Aging In Place

Source:  October 2010 Newsletter from the Senior Real Estate Council

This Senior Real Estate Council Newsletter highlights a major September, 2010 study undertaken by the Mature Market Institute examining the very important issue of “Aging in Place”. Established in 1997, the Mature Market Institute (MMI) is MetLife’s research organization and a recognized thought leader on the multi-dimensional and multi-generational issues of aging and longevity.

“Aging in Place” is staying in one’s own home even when age- or health-related changes make it difficult to care for oneself easily and safely. Though almost everyone says they want to Age in Place, individuals or families trying to assist an older relative may find it difficult. Organizing, confirming, and managing care and services can be a daunting task because the delivery system is often fragmented, and needed services may be difficult to find or not always available in an individual’s local area. While acknowledging that steps are being taken by agencies, government, and businesses to make it easier to Age in Place, the real challenge is answering “What strides do we need to create a system that is good and easy enough for Aging in Place to reach its promise?”

Aging in Place has three goals.

1)  happier, more satisfied older citizens living in homes of their choice with control, dignity, and respect — essentially independence.

2)  better, more economical use of available resources to make it is less expensive for people to stay at home with services rather than move to residential care facilities if they do not desire to do so.

3)  the creation of a coordinated, comprehensive, and collaborative relationship between businesses and service providers to support Aging in Place. This would also enhance the creation of business opportunities and jobs to provide the services older individuals need to remain in their homes.

While the study identifies several things that homeowners can do to help themselves right now.  And that entails incorporating universal design in their homes. It's something everyone can do when contemplating renovations and upgrades. "One problem is that most home were not designed and built for the needs of aging residents or care giving," says the report. 

Moreover, most families don't consider upgrades for aging in place until a crisis hits. Then they're planning and building in a panic, which doesn't always yield the best, most efficient results.

Here's one way to prioritize projects.

1.  Falls Prevention - Remove throw rugs, especially in  bathrooms
- Install grab bars and grips in the bathroom
- Install sturdy handrails on both sides at steps
- Provide good lighting and switching, especially at stairs, halls, and entries
- Secure or remove carpets at stairs
- Install soft path lighting for nighttime mobility

2. Safe & easy flow of movement into, and around, the house- Remove or reduce the number and/or height of steps
- Increase the width of steps for easy side stepping. Wider steps also allow the use of both hands on one rail
- Create clear and open paths to the bedroom and bathroom.
- Rearrange furniture, entertainment systems, and spaces to improve the ability to move easily.

3.  Substantial renovations - Install a no-step shower or bath lift mechanism
- Install a sink that allows the adult to sit
- Create more space around the toilet to allow for a caregiver to provide assistance
- Provide seated and/or multi-level food preparation areas in the kitchen
- Create sun- and rain-protected outdoor areas
- Install backup power sources (e.g. a generator) in case of power outages

Links:

www.seniorsrealestate.com

http://www.maturemarketinstitute.com/

www.metlife.com/assets/cao/mmi/publications/studies/2010/mmi-aging-place.pdf

Working in Retirement

Is retirement a thing of the past?

The road to Freedom 55 is increasingly marred by financial potholes that are creating delayed retirements and paring down expectations, plans and dreams for the kind of lifestyle that individuals can afford to enjoy as they enter the golden years. Some of these potholes include: some job insecurity for those in the 45-60 age group as a result of our fragile economic environment; rising personal debt levels; escalating costs for basic necessities like home heating and hydro, car fuel, food, housing and insurance, and; the requirement to provide financial support for adult children and care for aging parents.

With these financial realities, it may well be that Gen-50plus will opt to stay in the workforce far longer than previous generations. Indeed, a survey of Americans by the American Association of Retired Persons found that 40% of Boomers plan to work "until they drop"- not because they want to, but because they have to.  Another survey by the Boston College's Centre for Retirement Research found that 60% of Boomers intend to keep working past the traditional retirement age of 65.  And in Canada, provincial and federal governments are acknowledging this reality and have started to eliminate legislation that requires people to retire at the age of 65.

Jonathan Chevreau, writing in the National Post, recently identified a number of books talking about the non-retirement of Boomers (Full retirement a thing of the past).  Many Boomers will continue to work because they have to, but they may opt to re-invent themselves by pursuing new careers or employment opportunities that are personally rewarding and fulfilling. If they've been unhappy in their "jobs", they may choose to look for opportunities in new fields that interest them, even if they don't pay as well.  Because Boomers can expect to live longer and be healthier, many will choose to stay in the workforce as much to maintain their social, intellectual and physical well-being as to make money.

Following is the list of the books mentioned in Chevreau's article:

• Keith Davies, Avoid Retirement and Stay Alive
• Julia Moulden, RIPE: Rich, Rewarding Work after 50
• Peter Grandich, Confessions of a Wall Street Whiz Kid (soon to be published)
• Sherry Cooper, The New Retirement
• Dennis Blas and Heather Compton, Retirement Rocks!
• Mahara Sinclaire, The Laughing Boomer
• Jonathan Chevreau, Findependence Day

 Discussion Questions.  What are your feelings about retirement?  Is it your goal to retire at or before age 65? How do you plan to spend your time?  Or, do you see yourself working well past the traditional age of retirement?  Would you like to continue in your current type of employment, or would you look for something more rewarding? 

Boomers sandwiched between adult children and aging parents

Boomers (defined as the 45-65 age group) are feeling increasingly stressed by their obligations toward children who still rely on them for financial and other supports, and their need to care for aging parents who have healthcare, housing and social challenges. The Boomers are making personal sacrifices to manage all their responsibilites. A poll done in January 2010, found the following:

• 6 in 10 Boomer parents provide an average $3,675 a year to their grown children
• 1 in 3 Boomers provide some care to aging parents. 40% of those Boomers give financial support, an average of almost $6,000 a year
• 34% postponed or cancelled travel plans
• 32% are unable to focus on their own interests
• 39% admit they have reduced their retirement savings
• 24% have adopted a less comfortable lifestyle
• 24% worry their own retirement security may be jeopardized

The Boomers are more stressed by having to financially prop up their adult children then caring for their aging adults. Advisers recommend that Boomers must ensure that their support of adult children is as temporary and short-term as possible.  Otherwise, their own financial well-being during retirement could be less comfortable and secure than they had planned and hoped for.

Boomers feeling squeezed by 'sandwich' Jonathan Chevreau, The Financial PostPublished: Wednesday, January 06, 2010

How PERSONAL CHEFS can help "aging in place"

Many, many members of Gen-50plus desire the opportunity to age in place. They prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible, and there are lots of benefits for the aging adult if they can continue to live independently in the comfort and familiarity of their homes.  Even when they are no longer able or willing to do all the chores involved in independent living, they may be able to afford to hire someone else to those jobs for them. As the 50plus population grows, many private entrepreneurs will begin businesses that cater to seniors who want to age in place, and in fact, we're already seeing that happen.  Home care, chauffeuring, yard work, housecleaning, personal care and a host of other services are becoming increasinly available in the community through private companies.  Another such business is the personal chef.  Personal chefs offer meal preparation services, and this may be something of value to those 50plus individuals who want to live at home, but who either cannot, or do not want, to cook for themselves.  Below is an interesting article about how roving, personal chefs are serving the aging population.

The Senior Real Estate Monthly Newsletter, April 2011, includes an article about roving personal chefs.

Roving Chefs Deliver Seniors' Daily Bread

By Elyse Umlauf-Garneau

Most personal chefs can turn out gourmet  fare, like Chilean sea bass and roasted pheasant or lemongrass shrimp pate, but the bread and butter of many such chef's repertoires are daily meals--stews, soups and meatloaf--for clients who can't or don't want to cook.

Increasingly, that clientele includes seniors. Daily food preparation is often the one aging-in-place stumbling block that seniors and their families can't leap, and hiring a personal chef often removes that roadblock.

Personal chefs Carol Wood of the Occasional Chef, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Brenda Huard of Dinners Done, in Calgary, Alberta, both have elderly clients who simply can't cook for themselves and would be in assisted living without their services.

Better than take-out

Huard is often contacted by seniors' time-starved children, who are at wit's end trying to shop and cook daily meals for elderly parents and simultaneously tend to their own children and jobs.

In addition, many have found that other meal delivery strategies have failed, according to Huard. Some seniors end up not eating much at all, or they rely on salty, unhealthy boxed food or on pricey, calorie-laden take-out. 

Still others are managing parents' care from afar.  Michele Figueroa calls the personal chef she hired for her dad, living in Florida, a godsend. A couple years ago, he'd been hospitalized with a serious illness and returned home with a restricted diet in hand. Cooking for himself was impossible and Figueroa couldn't do it because she lives in Illinois.

The service works like this. The chef visits a client's kitchen on a regular basis--sometimes weekly, sometimes every couple weeks--and cooks a series of meals that seniors or their caretakers can warm up.

Huard, for instance, has a client for whom she cooks 20 meals at a time and then he's set for nearly a month.

The chefs also do all the shopping and prep work in clients' houses, and bring their own pots, appliances, and utensils. They also clean up.

Serving special needs

Before starting the relationship, chefs sit with clients to assess their likes and dislikes and dietary restrictions. Often doctors have told clients to swear off fat, salt, and so forth, and chefs develop menus based on those restrictions. Fiqueroa says her dad's diet was extremely specialized and entailed detailed measurements of certain ingredients and the elimination of others. "The chef was able to tailor the diet to my dad's needs. For me, it was great to know that he was eating the right food," she comments. 

They're also able to accommodate special requests, such as vegetarian, vegan, and Kosher diets, and they'll work clients' favorite family recipes into the meal rotation.

Pricing for personal chefs varies, depending on the location and level of service. Some, like Wood, will do extra shopping and pick up kitty litter, cleaning supplies, and so forth, for an extra fee.

And if someone wants gourmet fare, such as fancy cheese or lobster tails, costs tick up because such raw ingredients are pricier than routine staples.

But many regard the costs as small, especially when they compare it to having to move to an assisted living or nursing facility. "I have a client whose father is in assisted living, and he pays $4,400 per month," comments Huard.  Huard's price for 20 meals is $350.  Sure, that $4,400 tab includes numerous other services, but chefs would argue, "Why choose a costly institutional option, if a senior really only needs assistance with meals?"

"It's not inexpensive," acknowledges Fiqueroa. But without the service, she says her dad could have ended up back in the hospital.

Short-term solutions

Such chefs also do special events for seniors. That could include setting the table and  cooking a lunch for seniors' friends or preparing  a full Thanksgiving dinner so that a senior can host a holiday. "It allows them to continue having a social life," Wood comments, who has one client she helps every Thanksgiving.  "She can still have company and enjoy her beautiful china," she adds.

Sometimes, relationships with personal chefs are temporary. Chefs can step in during an emergency and cook for a few weeks or months for those in physical therapy or for people recovering from a medical event.

Broader safety net

There are subtle benefits too. Seniors look forward to chefs' visits and enjoy the social interaction. One of Wood's clients, for instance, likes to watch the preparation and to chit-chat with Wood. And often Wood prepares an extra treat or brings the lady's favorite tea and shares a cup with her. 

Such chefs also serve as something of a safety net, offering an extra set of eyes and ears to identify emergencies and any troubles that emerge with clients.

Just recall the February news story involving a Memphis, Tenn., pizza delivery person who saved an elderly woman's life. The Domino's employee called the police when she noticed that the client had veered from her normal ordering habits. It turns out that the woman had fallen and wasn't able to call for help.

That personal connection is one reason Huard says it's important for the chef and senior to meet and to relate to one another.

Beyond liking the chef and his or her food, there are several other considerations, including:

-Background and training-- Ask chefs about their culinary experience and whether they belong to a professional chef organization.

-Food safety--Has the person been trained and certified in proper food handling?

-Insurance--Is the chef insured?

-Due diligence--Given that a chef will be coming in and out of the house, it's wise to check references and do the same level of background checks you would do on other service providers.

Chef Finding

A number of organizations provide training and certifications to chefs, and they also offer ways to locate chefs and research their specialties. For more information, see: 

·         Canadian Personal Chef Association, www.cook4me.ca