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I personally get hives and claustrophobia thinking about living in the middle of a big city. Even the suburbs here are encroaching.
My spouse and I will be building our retirement home - and while he thinks it will be the last place he will ever move - I know differently. We are looking for a rural spot - on the outer edge of any number of communities.
I have no illusions about where to go when we are completely unable to care for ourselves.....
But until that time I am in the same camp as Montana Griz. Give me wide open spaces......
Proximity to what I need was the #1 factor in choosing my home. I was not used to driving far for anything that I needed.
Where I live now there is everything I need. A small area in a county of 4.5 million. I can golf at the 8 courses or go to the 7 rec centers in a few minutes. Nothing is even 10 minutes away. We have every medical type of business in one central location. We are 55+ so there are no children which means no schools which means low taxes. Most pay between $300 and $800 a year in real estate taxes. We have 27,000 houses and condos. 3 to 5 sell per day. You have to kick in $3000 when you buy so things are constantly being improved or added. Enough shopping is here but if you want you can leave our area and within a mile most ways are more stores than you will ever need.
I live 4,8, and 9 miles from 3 spring training stadiums and all of the events that go on there. I live 5 miles from UofP stadium which I am sure you saw the Super Bowl played in, lots of other events there too. 4 miles from Westgate entertainment district for NHL, restaurants, outlet shopping, and music. Only about a half hour from MLB and NBA games. There is nothing I can think of that is more than 30 minutes away, and I still live in small area with a small town feel. An area that was built for people as they age with things for people in their 50's to 100's with services that anyone would need. Great library system. And a positive for people that move here is everyone is from somewhere else so it is east to meet people.
The downside. You can't build a brand new home here. Many do a complete rebuild of existing property. It gets hot in the summer. I got used to it rather quickly, most people I know do. It is not humid so 105 isn't as bad as most people think. Better than 88 was in Ohio.
What's the price range for a 1 bedroom apt? Are there senior low-income based buildings?
Currently, there is a shortage of rentals in this area. However, they are building some new senior residences in this neighborhood which will be part assisted living and part other, but I have no idea of the price range. A little further up the road there is another community right in Bradenton called Bayshore Gardens that have older apartments and condos where many seniors live. Very close to everything. I don't think they are very expensive, but I really don't know price range.
many people mention 55+ communities as their retirement destination, but i have never felt that this would be a solution long term, depending on how long one lives. even though many are in a village-like setting with shops, recreation, restaurants, banks, groceries on site, my concern is the lack of medical back-up and subsequent care if/when needed. i'm not talking about proximity to doctor's offices or even clinics. i guess, when i worked as a geriatric social worker, and in my own family, i saw so many situations when health changed over night- a stroke, a fall, a coronary, etc. in some of these cases, this medical event, although treated at the local hospital, ultimately required an entire change in residence, as the person had lost/impaired skills needed to live independently. so in these cases, staying in the 55+ was no longer possible, and another move and adjustment were required.
since most people i know are looking for the"final move", not just something interim, this is the reason i question a 55+ as a long term destination. it might be for some, but for others with increasing debility and acute emergency type medical events, this isn't for the long haul.
i'm not trying to be a harbinger of doom, and , granted, some of my past work experience in this field impacts my thinking on this subject. but, i have several friends living in 55+ communities, who have talked about some long term neighbors who are now home bound with in-home care and are generally isolated from community events, as well as finding it increasingly difficult to pay the escalating costs of in-home care.
what's the answer?? probably for me, it will be ccrc, but one that has leasing as well as purchasing, and has the facility as a part of a 55+ housing complex with combined community events for both groups. i certainly don't think that's perfect plan, and am still hoping that some alternatives might yet be developed.
Everything I do regularly is within a 3 mile radius so it's not just the town that is important but where you live in the town. My town is 85 square miles and is pure sprawl. There is no central downtown (and no visible homeless). There is no parallel parking (thank God - haven't parallel parked since my road test) and no parking garages as far as I know. You park in free parking lots.
There is no bus or train where I live.
We do have a cab company (I used it once for cataract out-patient surgery when I had to be there at 6:30A because I was not going to be able to drive home. It was less than 1 mile from where I live.).
There is a bus pick up service that is done by appointment and will take you anywhere within the town limits. They pick you up at your door and drop you off at your destination which may be better than a regular bus where you'd have to walk to and from a bus stop. They charge $2.00 one way but they only operate 8:00A - 4:30P, Mon. - Sat which is why I couldn't use them for the out-patient surgery. Anybody can use it, not just older people.
I think what my town needs, more than a transportation system, is a supermarket that delivers groceries. You don't have to be old to need that service temporarily. We now have two (Food City and Kroger) supermarkets as well as a Super Walmart and none deliver groceries.
You can pretty much order most stuff, including services, online and cell phones help, too, should you find yourself stranded somewhere.
I could survive with the town bus and cab, or public transportation, but I couldn't live without my car. The things I like to do involve my car.
........In two months I'll be 83.....been retired for almost 22 years, right here in this home I built 35 years ago, 11 miles from a town of almost 5000, with a highly rated Hospital, great Vet Hospital (naturally I've got a dog), and all the other necessities to live a normal lifestyle on a piece of property that my late wife and I looked "long & hard" for. I started driving an automobile at age 14 and will continue to drive until I can't pass the renewal test. At present I have "under-my-belt" almost 2 million miles in ALL types of weather, 75% of which has been in the northern states and mountainous country, so driving the 11 miles into town is not a problem.....Having a job that required extensive travel for almost 40 years, has conditioned me to feel very comfortable driving a car under most all conditions and distances.
The reason(s) I will stay where I am for the rest of my retirement include the following:
No possibility of noisy neighbors or traffic noises, & others conditions that would destroy the "peace & quite & soloitude of my present location.
The ability to put the electronic training collar on my dog and let him outside to run free on my 14 acres for about 1/2 hr, twice a day.
The pleasure of looking out any window in my house any day and having a 90% chance of seeing deer, a 75% chance (in the fall & spring) of seeing elk; again in the spring and fall, a 100% chance of seeing wild turkeys; almost every day I can look up in the sky and see two or more Bald Eagles flying overhead in circles; and everyday I can see many, many chimpmunks, pine squirrels, marmots, and at least 30 or 35 different specie of birds......And on rare occasions, an occasional fox, coyote, black bear or badger will decide to "come visit."......In addition having a 40 foot wide year round stream as one of my boundries is a real joy:....the sound in the months when the windows are open is great, the occasional Brown Trout that I catch is a real-plus, and the amount of wildlife, birds and waterfowl that come to drink are a great joy to watch.
So continuing to live where I can't see a neighbor (there is one fine neighbor located 1/4 mile through the woods), drive 11 miles into town, and have the privacy that I feel I deserve and enjoy, .....are worth what some folks might consider "inconviences"!......To live in town "would probably kill me within a year!!
Hopfully the Cell phone I carry and the Medical Alert "Thingy" on my belt and the revolver on my hip will prove helpful if some unfortunate situation arises.
Where else could I live out my retirement years (with the life-style and conditions and desires I have) and not drive my self "nuts" with the frustrations associated with "town-Living?.
Wow, your description of what you may see on a daily basis is priceless. I think you are very lucky.
many people mention 55+ communities as their retirement destination, but i have never felt that this would be a solution long term, depending on how long one lives. even though many are in a village-like setting with shops, recreation, restaurants, banks, groceries on site, my concern is the lack of medical back-up and subsequent care if/when needed. i'm not talking about proximity to doctor's offices or even clinics. i guess, when i worked as a geriatric social worker, and in my own family, i saw so many situations when health changed over night- a stroke, a fall, a coronary, etc. in some of these cases, this medical event, although treated at the local hospital, ultimately required an entire change in residence, as the person had lost/impaired skills needed to live independently. so in these cases, staying in the 55+ was no longer possible, and another move and adjustment were required.
since most people i know are looking for the"final move", not just something interim, this is the reason i question a 55+ as a long term destination. it might be for some, but for others with increasing debility and acute emergency type medical events, this isn't for the long haul.
i'm not trying to be a harbinger of doom, and , granted, some of my past work experience in this field impacts my thinking on this subject. but, i have several friends living in 55+ communities, who have talked about some long term neighbors who are now home bound with in-home care and are generally isolated from community events, as well as finding it increasingly difficult to pay the escalating costs of in-home care.
what's the answer?? probably for me, it will be ccrc, but one that has leasing as well as purchasing, and has the facility as a part of a 55+ housing complex with combined community events for both groups. i certainly don't think that's perfect plan, and am still hoping that some alternatives might yet be developed.
catsy girl
You make a lot of valid points, but among the people I know more of them are making interim moves knowing it wont be the last one.
In our case, one of the reasons we moved here was to be near my parents. Once they are gone, we may or may not stay here. By then, hopefully one or more of our kids will have settled into one place and ideally even if we required assisted living or nursing home care we would want to be close enough they could provide some oversight to that if needed.
Sure anything can happen overnight, but its unlikely it would happen at the same time to both of us until we are much older. In the meantime, we prefer to live similar to how we have always lived.
I also think looking at my parents, that one of the things that has kept them healthy and active longer than many their age is living in a regular community with people of all ages.
Its a lot to think about and somewhat dependent on how much of a support system you have in the event you need to change things quickly. Ideally, you have time to realize you need to make the final move before the day it becomes necessary.
You make a lot of valid points, but among the people I know more of them are making interim moves knowing it wont be the last one.
In our case, one of the reasons we moved here was to be near my parents. Once they are gone, we may or may not stay here. By then, hopefully one or more of our kids will have settled into one place and ideally even if we required assisted living or nursing home care we would want to be close enough they could provide some oversight to that if needed.
Sure anything can happen overnight, but its unlikely it would happen at the same time to both of us until we are much older. In the meantime, we prefer to live similar to how we have always lived.
I also think looking at my parents, that one of the things that has kept them healthy and active longer than many their age is living in a regular community with people of all ages.
Its a lot to think about and somewhat dependent on how much of a support system you have in the event you need to change things quickly. Ideally, you have time to realize you need to make the final move before the day it becomes necessary.
i do think several things make a difference in deciding what's next in terms of place and kind of living. first, as you pointed out, it is a different decision if you are single than if you have a partner/spouse. having been in both situations, i feel you have more options if you have a partner, especially so if you and the partner agree on the kind of life and place. it would seem to give you a fall-back plan. i have seen that situation play out in a few different ways, so i think it really depends on the partner and relationship.
another factor which has impact is your age when you're making these decisions. i know that i would have chosen, and did choose very differently at 63 than what i feel might be a plan for me now at 71. my health, my finances, and general lifestyle are no different now, but turning 70 makes a difference; at least it did for me.
also, at 63, when i moved to my current location, the thought of another move after this was really not that daunting. i have moved frequently. but at my current age, i really want any move i make to be my last one. i don't feel any different physically, but the thought of another move not being the "permanent" one is not something i want to contemplate.
and then, lastly, i do think a person's support system/children enter into the thinking on this decision. if you do have a support system which would be involved if you needed care, then i think you seem to have more choices. again, all kinds of scenarios can come into play in this situation, so it's difficult to predict.
also, at 63, when i moved to my current location, the thought of another move after this was really not that daunting. i have moved frequently. but at my current age, i really want any move i make to be my last one. i don't feel any different physically, but the thought of another move not being the "permanent" one is not something i want to contemplate.
My situation as well. We moved to our current home at age 63, with the intent to renovate and sell within several years. We like it here in many respects, but the plan was that this was an interim move. I had lots more energy then (3 yrs ago), though my health is about the same and finances much better. We are not ready (and may never want to be) for a ccrc or 55+ community, so our next home will be the home out of which we get home-care. We have to choose wisely, and if nothing presents as an opportunity, it would be better to stay put than risk going into a location not as good as this one.
My situation as well. We moved to our current home at age 63, with the intent to renovate and sell within several years. We like it here in many respects, but the plan was that this was an interim move. I had lots more energy then (3 yrs ago), though my health is about the same and finances much better. We are not ready (and may never want to be) for a ccrc or 55+ community, so our next home will be the home out of which we get home-care. We have to choose wisely, and if nothing presents as an opportunity, it would be better to stay put than risk going into a location not as good as this one.
NEG, you're in such a good location (except for the winter)--I think you should just get a cheaper house and use the extra money to go somewhere warm in winter. There. Problem Solved. <joke>
dh and I have very limited income due to his money being stolen by a lawyer. We had encouraging news last week but it still could take years. Our options are very limited but at age 70 I am over having a house--very much over that phase of my life, at last. I could be happy in an apartment complex, I think, of older people--no screaming kids. We don't have any option of a ccrc or anything like that.
I wouldn't want to snowbird it, I know that much having seen my parents and older relatives going back and forth. Too much stress with two homes to worry about. But I think I would like to move to a climate without WINTERS like Virginia--I was there for the month of Jan. and that is NOT winter. It can snow a little bit but that is NOT winter as I know it.
So for now it is the climate and being able to go outside. Of course in Virginia they are stuck inside all summer just as we are stuck inside all winter. BUT the difference is that they can live in a/c and get to their a/c car and get to an a/c store (or a/c anything.) Whereas here, in winter, we really are stuck. You can't even get your car out and can hardly drive, and everything gets cancelled due to storms. Summers there would be unpleasant but it can't be as unpleasant (and expensive) as winter here. It's a trade off but it seems like Virginia with its more moderate winters would win by a nose.
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