Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Unoccupied Units & the Effect on Workshare

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Jan 23, 2023, at 3:40 PM, Kathleen Lowry <kathleenlowrylpcclmft [at] 
> gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Virgil, Thank you for your comment. Yes, at 69 safety in every way becomes 
> more and more in the forefront of my concerns too. I wonder if there are such 
> things as senior home care collectives or coops where a group of seniors 
> could coordinate and share costs for a  combination of  health and home care, 
> but not sure about the need for socializing and community. 

The Kendall group of continuing care facilities is resident governed and very 
inclusive. The problem is that care needed is unique to each person and changes 
over time — and not in a straight line. Good months and bad months. And not 
even predictable by age. So it is hard for 2-3 people or even 10 to collaborate 
on hiring caregivers. 

A comparable situation in cohousing is getting children to school and back 
every day. I was surprised that it was not possible for parents to carpool. We 
had 20 at one point who were taken individually by their parent or caregiver to 
different daycares, nursery schools, public schools, public charter schools, or 
private schools. I thought that at least after a few years the parents would 
coalesce and find common paths but they really couldn’t.

Each child was in a different grade and at a different school. Schools are not 
so simple as elementary school and high school. They have odd grades: ages 
infant to 3, 2 to 5, 3-6, 4-6, pre-k to 5th grade, 6-8th grade, 6-12th grade, 
9-12. So it wasn’t easy to coordinate without years of planning. And of course, 
each school was in a different direction and started at a different time. Once 
children start attending school children want to stay in the same school. Or 
the school doesn’t work and they change to a school no one else attends.

Parents also had a variety of needs. Some were almost rigid about time and 
others were very relaxed to the point of not knowing what time it was. The 
schools also had different standards and some didn’t have set arrival times. 
The difference meant those two households couldn’t comfortably join forces. One 
household considered commuting to be prime time for serious conversations and 
wanted to be alone. 

It’s complicated. There is a reason organizations move toward uniformity. It’s 
easier when everyone is the same.

The one thing that can be done for caregiver help is for members of the 
community to learn about what is available in the larger community. The home 
nursing programs, adult daycare centers, etc. There are many services.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org