What is the effect on retirement villages as they age?
What is the effect on retirement villages as they age? Many traditional retirement villages have, over the years grown older, and this has created problems - especially when competing with the newer, more modern lifestyle villages. Some of their age related problems are as follows: Volunteerism starts to wane Although the Bermuda Shorts and Tennis Shoe Brigade move into villages full of the zest for life, their initial enthusiasm soon starts to wane, as they, and the village, start to age. Where once dances and entertainment evenings were organised, now queuing for dinner is the highlight of some lives. Where once people clamoured to become involved in residents' association committees, now it is only the truly masochistic who would dream of volunteering to become a committee member, let alone Chairperson! The ratio of men to women decreases Most retirement villages end up with approximately eight women to every man. One could be excused for thinking that this would be man's paradise! Perhaps it would, if it weren't for macular degeneration that prevents them from seeing the ladies, tinnitus that precludes them from hearing their siren calls, and arthritis that makes it improbable that they would ever be able to catch one, let alone remembering what to do if they did! The fact that fewer men are around as the village ages creates task-related problems, such as a dearth of male volunteers to drive the minibus or replace light bulbs. This voluntary service is no longer possible, so additional staff now have to be employed, with the consequential burden of increasing staff costs and levy hikes. Structural modifications increasingly required - some being as follows: - As residents now take 30-minutes to cross the village roads, speed humps and stereotyped road signs depicting elderly crooked people need to be erected. But, no sooner are they in place, then a request will be forthcoming to flatten a portion of the hump to allow Mrs. Brown and her walker to negotiate the trip along the roadway to the dining room for meals. The sight of her teetering on the summit of the speed hump, or of Mrs Grey repeatedly having a go at the speed hump in her wheelchair as she tries to pass over it, would be enough to drive most village managers to drink! - Steps leading to cottages need to be modified into ramps. - Hand rails should be attached to walls adjacent to pathways, and even in the cottage interiors. - Toilet bowls need to be raised approximately six inches in order to assist elderly people to stand up on completion of business. (This after Mrs Brown was found sitting on a toilet in the clubhouse for three days. It was only the fact that staff changed the toilet rolls on Fridays that saved her from becoming a permanent fixture!) - Some light bulbs will need to be replaced with far brighter outputs. By the time we are 70, we need two to three times the amount of light as we did when we were 20. - Large flower pots along pathways need to be moved and narrow doorways have to be widened in order to allow wheelchair access. - Hanging rails in built-in cupboards need to lowered by 5 cm to allow for the fact that, by the time men reach 70, they have shrunk by 3 cm and women by 5 cm. Signs must be erected in toilets informing Mr Grey, who has Alzheimer's, that it is no use pointing his car remote at the urinal - that it needs to be flushed manually! Electric plug points should be repositioned half way up the wall, as elderly people find it difficult to reach low-level plug points. This also facilitates wheelchair use. Retirement Matters 7 7 TO READ PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS, or OBTAIN BOOKS WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR, PLEASE LOG IN TO www.henryspencerauthor.com OR PHONE HIM ON... 072-514 0913 Mobile: 027+72-514 0913 OR EMAIL HIM ON: halfmens@telkomsa.net What is the effect on retirement villages as they age? (continued from previous page) More cases of dementia will be encountered Mrs Williams should be reminded not to keep feeding the statue of the concrete ducks by the pond, as the rotting food is beginning to smell. One community bus sometimes no longer suffices When residents are increasingly forced to give up driving due to illhealth, transport facilities may be challenged by competing needs. And this itself comes with inherent problems. For example some residents may wish to go to the shopping mall, bingo hall or bridge club, whereas others from a newer generation may prefer to go to the local cinema, bowling club or their own GP. The frail care unit may eventually become too large The increasing un-affordability of frail care in South Africa has resulted in a plethora of empty beds. Where residents were once prepared to remain in frail care for a few years, it is now used as a hospice, or palliative care type service - they often now only stay there for as short a time as possible. This increases vacant beds, and adds to the financial woes of many facilities. The topography of the village becomes increasingly difficult for some residents The slopes and hills, initially sought after by some developers for their lower land prices, now become an impediment to mobility. The use of aids such as three-wheelers and scooters will assist in alleviating this problem, as will a golf-cart used to ferry residents in need. The payment of levies starts to become a burden for some residents Monthly levies can, over time, financially cripple residents, even to the extent that they have to leave the village and move to more down-market digs, or even to stay with their children (Heaven forbid!). Take for example a person moving into a village where the initial levy is R2,000 per month. This is likely to double in 11-years plus, at this older age, it is possible that one spouse may incur additional medical costs or may perhaps even need frail care. There is less support from external family members Because of the longevity increases among the baby boomers, residents' children may themselves have retired, meaning that they will no longer be in a position to assist with financial shortfalls. Conclusion These then are just some of the many design and operational factors that need to be taken in to account when considering the dynamics of ageing villages. The good news (and for them - the bad news), is that today's modern in demand 'life-style' villages will also age. So all retirement facilities, irrespective of their current age, must be prepared to adapt or die! And should from day one ensure that they have the funds to do so! .................... Henry Spencer - from his book 'There is Life After 65!'