Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Aging in Place

[Fred-List manager (fholson]

Jean Foster <jean [at] jeanfoster.org>
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Fred, the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
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Thanks to everyone for your comments and suggestions on this topic.

I think aging in place needs to be considered during the planning
stages of a community in order to work, especially for the site
planning and building design.  I recently visited a well established
and beautiful co-housing community that I immediately knew wouldnʼt
work.  (I should mention that my 90 year old mother is wheelchair
bound and I was hoping to find someplace where she could end her days
with family instead of in an assisted living or nursing home.) The
community I visited is attractively placed on a hill with paths and
stairs.  Residence entrances were narrow and the common house had a
lovely upstairs space but no elevator.  As seems to be the norm with
choosing communities Iʼve looked into, little thought had been
giving to accessibility. And again, all of us become less abled as we
age.

At this community, I met a few long term residents who were in their
70ʼs or early 80ʼs who were moving away from this community
because they knew that soon it would become problematic and they felt
bad that they couldnʼt fulfill their community responsibilities
which become more arduous for the elderly.

best,
-jean-