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I continue to look into continuing care retirement communities (even while 62 and working full time). I am dropping the idea of moving to a remote Western town for the helluvit before going to the CCRC. In October, I'm looking at a CCRC in Vermont. I am working on the idea that it wouldn't only be for failure to stay at home, but maybe as a community I could be joining to avoid the isolation that I think my way of living and area could bring.
I fully appreciate that many people cannot afford to consider same. It's one reason I haven't retired early, and won't. I am knocking myself out to have enough money to move to a CCRC before I really need to, in hope that it will offer some things that my home life does not. I'll keep you posted about the place I'm visiting in October.
I continue to look into continuing care retirement communities (even while 62 and working full time). I am dropping the idea of moving to a remote Western town for the helluvit before going to the CCRC. In October, I'm looking at a CCRC in Vermont. I am working on the idea that it wouldn't only be for failure to stay at home, but maybe as a community I could be joining to avoid the isolation that I think my way of living and area could bring.
I fully appreciate that many people cannot afford to consider same. It's one reason I haven't retired early, and won't. I am knocking myself out to have enough money to move to a CCRC before I really need to, in hope that it will offer some things that my home life does not. I'll keep you posted about the place I'm visiting in October.
What I bolded impresses me with its intelligence and foresight. It will be so much easier to move before you have to! It took an act of Congress for my sister and I to convince our mother to move to a retirement community where two meals a day were provided in the dining room as part of the rent, although she also had a small kitchen in her "independent living" apartment. She could not even reliably prepare food for herself at that point, and the move itself would have been well nigh impossible if my sister and I had not been there to help with it. (I flew in from 2,000 miles away to be there to help). She had just stopped driving (belatedly, in our opinion), so the move came "just in time". The rent also included once a week maid service, and that included washing the sheets and the towels at no extra charge.
There were some people living there who still had their cars and still drove, so really they didn't "have" to be there. But I thought to myself, "How smart of them to move to such a place before they had to and just make life easier for themselves." (For my mother life had become such a struggle).
There were also social advantages - there was automatic mixing and talking to people at meal times. Perhaps the most amazing thing about it all was the generally cheery atmosphere which prevailed. I would imagine each place has its own general atmosphere, but we were pleasantly surprised. I credit my sister for having visited a number of different places - she is a person who does her "homework" thoroughly. May you also find a good fit.
I continue to look into continuing care retirement communities (even while 62 and working full time). I am dropping the idea of moving to a remote Western town for the helluvit before going to the CCRC. In October, I'm looking at a CCRC in Vermont. I am working on the idea that it wouldn't only be for failure to stay at home, but maybe as a community I could be joining to avoid the isolation that I think my way of living and area could bring.
That's a rather bold jump, from building a house in remote Colorado to a CCRC building in Vermont. I'm wondering if there's an in-between step? Or are you talking about staying where you are, and a CCRC maybe 10 to 15 years down the road? Somehow with your independent pioneer spirit I don't see you living in an elder apt anytime soon, but what do I know. (–:
Heh. The house in CO idea *was* the in-between step. I was thinking to sell my dream house here upon full retirement and live in remote CO, and set a time to move to a CCRC. The area in CO is absolutely car-dependent, never mind the winter and driving. I also have no plan to pay for that CO house without selling here in the East so it's sort of an absolute decision. The thing is, I could buy the building lot tomorrow or soon without any difficulty- it's building the house that I sort of didn't think about.
Also, I realize I will live in CO pretty much as I do here, that is, home a lot, dogs, read, internet. But no humidity, which seems to warp my very soul (and mood).
Two retired women I know out in that area, while they love the mountains, have both strongly urged me NOT to live there outside of the summer. I am still not tossing the idea of building the house in CO both would not consider moving there for a retirement year-round location. I was sitting at my job the other night, having the 4am near-death experience, feeling exhausted and just finished with this job thing, and thought, no way do I want to do anything that means I have to work more and longer!. I'd still like to build the house- as a project of interest, not as a money maker- but it probably wouldn't be possible. It certainly wouldn't be prudent.
I am thinking now of staying in my dream house here in eastern Mass. with dogs and reading and social isolation, working part-time until age 66, and re-assessing (less than four years to go). I wouldn't jump to a CCRC just because I reached retirement age, but I do want to consider the CCRC in Vermont if it could be an intellectual community with friends, unlike my current isolation. I keep feeling like "everyone" is in a couple and retiring away (I conveniently only notice those who fit that bill).
One of the requirements of Vermont CCRC is that you pass a medical exam that says you can live in an independent apartment for at least two years. The fees remain the same if you need a higher level of care, and the entry fee becomes not-refundable at the rate of two percent a month for five years, which is apparently how they fund things.
I'm only 62 and my commitment at my job is part-time with pro-rated benefits, but I can pick up extra work pretty much most of the time and have been doing so. I follow the real estate in the town in CO that has so captured me and I see evidence of daydreams- houses coming and going on the market (big honking houses- daydream of family unity?) and a lot of lots for sale, although very few in the tiny town. I am going out to the town in a few weeks to visit and of course look at the lot, but wouldn't be in an easy position to buy it until January. It would not necessarily be an investment if I did buy it and hold it. I might be tempted to buy it the way other people buy jewelry or a desired car- just to BUY it. (not prudent but I might…) If I got a good enough lower price and/or owner financing that worked, I might do it.
Around and around we go. I'm not going anywhere for some years except out to work and to the back door to let dogs in and dogs out. "The dog is always on the wrong side of the door." With another adoption of two emergency rescues, I am accepting that adopting rescue seniors is my passion and I can well do it right here.
Brightdoglover: I admire your thinking but must say, I will never do it, (ccrc) unless they drag me by the hair, kicking and screaming, and certainly not any earlier than age 90.
The thing about those places is they are DEPRESSING. They try very hard to keep the people happy, but it doesn't work. My Mom was in a very nice, very expensive one and I could not leave her there, alone, for one or two days. She was left out of the main clique, ate her meals alone, and had no friends. Every other day someone died. If you could not afford the place for one month, they kicked you out. She needed much help with dressing, bathing, and other stuff, but even that was not taken care of on a regular basis. She wanted to get her hair done at the salon and it was very very hard to get an appointment. I finally just took her to the cut and curl by my house. The social life was mostly bingo or cards. Maybe there are better places, but I do not trust any of them, especially the for-profit ones.
I would rather get hit by a car or take an accidental overdose than be placed in one of those. God willing, I hope to find a small house in a community with some transport for seniors and never look at another CCRC. JMHO
I have visited a couple of CCRCs and found them depressing too.
The one I'm visiting in Vermont I'm hoping is more of a communitarian, crunchy-granola university-adjacent place. I have often thought that I would never move to a CCRC until unable to drive (in my current home). But I am seeing how isolated I am feeling where I live, in my life in general, and thought this place in VT might be more of a community-feeling home. Of course, if it doesn't seem to be that way, I'll set it aside with the "only when I'm 90." My current house (dream house) is small enough (1250 sq.ft.) and everything important is on the first floor, in fact, I only build a second floor on it for potential resale. Everything I need is within a 3-mile drive, except health plan and hospital, which is more like 8 miles. There is no taxi service of any kind. You have to drive to get to the commuter train into the city, which I never use anyway. The Council on Aging has some small bit of transportation to supermarket and medical. I already outsource my yard work and monthly heavy cleanings and handyman work (thank heavens for hard-working Brazilians!) and I would outsource cooking if I could afford it.
I just keep going around and around with fears of being caught flat-footed.
Brightdoglover: I admire your thinking but must say, I will never do it, (ccrc) unless they drag me by the hair, kicking and screaming, and certainly not any earlier than age 90.
The thing about those places is they are DEPRESSING. They try very hard to keep the people happy, but it doesn't work. My Mom was in a very nice, very expensive one and I could not leave her there, alone, for one or two days. She was left out of the main clique, ate her meals alone, and had no friends. Every other day someone died. If you could not afford the place for one month, they kicked you out. She needed much help with dressing, bathing, and other stuff, but even that was not taken care of on a regular basis. She wanted to get her hair done at the salon and it was very very hard to get an appointment. I finally just took her to the cut and curl by my house. The social life was mostly bingo or cards. Maybe there are better places, but I do not trust any of them, especially the for-profit ones.
I would rather get hit by a car or take an accidental overdose than be placed in one of those. God willing, I hope to find a small house in a community with some transport for seniors and never look at another CCRC. JMHO
A couple of months ago I brought a program to the poshest assisted living in the wealthiest town in my part of the state. I've gone there before with other programs, so I know it fairly well. This time as I was going down the corridors to the main lecture hall I noticed how tacky everything was, flimsy walls, you could hear everything, despite the carpeting. I noticed several oldsters all bent over and half asleep in wheelchairs, alone in the corridors, just like they are in much less posh places. I passed by an office where a old lady was all alone, sitting in her wheelchair, waiting for something. This place is where the wealthiest folks go, but for all its reputation it depressed the h*ll out of me. So for me, I agree with the first sentence of your final paragraph, and glad I wouldn't be able to afford this one place anyway.
I keep thinking...... when things get that bad I'm stepping out in front of a semi.
OK, don't worry, I can't do that to the driver. It would be cruel.
Get a book called Final Exit. oops advertising
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