goes. Scrivener7 Jul 2021 #3
Probably a good idea. Tomconroy Jul 2021 #4
Tommy, you're just the guy I've been wanting to learn from. Specifically about the younger wife plan 3Hotdogs Jul 2021 #21
I just got really lucky. Tomconroy Jul 2021 #24
I hope this goes really well for you. We will look forward to informational reports! Shrike47 Jul 2021 #5
Excellent move! My mother found one of those and for the last 10 years of her life she had... TreasonousBastard Jul 2021 #6
I'm thinking a senior hippie commune might be fun. n/t ariadne0614 Jul 2021 #7
IDEAL! MuseRider Jul 2021 #11
Me too! ariadne0614 Jul 2021 #16
Intentional Communities Lydiarose Oct 2021 #40
Good advice. I will try it. Thanks! n/t ariadne0614 Oct 2021 #43
This message was self-deleted by its author Lydiarose Oct 2021 #44
being 79 and very isolated chillfactor Jul 2021 #8
Good luck! Sounds like an adventure. Desert grandma Jul 2021 #9
It is so scary knowing this is coming. MuseRider Jul 2021 #10
All Faux pas Jul 2021 #12
My mom lived in a place like that for over 15 years and sinkingfeeling Jul 2021 #13
I wish there was a place I_UndergroundPanther Jul 2021 #14
There is an ideal solution, Tomconroy Jul 2021 #17
Again I_UndergroundPanther Jul 2021 #22
"Active Senior Community". Or 55+ Community. marybourg Jul 2021 #38
Attitude is everythiing Sucha NastyWoman Jul 2021 #15
Great advice Sucha MOMFUDSKI Jul 2021 #18
Additude I_UndergroundPanther Jul 2021 #36
I am happy for you! Trueblue Texan Jul 2021 #19
Many years ago my grandmother moved to a place like that. Phoenix61 Jul 2021 #20
My dad moved to assisted living because he couldn't drive anymore. LakeArenal Jul 2021 #23
The trouble with assisted living Tomconroy Jul 2021 #26
We used a company that helps place seniors. LakeArenal Jul 2021 #30
Name of Company? Lydiarose Oct 2021 #39
Don't remember. His lawyer suggested them. LakeArenal Oct 2021 #41
Waaaait for it ... marble falls Oct 2021 #42
Hope it all goes well for you! madamesilverspurs Jul 2021 #25
I'm a 79 yo. gay man so wish me luck in finding a place to move. trickyguy Jul 2021 #27
I just googled 'gay retirement homes'. Tomconroy Jul 2021 #29
It will be a new adventure! Now, before you sign ANYTHING, be sure they have... FailureToCommunicate Jul 2021 #28
You are going to become very popular jmbar2 Jul 2021 #31
Keep us posted.... most of us will be going through this... we need to know!!!! Karadeniz Jul 2021 #32
How wonderful! PoindexterOglethorpe Jul 2021 #33
Mom had to go to a Memory Care Unit a few months ago. slightlv Jul 2021 #34
That sounds like a wonderful idea, I hope it will improve your happiness and allow you to feel LiberalLoner Jul 2021 #35
My grandmother also moved to a retirement community Rhiannon12866 Jul 2021 #37

MontanaMama

(24,018 posts)
1. I hope that this is a good move for you!
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 05:55 PM
Jul 2021

Moving is difficult under any circumstances but when it’s your choice, I would think it would be a bit easier and even a little exciting! Congratulations on finding a place that you like.

leftieNanner

(15,689 posts)
2. Good for you!
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 05:56 PM
Jul 2021

My parents moved to a senior apartment building with lots of activities etc.

Mom loved it from day one. It took Dad a while to adjust, but he eventually got there. They were there for nearly 20 years! They passed at 90 and 94 in 2008.

I hope this is a good move for you. You will be able to hermit - or not.

Scrivener7

(52,736 posts)
3. This is very interesting. Tell us how this goes.
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 05:56 PM
Jul 2021

I imagine there is a place like this in my future so I would love to hear the pros and cons.

What made you choose this one? How does the monthly cost compare to rents in your area?

 

Tomconroy

(7,611 posts)
4. Probably a good idea.
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 05:57 PM
Jul 2021

I'm on what I sometimes refer to as the younger wife plan. Hoping she will be there to take care of me when the time comes.
But owning a house can be a hassle. She doesn't drive and at some point I won't be able to. Worries, worries.

3Hotdogs

(13,394 posts)
21. Tommy, you're just the guy I've been wanting to learn from. Specifically about the younger wife plan
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:31 PM
Jul 2021

I will be 78 in October. A wife in her late 30''s (at the peak of her sexual desires) would suit me fine.

Problem is, I'm old, fat, ugly and broke. So this is gonna be a hard push to get there.

Any advise could be appreciated.


3H

 

Tomconroy

(7,611 posts)
24. I just got really lucky.
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:39 PM
Jul 2021

I did spend a lot of time chasing after the wrong woman. Too many guys waste their time looking for a dumb bell like Melania. I finally figured out I wanted to marry a brilliant woman. There are a bunch of the out there!

Shrike47

(6,913 posts)
5. I hope this goes really well for you. We will look forward to informational reports!
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 06:03 PM
Jul 2021

I am a loner and have also thought of moving into a similar type of dwelling, if I can find one, due to a lack of a support system.

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
6. Excellent move! My mother found one of those and for the last 10 years of her life she had...
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 06:16 PM
Jul 2021

her own place but tons of support when she needed it.

ariadne0614

(1,869 posts)
16. Me too!
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:13 PM
Jul 2021

A few acres of land, a big community garden, a hen house, main dining hall and kitchen, tiny houses for privacy, maybe even a daycare for local children to mingle with wise elders.

Lydiarose

(68 posts)
40. Intentional Communities
Sun Oct 24, 2021, 04:10 PM
Oct 2021

Google Intentional Communities. Some work exactly like communes whereas others function more independently. Some are free with you contributing to some income producing activities depending on your capability.

Response to ariadne0614 (Reply #16)

MuseRider

(34,368 posts)
10. It is so scary knowing this is coming.
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 06:48 PM
Jul 2021

I know there are some really nice places. I tend to hermit as well and as I get older, closing in on 70 in a few years I wonder and fear if I will ever be able to give up my farm.

It seems you have found a great place. I hope it works well for you, there are some wonderful places for us as we age if we can make ourselves make the move. Congratulations!

I_UndergroundPanther

(12,934 posts)
14. I wish there was a place
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 06:52 PM
Jul 2021

That had a thriving community,activities and stuff like assisted living,but not so much assisted. Like a tribe living in close proximity with a clubhouse,and outings and various cool stuff.

I don't like living alone trapped in suburbia.
No car can't drive but not old enough to need the type of assistance assisted living provides.

 

Tomconroy

(7,611 posts)
17. There is an ideal solution,
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:20 PM
Jul 2021

But apparently only for the well to do. In my area they are called continuum of care facilities. The idea is you pay a big chunk of change up front and get an apartment. The bigger the change, the bigger the place. Then for a fairly fixed monthly fee you would get whatever you needed. You would get assisted living when you needed it. They had a memory care unit, a nursing home unit, all covered by the same monthly fee. It is run on a non profit basis so the fees don't go up too much each year. There is even a charity fund to help those who run out of money

Unfortunately, the fees may be beyond our reach. I don't suppose the concept could be translated into something for the less well off.

I_UndergroundPanther

(12,934 posts)
22. Again
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:38 PM
Jul 2021

Rich people get everything.
The rich assholes are catered to too much.

It sucks being poor because every good thing is priced out of reach and it fucking pisses me off.
I would like good things to be for everyone.

I hate zero sum bullshit. Fuck profiteering and excluding poor people
via $$$ .

 

MOMFUDSKI

(7,080 posts)
18. Great advice Sucha
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:20 PM
Jul 2021

and I would add: look for folks that are in need of some help of some kind. It will make your day doing for others. Best Wishes!

I_UndergroundPanther

(12,934 posts)
36. Additude
Wed Jul 7, 2021, 05:30 PM
Jul 2021

Does not change how much things cost or raise SSI to the point I could afford it.

Secondly I really hate positive think. It's a lie.

And it's implied if you can't be positive enough you fail at life.

Positive thinking self mind fucking does not change anything in reality even though people like to believe it does.

It's like prayer that way and praying is like wishing really hard, and that doesn't change anything either.

Confirmation bias makes stuff like positive think seem to change things.

Trueblue Texan

(2,922 posts)
19. I am happy for you!
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:26 PM
Jul 2021

I suspect you will find a much lower stress level and will sleep better at night. You might even make new friends and get more exercise! Have fun!

Phoenix61

(17,641 posts)
20. Many years ago my grandmother moved to a place like that.
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:28 PM
Jul 2021

After a couple of weeks she said she wished she had moved there sooner. By the time she moved there the outings were too much for her but she really would have enjoyed them when she was younger. There’s something to be said for a nice cooked breakfast every day and no dishes.

LakeArenal

(29,797 posts)
23. My dad moved to assisted living because he couldn't drive anymore.
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:38 PM
Jul 2021

He thought he’d hate it. Instead he liked it very much. I won’t say loved because he thought everyone was too intrusive. Still he played bridge and went to some dances.

He moved there at 90. Died there at 93. Never had to go to a nursing home.

We bless them for the care he was given.

Even if he didn’t eat much, at least we knew he was eating.

 

Tomconroy

(7,611 posts)
26. The trouble with assisted living
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:48 PM
Jul 2021

Is that too many of them are being taken over by the hedge fund industry. I'm not joking. My mother was in one that was good at the beginning. It was taken over and her fees got jacked up 5 to 6 percent every year. Way more than inflation. If you ran out of money, and my mother knew a few who did, they would literally evict you. Try to find a facility which is a non profit. The masons and some of the churches run some of these.

LakeArenal

(29,797 posts)
30. We used a company that helps place seniors.
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 08:19 PM
Jul 2021

Recommended by Dad’s lawyer.

We paid $85 and a nice woman brought us what places they could recommend where there was availability. We toured three and he chose the second one.

His experience made us all feel good, most importantly to him.


madamesilverspurs

(16,040 posts)
25. Hope it all goes well for you!
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 07:46 PM
Jul 2021

I keep my eyes peeled for such places, but details like affordability get in the way. I don't need anything fancy, not yet ready for group outings, and a bad back made me hang up my pool cue years ago. My needs are simple: indoor plumbing, few stairs, and only steps away from a good trout pond. sigh..........


.

FailureToCommunicate

(14,324 posts)
28. It will be a new adventure! Now, before you sign ANYTHING, be sure they have...
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 08:08 PM
Jul 2021

good internet connections and wifi, so you can keep posting here with your buddies at DU, okay?

Bonne chance!

jmbar2

(6,092 posts)
31. You are going to become very popular
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 08:26 PM
Jul 2021

The female to male ratio in those places leans in your favor. Behave yourself - but not too much.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,727 posts)
33. How wonderful!
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 08:50 PM
Jul 2021

I expect I'll eventually be in some sort of similar place. Right now I'm 72, in excellent health, and can manage my small two-bedroom, two bath, two skylight place for the present.

Several times in the past I've visited independent/assisted living places on behalf of someone else, and have almost always been very impressed with what's offered. Not always, but enough to make me feel confident moving forward that I'll be able to eventually settle into some sort of place for myself.

I've seen far too many stories of parents or grandparents insisting on staying in a place they can no longer maintain or manage, and are sometimes a long way from the services they desperately need. I'm determined not to let that happen to me.

My one son lives about 2,000 miles from me. He's in grad school, and when he's finally finished and has a permanent job, I will probably relocate to be a lot closer to him. For one thing, I simply want to be able to see him regularly. The other, semi-joking reason is that I want to make it easy for him to come to my nursing home and sign the DNR orders.

I recall what it was like when my mother was in what turned out to be her final illness, and how tricky it was to manage things. And I had five other siblings to help out. But that experience has left me determined to make it easy for my son.

Perhaps what I should have said at the top, is that every story I've seen or heard about going into some kind of place like yours, is that the people almost always regret only that they didn't go there sooner. I'm trying to figure out the correct balance for me in that aspect.

slightlv

(4,325 posts)
34. Mom had to go to a Memory Care Unit a few months ago.
Tue Jul 6, 2021, 09:48 PM
Jul 2021

At the time, she knew she needed it. On her good days, she still knows it. But she's a handful. She's one of those who got real mean as they got older and had memory problems. I had her living with us for a year; had hoped to keep it that way 'til she passed on. But she weighs about double me, and if she ended up on the floor we couldn't get her back up. She was insistent something was wrong with her heart, tho it's in better shape than mine! And she kept calling 911 without us knowing it.

It finally got to be too much... and then one night I saw her look at my husband and knew there was no recognition of who he was. That scared the crap out of me, and I knew it was just going to get worse. She needed to be around people who knew how to work with her, so Sis and I found a decent place about 45 minutes from my house. Unfortunately, it's out in the woods, as far as I'm concerned and I haven't been able to find her by myself since. I'm at the mercy of my daughter or my sister to get out to see her.

Frankly, I wouldn't mind an assisted living place myself. I need help now in keeping up the house, etc. And my lupus will put me down for days on end sometimes. But I've rescued critters all my life, and I'm not going to leave them in the lurch now. My youngest cats are about 3 years old; my oldest are 20 and 22. I plan on being around to bury the last of them. After that, I doubt I'll really much care what happens to me. They've been my life and reason for living. So, until they start allowing us to bring menageries, the house will just have to stay presentable on the surface and maybe I can find help down the line. My daughter is moving back up this way, so there's some hope there for help when I need it. I just find it so odd to be in this position! I always knew I'd grow older; I just never knew it was gonna be like this! (LOL)

Now... if we could find that old hippie commune Ariadne mentioned, I'd be there in a flat minute! THEY would welcome the menageries and us weird, odd, eccentric flower children of old, I'm sure! Maybe a bunch of us ought to see about buying a one level motel and turning it into an "old folks" commune? Ahhhh... if only to be that rich!!!

LiberalLoner

(10,104 posts)
35. That sounds like a wonderful idea, I hope it will improve your happiness and allow you to feel
Wed Jul 7, 2021, 03:34 AM
Jul 2021

More connected and safe while also preserving enough solitary time for you.

I had a relative who lived at one of the affinity housing groups, it always sounded like good times there!

Rhiannon12866

(222,072 posts)
37. My grandmother also moved to a retirement community
Thu Jul 8, 2021, 02:11 AM
Jul 2021

She was 84 and moved to Western North Carolina from here in Northeastern New York. Previously, she'd spent the winters somewhere warmer, but after spending a few winters down there, she decided to make it permanent. She had an advantage in that her older long time friend who she used to travel with moved there first, so in the beginning they shared an apartment and so she already knew the place and a lot of people. And, unlike you, my grandmother was pretty outgoing.

I got to know the place, too, since I visited frequently. When she was first spending winters there, my uncle flew to NC and drove her home to New York and then I drove down with her in the fall and flew home. One of the requirements there was that, even though the apartments had full kitchens, residents had to take a number of meals in their dining hall so they weren't isolating. My grandmother wasn't a cook so that worked out for her and the food was quite good.

There were also lots of activities and my grandmother was a "joiner." She did everything from bingo to line dancing to prevent anything being canceled due to lack of interest. But the "activity" that she involved me with was a peace group she joined. The town where the community was located had a "sister town" in the USSR and she planned to go on the initial trip to visit the town and asked me to join her to "make up the numbers." This was in the late '80s, shortly before the USSR fell, there was a lot of hope during that time and it was one memorable visit. Many of the group who went lived in the retirement community while others lived in the NC town - it was a pretty amazing group and I got to know everyone well.

Another advantage of living there was that there were safely precautions. There was a medical staff there at all times, a pull cord in every apartment if a resident was in trouble and there was a ring that residents put out on their doorknob every night and a volunteer from every hall checked each morning to make sure it was taken in - otherwise they'd knock to see if the resident was alright.

And there were also stages of living - condos, apartments, supervised living and a health care/nursing home part - with a medical staff, as I said. And even in the apartments it was possible to have supervised meds.

It really was a lovely place, I wouldn't have minded living there myself at the time. As I said, I made friends there. But I've only been there once since I lost my grandmother in 1998. And that was the service for my grandmother's "significant other," a wonderful man who I got to know well on the Russian trip who passed away 3 months after my grandmother - at age 101. They knew each other before the Russian trip, but he made his intentions known (he told me first, actually, LOL) while we were overseas.

Anyway, I hope that your residence turns out to be as supportive a place as my grandmother's.




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