Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are reported as victims of abuse and neglect. Experts estimate that for every case reported, five go unreported. About 4 percent of the abuse occurs in nursing homes according to the American Psychological Association. This seems like a small number of cases but consider this: CBS News reported in 2001 that one out of four nursing homes is cited for causing death or serious injury to a resident each year. Â
Housing
Affordable senior housing and aging in place
What’s it mean to have affordable housing? What do people mean when they talk about aging in place? What will it take to have those two things; affordable housing and homes built for seniors in safe neighborhoods with access to grocery stores and doctors and places of worship? That’s a lot of questions and right … Read more
Road Map to a Housing Rebound
Yes, as we all know… just as with politics, and Tip O’neil’s famous mantra, “All politics is local”… so, with real estate, “All real estate is local”. Having said that, this article in US News and World Report is instructive in that it lays out 5 general factors that we can, and should, pay attention … Read more
Got a "Seniorville"?… I Wanna Know About It
Last Sunday’s Seattle Times Real Estate Section put a spotlight on the area of Riverside Drive / Bothell, a fine berg just north of Seattle, touting it’s attraction as a “Seniorville”. This put me in mind of an important concept that I counsel Boomers and Beyonders on when the issue on the table is…
“Where’s the best place for us to live out our ‘final 1/3 of life’ with a high level of health and happiness”?
Backyard cottages sprouting in Seattle
A few years back, Seattle homeowner Bette Lalley and her adult daughter Darla Rude wanted to build a small house behind Lalley’s home so that the two could live nearby one another. Disappointed that the city didn’t allow construction of second homes on single-family lots in their neighborhood at that time, Lalley and Rude watched … Read more
Occupy THIS!!
“Dez a whole lotta occupyin’ goin’ on out dere”!. (You have “hear” that statement as voiced by the cartoon character FogHorn Leghorn, who most folks recognize as having been overtly modeled after some quintessential U.S. Senator-type hailing from south of the Mason Dixon line.) Hey, I’ve had my fill of Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Seattle, … Read more
Why Are We Not Seeing More 'Granny Flats'?
When Seattle lifted a cap to allow backyard cottages in all single-family neighborhoods, a gloomy image emerged among worrywarts: A rush of cottages tarnishing quiet neighborhoods with noise, privacy and parking woes. Two years later, the city pronounced that the ordinance has had a positive effect on Seattle’s housing stock. The city released a report … Read more
Talking With Family About Placement
Few decisions are more difficult than the one to place a spouse or parent in a nursing home. Since nursing homes are seen as a last resort, the decision is generally overlaid by a sense of guilt. Most families try to care for loved ones at home for as long as (or longer than) possible, … Read more
How to Prepare When Elderly Parents Move In with Adult Children
More and more parents are moving in with their adult children, and the trend probably won’t reverse anytime soon. As nursing home costs continue to rise, children and their parents are finding that living together is a better arrangement, both financially and emotionally. But having a parent move in is a big adjustment for everyone, … Read more
Multigenerational Living
By: Rajiv Nagaich The recent economic downturn brings to light the obvious – the vulnerability of anyone who has not prepared to weather the financial storm. According to a recent report, Living Longer on Less: The New (In)security of Seniors, produced by The Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP), a research institute at the … Read more