Cohousing-L Mailing List: senior cohousing

[don i arkin (shardon5]

Hi,  I am not convinced that the letters I have seen on this topic are
arguments "for" senior cohousing.  Although such a community possibly
could form their own group insurance plan, the actual savings would be
relatively small compared to the costs remaining.  I believe that a very
large fraction of the costs associated with being old and getting older
are due to the myriad of routine daily activities that become impossible
to do.  Many elderly or their families are forced to hire round the clock
or all day help to hang around and help with these activities and this
alone can cost $3000 to $6000 a month.  
        On the other hand, this seems to me to be precisely the problem
that cohousing was supposed to solve by creating a simulacrum of the
traditional multi-generational family.  The hope was that (and I hope
that I will be forgiven for speaking of it in terms of exchange instead
of love) the elderly would be providing services in terms of
baby-sitting, education, wisdom, etc, and would be receiving non-medical
help when necessary.  It is important to realize that usually the two
halves of the exchange are separated by time - when seniors are giving
the most they usually don't need anything and vice-versa.
This is where trust, love, and a healthy community play their part.  
        So the problem I see with a senior only community is that there
might be an imbalance between the numbers of residents able to help and
those who need help.
        Don who is 53 
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