Retirement communities change for Boomers

[Amethyst]

But you don't live in a "retirement community," do you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha It really depends on the type of people that are drawn to the micro-community. Most of my life I lived very close to others. I never noticed that they were an issue. Stuff like the grass Nazi mentioned above is completely outside my experience. Ha

[EastWest Gal]

This thread is helping me feel better about the swim spa I bought this year. I can swim outside whenever I want for as long as I want. But the expense gave me pause. I used to swim at the Y but times and lanes were limited due to classes and swim team. I might spring for a 3 month membership during snowy months however.

We don't get much of the bobbing up and down on noodles crowd at our Y. Just two many hours of swim team. With retirement comes a much more flexible schedule.

We'll never be able to downsize. DH now holds theater orchestra rehearsals in our family room.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

[audreyh1]

We definitely have the bob up and down swim noodles club, men and women, and it's still a little freaky to me. But very popular here. Fortunately they like to be out during the hot sunburn hours when I totally avoid the sun. If I want to swim in the evening I might have the pool to myself.

It's a saltwater pool which I don't mind. I can't tolerate the chlorinated ones.

[Tadpole]

I guess I don't understand this pool thing. Is the pool in question designated as having a lap priority? I picture 20 people wanting to use a pool with 6 lap lanes. Should 14 people get out of the pool so 6 people can have a lane all to themselves? My experience with public pools is a bunch of people show up and do what they please. Some swim, some bob, some dive, some chat, some splash, or whatever.

[DJRR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tadpole I guess I don't understand this pool thing. Is the pool in question designated as having a lap priority? I picture 20 people wanting to use a pool with 6 lap lanes. Should 14 people get out of the pool so 6 people can have a lane all to themselves? My experience with public pools is a bunch of people show up and do what they please. Some swim, some bob, some dive, some chat, some splash, or whatever.

+1. A rope setting off 2 lap lanes at our pool seems to cover it. Laps in the lane, if you are not swimming laps stay out of the lane.

[rodi]

Not in a senior community - but user of a park and recs department public pool. It's used by the high school for swim team and water polo - but they practice at 5am which is not the public use hours. There is adult lap swimming from 6:30-9:30am and 5pm-7pm. During the morning there are baby/toddler swim lessons and mommy/baby swim lesson. There are also various exercise classes - but they don't take the whole pool. Even when the lessons are going on there are still lap lanes open for those not particpating in the classes, and another section for the float and bob crowd. late afternoon it's swim lessons and swim team (rec department, vs school). (It's an L shaped pool so it lends itself to different areas for different uses.)

Weekends, especially hot weekends, kids take over the pool and splash and play. But there are still the two lap lanes.

From what I've observed - there is harmony and peace among the different users. Perhaps having a multigenerational neighborhood makes the difference.

[Sarah in SC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Totoro In all fairness, some of them probably are. As far as I can tell at a higher age there is huge diversity between capabilities and mental states in a given age group, even more so than in general society. In addition you start 'converging' again. It's like going back to elementary school, you end up with people you otherwise would never (choose to) interact with. Simply because there are less older people and you get bunched together again by age vs. type. I for sure am in a bubble in the other direction: most my friends are university educated in a science field, love international travel, were top segment of their class and a bunch of them have top MBAs too. Hardly an unbiased sample of real life. My grandmother just to posit another example lived in an african country for 8 years as an expat back in the 60s. That life experience really changed her perspective and she has a hard time relating to plenty of the still-living elders around here, since most never left their home town. The adventurous ones are all dead I can imagine it's hard to relate to the world when there is no-one left that understands your context.

Wow, this is very insightful, but also incredibly depressing to contemplate. I don't wanna hang out with the boring old people when all the adventurous ones are all dead. Ugh.


And to Harley: wtf did you expect, in Florida, lol!
Did you see there's a new festival coming in March?
Okeechobeefest is what it is called. No word yet on artists...

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC Okeechobeefest is what it is called. No word yet on artists...

Aka "Mosquitostock"...

[Cobra9777]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 ...It's a saltwater pool which I don't mind. I can't tolerate the chlorinated ones.

Salt water pools are in fact chlorinated. Instead of adding chlorine directly to the water, they utilize a chlorine generator that converts the salt in the water into chlorine, which is what sanitizes the pool water. Salt=NaCl=sodium chloride.

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley DW and I moved to a 55+ community a couple of years ago. It's a little place, just 19.9 million people. It's called "Florida". At not quite 60 years old, I think we're probably in the youngest 25% demographic.

I totally get that. We're a bit older than you but still below the mean age, everywhere. When the age group is that high, no matter where you go, there's always a noisy curmudgeon, ready to ruin someone's day. Even worse, though, is all the plastic surgery. It makes some if those folks look like they've risen from the dead. Gives me the shivers...

[Sarah in SC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR Aka "Mosquitostock"...

Yeah, really, but it is in March...that's gotta be a low point for the population, right?

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC Yeah, really, but it is in March...that's gotta be a low point for the population, right?

Yup. Tourists and snowbirds everywhere.

[John Galt III]

I haven't seen anyone mention prices yet. I was stunned to hear the prices my mother talking about as she was contemplating moving herself and my dad into a retirement community. The *monthly* cost would be $7,000 for a memory care unit for my dad, and $4,000 for a *regular* place for Mom. Total $11,000 per month (not year).

She feels uncomfortable leaving Dad alone (he has walked out of the house and wandered around at times) and feels trapped babysitting him 24 hours a day. I tell her just to drop him off at adult day care once in a while. Finally she has agreed to check out an adult day care place, which would only be $95 for a 5 hour block ($19 an hour).

I don't want to meddle in her retirement, but it seems she is panicking a bit since Dad has returned home recently from an operation on a broken hip and is now even more senile and needs to be watched. I guess the question is what to do as time goes on Dad gets even worse. They are both in their 90's. Yikes. No great options, it seems.

[Dogman]

I live in Sun Lakes, AZ moved here when we were 52 for early retirement and safety. Unfortunately, it is too hot for 5 months of the year, dusty as heck. Sun Lakes, you rarely see your neighbors even though they live next door, and the homeowners dues have almost doubled since we moved here. I understand there are many nice retirement places but they are usually located in difficult locations (cheap) and have too many rules. Although I am 60 the old people here think the world owes them a living. Looking to move to a small farm soon!

[Sarah in SC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB Yup. Tourists and snowbirds everywhere.

If the lineup at the festival is anything like Bonnaroo, I'm guessing most except Harley would skip it lol.
Not exactly the right demographic.
I meant lower populations of mosquitos!

[45th Birthday]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR From the rumors I've heard about these senior communities, quite a few folks have a "burning" need, and I'm not talking shuffleboard...

Actually, apparently the burning starts soon after the need is met.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobra9777 Salt water pools are in fact chlorinated. Instead of adding chlorine directly to the water, they utilize a chlorine generator that converts the salt in the water into chlorine, which is what sanitizes the pool water. Salt=NaCl=sodium chloride.

Yes, I know. But that water doesn't irritate my skin like the regular ones do.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Galt III I haven't seen anyone mention prices yet. I was stunned to hear the prices my mother talking about as she was contemplating moving herself and my dad into a retirement community. The *monthly* cost would be $7,000 for a memory care unit for my dad, and $4,000 for a *regular* place for Mom. Total $11,000 per month (not year). She feels uncomfortable leaving Dad alone (he has walked out of the house and wandered around at times) and feels trapped babysitting him 24 hours a day. I tell her just to drop him off at adult day care once in a while. Finally she has agreed to check out an adult day care place, which would only be $95 for a 5 hour block ($19 an hour). I don't want to meddle in her retirement, but it seems she is panicking a bit since Dad has returned home recently from an operation on a broken hip and is now even more senile and needs to be watched. I guess the question is what to do as time goes on Dad gets even worse. They are both in their 90's. Yikes. No great options, it seems.

That is not a 55+ retirement community. That is long term care/nursing home - a completely different animal with a much older clientele.

55+ communities aren't assisted living either, they are simply housing developments that cater to mostly 55+ folks, and often have amenities.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastWest Gal This thread is helping me feel better about the swim spa I bought this year. I can swim outside whenever I want for as long as I want. But the expense gave me pause. I used to swim at the Y but times and lanes were limited due to classes and swim team. I might spring for a 3 month membership during snowy months however.

This thread is helping me feel better about our public pool. Lap lanes are enforced. The noodle bobbers and weavers have their own time.

I swim laps from 7:15 to 8AM and there are a lot of 70+ people at that time. Gives me hope I can do this for a long time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Galt III I haven't seen anyone mention prices yet. I was stunned to hear the prices my mother talking about as she was contemplating moving herself and my dad into a retirement community. The *monthly* cost would be $7,000 for a memory care unit for my dad, and $4,000 for a *regular* place for Mom. Total $11,000 per month (not year).

Dad was paying 7k for memory care, with only a small (2k) buy in. I was surprised that many of the CCRCs still have pretty hefty monthly fees after the enormous buy in.

No matter what you think about any of these places, they are worth a look and understanding of the financies.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst But you don't live in a "retirement community," do you.

No, quite the opposite. I failed to consider how this might be different, but I guess it often is.

My Mom and Dad lived in a district much like mine until a few years before they died, and then a nice assisted living. I looked fairly bad in some ways, but not bad at all in others.

It takes very good luck for life not to suck when you get really old.

Ha