Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Senior cohousing

[Peg Blum (pegb]

This is an excellent thread that somehow came into my Discuss folder (often
happens since I have all cohousing-l mail directed to a special folder).  It
somehow follows along with my message sent to Jesse earlier today...I'll
forward to you.

Peg

BTW didn't know that Craig has moved/ismoving out of Songaia...but not far.
A great sounding scheme.

On Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 10:14 AM, Diane <dianeclaire [at] gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Well I'm for both kinds and I am especially interested in the
> accommodations
> that multigenerational cohousing communities are making  as its middle-aged
> members become seniors.
>
> However, I would like to say something about those words about Social
> Security -- it will not go broke unless we join those who want it to
> belly-up by assuming it must go broke.  A few tweeks and it will last
> through the baby boomers and beyond.  the tweeks? 1) turn it from a
> regressive to a progressive tax -- at the moment the richer you are the
> smaller is the perventage of your income that you pay into it.  2) raise
> the
> retirement age slightly; 3) stop dipping into the fund to pay for deficits
> in other parts of the budget.
>
> Thanks,
> Diane
>
> On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 3:37 PM, Beverly Jones Redekop <
> beverly.jones.redekop [at] gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > Yarrow Ecovillage is developing its multigenerational cohousing first,
> but
> > we also plan to have seniors cohousing onsite.  We figure that some
> seniors
> > enjoy the liveliness and vitality of children and other seniors would
> > prefer
> > to avoid the need for conversations about how children need to remember
> to
> > pick up scattered outside toys.  Many of the moms in the
> multigenerational
> > have plans to sneak over to seniors cohousing for lovely quiet events
> with
> > candles and tablecloths!
> >
> > I agree that we could use Sharon's list as a reminder of how to keep
> > multigenerational attractive for people of all ages, but even if we
> > "fix"all
> > of those items, there might still be people who want to feel free to
> ....I
> > don't know, grow poisonous flowers in their window boxes or leave
> delicate
> > china figurines on a table outside their front door.  It might be nice to
> > have a common house bathroom that would never have water splashed about
> or
> > grimy marks on the handtowel.  I would not take the need for seniors
> > cohousing as evidence of failed multigenerational cohousing.
> >
> > I really like Sharon's list, however, and will share it with my
> neighbours
> > and neighbours-in-waiting.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Beverly
> >
> > www.yarrowecovillage.ca (1 hour east of Vancouver, BC)
> >
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> >          Beverly Jones Redekop
> >
> >    beverly.jones.redekop [at] gmail.com
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 11:25 AM, Laura Fitch <lfitch [at] krausfitch.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > I disagree with the notion that the senior cohousing movement detracts
> > from
> > > multi-generational cohousing.
> > >
> > > I actually am very excited about senior cohousing, and determined to
> help
> > > make it happen.  I look at the baby boomer tsunami that is about to hit
> > > retirement age - and I conclude that my generation is in BIG trouble if
> > we
> > > do not figure out how to better house ourselves in our later years.
> >  There
> > > will not be enough multi-generational cohousing to do it.  Social
> > Security
> > > may be broke.  I sincerely believe we will need to explore MANY
> solutions
> > > and this is one solution that should be available for whoever wants it.
> > >
> > > I am especially excited about the two types going in side by side as in
> > the
> > > case of Silver Sage and Wild Sage communities in Boulder!
> > >
> > > Laura Fitch, AIA, LEED AP
> > > Kraus-Fitch Architects, Inc.
> > > 110 Pulpit Hill Rd.
> > > Amherst, MA  01002
> > > 413-549-5799
> > >
> > > lfitch [at] krausfitch.com
> > > www.krausfitch.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Sharon Villines [mailto:sharon [at] sharonvillines.com]
> > > Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 8:41 AM
> > > To: Cohousing-L
> > > Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Any family-based 55+ cohousing in existence?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 12 Dec 2010, at 11:56 PM, balaji [at] ouraynet.com wrote:
> > >
> > > > movement.  Why?  Because it takes seniors out of the loop, and
> > constrains
> > > > the development of true (i.e., multigenerational) communities.
> > >
> > > Well, just the opening I needed to engage this subject. I also believe
> > this
> > > is not a good trend for cohousing because it is the seniors who do a
> > vital
> > > if not largest share of work in the community. Our community would
> > collapse
> > > without them.
> > >
> > > Our most dependable people are over 60. They have more flexible time
> and
> > > have a greater understanding of "larger than my household"
> > > responsibilities.
> > > They are less overwhelmed by their own lives and have out-grown the
> > > expectation that someone else will do it. Many young people are
> parented
> > to
> > > believe that others (parents, teachers, counselors, etc.) are out there
> > and
> > > will take care of things.
> > >
> > > Of our residents who are over 60 there is not one who is a slacker. Not
> > all
> > > are hale and hearty but they are all dependable to the best of their
> > > ability. None use their infirmities as an excuse for not stepping in
> when
> > > something needs to be done, and those under 50 do when they have a
> cold.
> > > Most don't need to be asked to pitch in. Even those who are 85+ have
> > > ongoing
> > > leadership and task responsibilities. If it is within their physical
> > > ability, they are responsible. This far from true of the under 50
> crowd.
> > >
> > > If people under 50 don't want to stop the drift to senior cohousing,
> they
> > > need to look at the reasons older people want their own spaces. I
> haven't
> > > made a study of this but on my list and on the lists of those I've
> talked
> > > with are:
> > >
> > > 1. An expectation of adult behavior in some areas of the commonhouse
> > _and_
> > > the grounds all the time and at some time in most areas of the CH. This
> > > requires a concept of the CH has something other than a rumpus room for
> > > children or an unsupervised student dining hall.
> > >
> > > 2. Some meals where children are not present so adults can speak not
> just
> > > to
> > > be heard but to have uninterrupted conversations and make jokes that
> > > someone
> > > else may not want their children to hear. And continue them past school
> > day
> > > bedtimes.
> > >
> > > 3. An understanding that on a regular basis there will be events for
> > which
> > > parents have to make their own arrangements for their own children. The
> > > people over 50 have either raised their children or chosen not to raise
> > > them
> > > and most probably did not join the community for the sole purpose of
> > > assuming responsibility for more. Emergency back up and support for
> > > childcare at meetings and workdays is the expected limit on childcare.
> > Some
> > > will do much more but should not be expected to nor repeatedly asked.
> > >
> > > 4. Understand the difference between child-friendly and child-centered.
> > > Child-centered is not multigenerational.
> > >
> > > 5. Parents must remind themselves that their children are not holy
> > causes.
> > > No crusades.
> > >
> > > Cohousing is wonderful but multi-generational takes focus on the needs
> of
> > > all the generations, not just the children and their parents.
> > >
> > > It would be interesting to have some discussions of how this mult-focus
> > > could be assured. How would you structure the budget and the
> > prioritization
> > > of activities to ensure that it was being done?
> > >
> > > Sharon
> > > ----
> > > Sharon Villines
> > > Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
> > > http://www.takomavillage.org
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
> > >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Diane Margolis
> 175 Richdale Av.
> Cambridge, MA 02140
> 617 354 1349
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
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>
>
>


-- 
Peg Blum
175 Richdale Ave  #414
Cambridge, MA 02140-3354
(617) 576-1334