Within the next decade, children in the U.S. will be outnumbered by elderly Americans, according to projections from the U.S. Census Bureau. In fact, the number of seniors (people age 65 and older) will roughly double between now and 2030. With this dramatic demographic shift, we will have to face a new challenge: caring for [...]
With the rise of rental retirement communities in recent years, sometimes referred to as independent living communities or “independent plus,” I hear more comments from people who say they are looking for communities without a “buy-in.” When comparing rental retirement communities to entry fee life plan communities (aka, continuing care retirement communities or “CCRCs”), there [...]
I often mention the AARP statistic that roughly 85 percent of people age 65 and older say they want to remain in their current home as they grow older. There are several reasons commonly cited for wanting to “age in place”: a belief that staying in the home will be the most economical option; a [...]
Nursing homes have been in the news recently as they grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These communities of vulnerable residents have been especially hard-hit by this deadly and highly contagious virus. I imagine, by extension, it’s left a lot of people wondering if the positive aspects of living in a senior living [...]
Spring is typically considered the best time to sell a home. As the weather warms, interested buyers come out of hibernation, often with the goal of getting moved in before their children’s school year starts in the fall. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a monkey wrench in the U.S. real estate market during what would [...]
Image credit: Business Insider While at the federal level, marijuana is still an illegal drug, recreational and medical marijuana/cannabis use has been legalized in 11 states and Washington, D.C., for people over age 21. (Another 22 states have legalized use of marijuana only for medical purposes.) While legalization has naturally led to increased [...]
Pictured: Townhomes at Providence Park on The Manor campus of Willow Valley Communities (photo credit: Willow Valley Communities) The COVID-19 virus has been especially lethal to older people, as exemplified by a tragic statistic revealed last week by Pennsylvania’s Department of Health. Of the state’s 700+ COVID-19 deaths, approximately 52 percent have been residents of [...]
It’s understandable if you find the news headlines frightening. Each day, the death toll of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic climbs higher. And it also seems like nearly every day, there’s a new story about a nursing home hit with cases of COVID-19 among their residents and/or staff. As I’ve written about in recent weeks, nursing [...]
Over the last few years, I’ve written a number of posts describing the various types of residency contracts offered by continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs or “life plan communities”), the less understood nuances among each, as well as how to properly compare and contrast the choices. But it was recently pointed out to me that [...]
You’ve heard the heartbreaking story of the LifeCare Center nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, which was an initial epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in that state. At least 35 residents and staff members of that long-term care community have died as a result of this highly contagious virus. What went wrong As I’ve written recently, [...]
