Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Work tasks as resident age along?

[Bonnie Fergusson (fergyb2]

      We have been operating for 23 years and have found that as owners age and 
become less capable of physical tasks (like going on the roof, clearing 
gutters, etc.) it hasn’t been a big problem as long as we maintain a mix of 
ages.  This works because when people die or move to assisted living their 
places sell or are rented to younger people who are more physically adept.  
There are always plenty of tasks still manageable by us old healthy folk.  And 
we hire professionals when stuff comes up that no one here can handle.  We have 
a few handymen who have worked for various residents doing various projects 
over the years that have become our go to guys.  Same for cleaners.  When we 
can’t manage cooking common dinner any more we pair up with those who can, 
other residents, friends or family members, and we become sous chefs, setting 
the table, chopping etc.. Recently one of our founding women died who was 
always the main cook in their household.  The sons and daughters in laws now 
come visit every month and do the main cooking when it’s the widowers turn to 
cook Common dinner and he remains the sous chef he always was.  As for 
workdays, we always have a range of tasks which include some that anyone can 
handle.  When people are really sick we just let them slide figuring it all 
evens out in the end.  Retired folk who are home during  the day can let in and 
supervise contractors, inspectors, visiting nurses, etc. while others are at 
work, and move packages into the Common House out of package thieves sight (we 
had spate of package thieves climbing over our fence and making off with 
packages a few years ago until we started the policy of folks at home in the 
day moving packages out of sight as soon as they arrived which has worked 
beautifully.  Bonnie FergussonSwans Market CohousingOakland, CA



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On Friday, June 9, 2023, 2:22 PM, David Heimann <heimann [at] theworld.com> 
wrote:


Hello Everyone,

     We have been operating for 18 years now, and a significant 
number of our residents are aging accordingly.  Recently, the over 70's 
have had a discussion about how to get physical work done, especially 
during our 4-6 work days per year, when these residents can no longer do 
a lot of that work due to age-related disability.

     Among those of you who have had aging in place occur (or 
otherwise have a significant number of disabled residents), how do you 
address getting the work done?  Also, for those of you in senior 
cohousing, how do you get the physical work done in the first place?

     Thanks for any assistance, thoughts, and "what we do"'s.

Regards,
David Heimann
Jamaica Plain Cohousing

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