Peachtree Hills: A Lifelong Community Case Study

Posted on October 5, 2011 by admin

One of our goals, to connect seniors with their environment and the services offered to produce outcomes that lead to better health, an improved lifestyle and ultimately more control, has led to a new partnership.  Isakson Living is proud to announce that the Peachtree Hills Civic Association (PHCA) is currently working with the Atlanta
Regional Commission (ARC) and its Lifelong Communities Initiative.

The ARC announced, “because of the breadth of incredible assets in the Peachtree Hills neighborhood, the ARC expressed interest to PHCA to determine if the community has the elements of a “Lifelong Community.”  The first step to help accomplish this awareness was for Peachtree Hill residents to identify and measure the community’s “Lifelong Communities Assets,”   Residents were asked to complete the “Lifelong Communities Assessment Survey” and when answering the questions, to think of the entire Peachtree Hills neighborhood and the surrounding community based on the daily journeys one makes from their home to access nearby goods and services.”

Click the following link to learn how the residents of Peachtree Hills think their community measures up to the Lifelong Community Assets.

http://www.atlantaregional.com/aging-resources/lifelong-communities-llc/lifelong-communities-emerging-sites/peachtree-hills

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Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Posted on September 26, 2011 by admin

One common mistake is putting too much importance on proximity to the adult child’s
home or workplace.  When parents are settled in a comfortable community where they are engaged and secure, family visits typically occur weekly.

We recommend focusing on your parents’ best interests rather than worrying about a few miles of driving on a Sunday.  The ideal choice is the one Mom and Dad feel best about and is most in line with their needs.

Another mistake is failing to look into the future.  Some seniors choose lovely retirement communities, but are forced to move because of changes in their health status. Choosing an option that offers a full continuum of care means your parents could avoid another costly, potentially disruptive move.

The impact of social isolation is another issue that’s often overlooked.  Park Springs members consistently say that their favorite part of living in the community is the people.  Living in a large house can be lonely and isolating, especially if they’re no longer driving or if neighbors have moved or passed away.

Research shows that relationships and enrichment are vital to seniors’ health and happiness.  Although it can be hard to leave a home one has loved and cared for, our Members say the decision to do so was the best one they ever made.  Getting rid of clutter and surrendering home maintenance duties can reduce stress and add joy to daily living.

Your parents want to maintain control of their health, their lives and their independence.  Rather than try to take away that control, help them hold on to it.  With a little assistance and the proper environment, most people can remain independent to a quite advanced age.

A decision brings security and peace of mind.
Finding the right retirement residence can be challenging for aging parents and their families.  But once it’s made, the right decision brings relief and peace of mind.  It also brings a sense of hopefulness about a secure future.  And it gives adult children the satisfaction of having contributed to their parents’ wellbeing.

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How You Can Help – Downsizing

Posted on September 7, 2011 by admin

Help with the sale of their home.

The real estate market remains stagnant in many parts of the country.  Help your parents evaluate the market.  Use a Realtor to learn the selling price of comparably priced homes in the area.

Experts say the current real estate cycle is not likely to change in the near term or within the time frame of your parents’ decision-making process.   We’re not expected to see inflated 2006 prices for a long time.  At today’s market prices, your parents probably still have a sizable profit in the value of their house.

A correctly priced home in good condition will sell.  An overpriced home will remain on the market and will usually bring less than one competitively priced.   But maintaining a house is expensive.  As well, if the home is too large with lots of unused space, it may no longer represent a sound investment.  Is it wise for your parents to speculate on the market by holding on?  These are questions that must be considered.

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How You Can Help – Research Senior Living Options

Posted on August 22, 2011 by admin

Help gather resources and information.

Use your knowledge, contacts and the Internet to ensure that your parents are aware of all relevant options.  Every community offers a different mix of services and amenities.  Review them carefully to find one that meets your family’s specific needs.  Then compare the prices for entry costs and ongoing monthly fees.

Continuing care (also known as “life care”) communities may offer a health care benefit,
but it will come at an added price.  If your parents have long-term care insurance, they may have already paid for that benefit.  Not-for-profit communities maintain that they are less expensive because they reinvest their profits in the community.  But that isn’t necessarily reflected in lower pricing.

We recommend comparing similarly sized residences in communities you are considering.  Try to measure “apples to apples” to get the best idea of comparable value.  Visit each community and talk with residents and with their adult children as well as staff members.

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How You Can Help – Cost of Living Assessment

Posted on August 8, 2011 by admin

Help them make the comparison.

Many people don’t realize the true costs of living in and maintaining a single-family
home.  Help your parents calculate those expenses to determine how much they can afford.  They may discover that it’s no more expensive to live in a continuing care community whose price includes services and amenities like landscaping, transportation, onsite health care and social activities.

Click here for a checklist of relevant needs & possibilities and costs for each.

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How You Can Help – Planning & Needs Assessment

Posted on July 20, 2011 by admin

Help them envision the next ten years.  What services will they need?  What do they want their life to look like?

The next ten years will probably not look like the past five.  One of your parents may be becoming the other’s caregiver and will need additional help as circumstances change.  Perhaps your mother is nearing the time when she will no longer be able to drive.  Or maybe your father is becoming isolated and homebound due to declining mobility.

Is access to transportation or convenient services and amenities a priority?  Do your parents plan to continue to cook for themselves or will they be looking for access to healthy, high-quality meals?  What about availability of quality medical care?

Click here for a handy checklist to make sure you’ve covered the relevant topics, possibilities and costs for each.

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How Can I Help?

Posted on July 6, 2011 by admin

Assist your parents by providing information for them to consider.  Use your Internet and professional skills to ensure they understand all options.  Then, support the informed decision they make.

You can help with the emotional issues through patient, thoughtful conversation with your parents.  Ask open-ended questions and listen to the answers.  Sometimes the best way to help is by being present and supportive, not necessarily “solving” problems but assisting with decision making.

  • Help them envision the next ten years.  What services will they need?  What do they want their life to look like?
  • Help them make the comparison.
  • Help gather resources and information.
  • Help with the sale of their home.
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Seniors & Aging: How and why does conflict arise?

Posted on June 6, 2011 by admin

As they consider future living options, retirees are eager to maintain independence
and responsibility for their wellbeing. When they turn to their children for support and advice it may be the first time they’ve sought their input on such an important decision.

Some adult children see this as an invitation to assume control, which can conflict sharply with the adult’s goal of independence.  Taking away control typically leads to conflict, and for good reason.  In most cases, decisions about how and where older parents will live –and the consequences of those decisions – should reside with them.  Adult children can assist in many ways without taking over.

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An Important Transition

Posted on May 2, 2011 by admin

Seeing our children grow into adults is a powerful part of the parenting experience.   The oldest members of a family hold a position of responsibility that can include grooming successors to take on the role of “family elders.”  This important transition can be can be an emotional and challenging time for everyone involved.

Some adult children are not necessarily ready to become family elders.  In part that’s because these transitions suggest a future without Mom or Dad, something most people don’t like to contemplate.

A frequent reaction is to deny the need to take action.  This can lead to less-than-optimal
choices.  For example, remaining in – and maintaining – a large home may seem like a way to hold onto the status quo. But once you start asking questions you may find it’s not the best option for a variety of reasons, including financial.

For aging parents, decisions around retirement are difficult because they bring back memories of similar experiences – not all positive – with their own parents.  With many fewer options back in the day, they were often forced to make unwelcome compromises.

On the other hand, today’s older adults have a multitude of choices in terms of location, style, structure, cost, amenities and access to health care.  With the proper environment and access to care, our parents can live healthier, more engaged and hopefully longer lives than previous generations.

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Why is this an emotional decision for us as an adult child and our parents?

Posted on April 25, 2011 by admin

Most of us think that our developmental process of our mind ended in our youth as we become adults.  In fact that developmental process goes on throughout life and continues rather late in life.  Becoming an Elder and later seeing your children grow into the status of an Elder is a powerful and emotional time in our lives. 

An Elder is a member of the oldest generation of a family.  It is a position of responsibility within the family.  As an Elder looks back at life and tries to put their own life in perspective, they must also groom their successor for the responsibility of becoming an Elder. This can be an emotional time for both.  Making a decision on retirement living options often brings these emotions and conflicts into play.

As an Adult Child it is an emotional time because you probably aren’t ready to be an Elder and you certainly don’t want to think about life and how it will be one day without your parents.  A frequent reaction is to block it out or deny the process.  This can lead to decisions that you may think are good for you and your parents but are in fact otherwise. Staying in their current home may seem like a wise decision to maintain the status quo but is that decision for you or for your parent’s well being?

For an Elder these retirement decisions can be difficult because they bring back emotional memories of times with their own parents, when they too were becoming Elders.  For an Elder today, this is all new because their parents never had these kinds of options for living with both, style, comfort, social amenities and access to high quality health care. Disease maintenance and prevention are so much better but more complicated today.  With the proper environment and access to care, our parents can live a better, healthier, more socially active and hopefully longer life than previous generations.

For the family this proactive decision can still be very emotional.

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