Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Aging in Place

[Rowena Conkling (rowenac]

Virginia Moreland wrote:

> I'm posting this inquiry on behalf of some of our East Lake Commons
> members.  Many of us are concerned about people being able to stay in our
> community as they age or become ill.  All but three of our units are
> townhouses, involving two or three stories.
>

CambridgeCoho has a mix of townhouses, three-storey walkups, and three floors
of apartments over the common house served by an elevator.  We are all hoping
to "age in place"  I think, which means that some of the people in the
common-house are going to have to move on!  We already have current residents
"signed-up" for units there should they become vacant.  Our "flats" range from
studios to four bedrooms, so the possibilities are endless.  Although I am
close to retirement I chose to live on the third floor of a walkup, on the
theory that walking up those stairs was good for me.  We do have stair-chairs
in the two walk-up buildings so that we can have disabled visitors and could
also use them for hauling heavy packages up two flights.  So far, whenever I've
had something really heavy to carry one of my neighbors has noticed and helped,
which is one big advantage of the "tight" quarters of the city.

Don't get the wrong idea, we have a good deal of open space including a veggie
garden, play areas and what we call the "pretty good lawn" - plenty of space
for croquet, frisbee and such, but we do pass within feet of each other's doors
to pick up mail, going in and out, etc.

RowenaC