Niche Retirement Communities Becoming More Popular

We've all seen the ads: smiling seniors lounging at the pool or playing golf, laughing, and enjoying the sunshine as a voice-over speaker describes the available space at a new senior living location. Retirement communities have long been popular, but that these assisted living locations are becoming more sought-after than ever. According to a recent US News article, nique senior communities are popping up across the country at a steady clip catering to more and more specific niches in an attempt to closely meet the needs of certain segments of the senior population. Some of the most popular niche senior living facilities (besides those around beaches or golf courses) are "university-based retirement communities." These locations are built around college campuses in order to provide seniors with the opportunity to attend campus events and even sit in on classes.

Many other communities are being built that center around specific hobbies and activities. Across the country new facilities have recently been built targeting seniors who want to become artists, providing help for those seeking to learn how to paint or write their first novel. Another senior facility is even referred to as an "astronomer's village" and is geared toward stargazers with every living unit equipped with a built-in telescope. Yet another targets "aging hippies" where residents are encouraged to make their own living space and practice sustainability techniques. No longer are nursing homes or assisted living facilities the only places where seniors can plan on spending their golden years. Most expect these activity-based living centers to slowly begin branching out to include support for those in need of more and more specialized healthcare.

Costs for these niche communities are somewhat similar to other long-term care options. For example, a recent MetLife Market Survey found that the average national rent for an assisted living facility was about $3,500. Many retirement communities have rent prices that are comparable, ranging anywhere from $2,500 to $7,000 monthly. However, many of these locations also come with "entry fees" which range from $150,000 to $600,000. All or part of the fee may be returned when the resident leaves or dies. Units at these locations can sometimes be purchased.

Lack of Autopsies after Elderly Die Conceals Health Flaws

Abuse in nursing homes and suspicious deaths among seniors often go undetected because post-mortem examinations for seniors are becoming less common. In 2011, a National Public Radio (NPR) News and ProPublica investigation found that because of a lack of resources (both financial and staffing) many jurisdictions stopped doing autopsies on people over the age of 60 unless it was obvious that a violent death occurred.  This is as the population of individuals over the age of 65 increases in America. The investigation has uncovered more than three dozen cases in which alleged abuse, neglect, and murder of seniors that were not discovered by authorities. Only after a whistle-blower or relative pushed medical and law enforcement officials for answers were the cases reopened.

The latest report tells the case of a 76-year-old man whose death was tied to a combination of ailments related to poor care and  an "inappropriate administration of powerful antipsychotic drugs, which have potentially lethal side effects for seniors." His original death certificate said "heart failure brought on by clogged arteries." The real reasons for his death only came to light after a nursing-home staffer spoke up.  The reporting reveals that the number of U.S. autopsies performed on seniors dropped from 37 to 17 percent between 1972 and 2007. 

In the article, Dr. Kathryn Locatell, a geriatrician who specializes in diagnosing elder abuse, said: "We're where child abuse was 30 years ago. I think it's ageism -- I think it boils down to that one word. We don't value old people. We don't want to think about ourselves getting old."


To read the whole article, visit ProPublica.org.