An epidemic: Seniors have second thoughts about where to live

Alyssa Ballot, 64, plans to leave her 750-square-foot residence in Chicago to take root in a diverse co-op community where neighbors usually share food and entertainment areas and help each other.

“What I have learned during these epidemics is that personal relationships are very important to me, not the place,” he said.

Kim Beckman, 64, and her husband, Mike, were willing to give up being homeowners in Victoria, Texas, and join a community of more than 55 or rent an independent apartment building in North Texas before the Govt-19 victory.

Now, they are considering buying a bigger house because “if you’re always going to be at home, you might be comfortable too,” Beckman said.

“Everyone I know talks about it,” said Wendell Cornfield, 71, of West Manhattan. He has temporarily put forward the opportunity to move into the ongoing maintenance pension community being built in the Bronx.

“My husband and I are going to play it by ear; we want to see how things work,” she said with a sigh.

In Cornfield circles, people are more committed to staying in their homes or apartments as long as possible than ever before – at least for now. Their fear: If they move to a senior living community, they are more likely to face a Govt-19 outbreak.

“We’ve all heard of the high number of deaths in senior facilities,” Cornfield said. But he acknowledged that people living in their own homes may have trouble getting help at affordable prices when they need it.

Avoiding nursing homes in the midst of an epidemic

According to the latest figures from the Kaiser Family Trust, more than 70,000 residents and staff living in nursing homes and support living facilities Govt-19 died in mid-August.

This is a calculation because less than half of the states report data for Govt-19 in assisted living. Data were also not reported for people living independently in senior homes. (Kaiser Health News is an editorial independent project of the Kaiser Family Foundation.)

The result has been widespread anxiety about senior careers, and in July the National Investment Center for Retirement Homes and Maintenance announced the lowest aggression rates since research system began monitoring data 14 years ago.

Occupancy is lower in assisted living (3.2% decline from April to June, compared to January to March) than independent living (2.4% decline). This organization does not compile data on nursing homes.

In a separate NIC survey of senior housing executives in August, 74% said they were concerned about the relocation of families as covit cases increased in many parts of the country.

Overcoming Possible Isolation

The potential for social isolation is particularly worrying because the facilities have restrictions on family visits and group meals and activities. .

NIC chief economist and director of outreach Beth stressed that operators have responded aggressively by installing new safety and health protocols, moving programming online, helping residents buy groceries and other essentials, and constantly interacting with Covit-19. On a large scale in the site and community, constantly.

Mary Kasluski, 76, lives independently in Herons Key, a continuing maintenance retirement community in Kick Harbor, Washington, doing this and more with her sister facility at Emerald Heights in Redmond, Washington.

“We all feel safe here,” he said. “Although we were strongly advised not to go to each other’s apartments, at least we could find each other in the hall and downstairs and in the lobby and outside the deck.

An employee at Herons Key tested positive for Covit-19 in August, but recovered. Twenty residents and staff at Emerald Heights tested positive. Two residents and an employee were killed.

Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council for the Elderly, emphasizes that some communities do a better job than others. His organization recently released a report on the future of senior life in light of the epidemic.

It calls on operators to make a number of changes, including the establishment of safe haven locations for families inside and outside; Providing high-speed Internet services across communities; And among other recommendations to ensure an adequate supply of masks and other personal protective equipment for residents and staff.

Some families now prefer to arrange for older relatives to receive care in a more structured environment before the onset of the epidemic. Elderly relatives live independently, especially those who are weak or have mild cognitive impairments, and they find it difficult to manage on their own.

“I’m been waiting a long time for a lot of people – mostly older daughters – to move mom or dad, and we’re had our heads in the sand, can you help us find a place for them?”

Although many operators impose mobility barriers at the onset of infections, most allow new residents to test negative for Covit-19. Isolation of up to two weeks is also required for people to be in circulation in the community.

However, many older adults do not have the financial means to take action. According to a 2019 study, more than half of middle-income seniors – nearly 8 million older people – cannot afford independent living or assisted living communities.

According to the Federal Sub-Poverty Measurement, more than 7 million seniors are poor, including out-of-pocket medical expenses and other drains for cash reserves.

Questions to ask

For those who are considering senior housing, experts suggest asking a number of questions:

How are Residents facilitated to interact with residents and families? Did it explode into a cove? Does this reveal Govt cases and deaths? Does it share the latest guidance from federal, state and local public health officials?

What protocols are in place to ensure safety? “I want to know: Is there a plan for disasters – not just epidemics, but floods, fires, hurricanes, blizzards, etc.?” Milner said. “Beyond a plan, do they have materials?”

How does the Residents community involve residents? Online Programming – Fitness Classes, Lectures, Interest Group Meetings – Available? Is it possible for employees to interact with each other? Do employees organize online contacts via Zoom with FaceTime or family? Are family visits allowed?

“Social engagement and motivation are more important than ever,” said David Schles, president of the American Senior Housing Association.

What is the financial position and occupation rate of a financial company? “Properties with occupancy rates of 90% or more can significantly withstand the pressures of Covit-19 than assets with less than 80% occupancy, in my opinion,” said Mace of the National Investment Center for Senior Housing and Maintenance. More aggression means more revenue, which allows companies to better incur additional costs associated with the epidemic.

“Transparency is very important,” Schles said.