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.

"The Long Goodbye"

Earlier this year a featured article in Atlanta Magazine offered a uniquely detailed and accurate portrait of what it is like to help an ailing parent or loved one as their heath deteriorates. Entitled, "The Long Goodbye," the article shares the author's own story of heartbreak, worry, stress, financial loss, and confusion while caring for his ailing father. Our firm understands that it is often helpful to hear real, individual stories about the aging and caregiving process. Discussing numbers--assets saved, taxes avoided--is necessary, but at the end of the day this process is very much about emotions and family values.

The author explains that he thought his father was going to die in 2001. The elderly man had fallen while trying to get the mail, hitting his head hard on the ground and temporarily losing consciousness. The man then  crawled back up his driveway to the front door of his house. It was that incident that prompted his family to take him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a deteriorating spine and prostate cancer. A risky operation was undertaken, and the family was warned that the man was likely in his final days. However, he was not actually in his final days.

Similar to the experiences of many local community members, the elderly man persisted. For the next eleven years he was shuttled from care facilities, hospices, and other locations as those involved struggled to find the best fit for him.


The eleven years of care took its toll on the family finances. The author explained, "Daddy's long goodbye has drained his retirement income and life savings of more than $300,000. Where's the money gone? Assisted living, mostly. Of course, that amount doesn't account for his medical bills, most of which have been paid by Medicare and insurance policies that were part of his retirement."

The family was completely unprepared to deal with their father's deterioration. They were not familiar with long-term planning options, had not spoken with an elder law attorney, and did not know where to begin to get him the care he needed. The author warned others that while it may not be comfortable to talk about, the benefits of figuring some of these details out ahead of time is absolutely essential.

Home Care Workers: the Minimum Wage Controversy

Seniors typically obtain peace of mind knowing that they will be able to receive late-in-life care in an ideal setting and that the care will be of top quality.  These simple goals should not be out of reach for any older community member.  However, many seniors will be forced to deal with less than adequate care, often in institutional settings where they would rather not live.

Part of the problem is that many will not have planned for late-in-life care.  Staying in one's home while aging usually requires advance planning and ensuring that a home care worker is actually providing an appropriate level of care. Recently there has been a shortage of quality home care workers.  One of the biggest problems is that for a period these workers were exempt from minimum wage laws.  When Congress passed minimum rights legislation, all home care workers were lumped into the category of exempt employees who acted as "companions."  This was the case even for workers who engaged in a wide range of physical labor helping seniors bathe, dress, use the facilities, walk, get exercise, and eat properly.  Of course, it seems intuitively unfair for these workers to be forced to live in dire poverty at incredibly low wages and no overtime pay.

Fortunately, the legal error was recently corrected.  One reason the law took so long to change was that many of the individuals who fill these roles, often including women and those who are not native English speakers, have few advocates.  Also, as a result of the prolonged period of abysmal pay, advocates are worried that there is a shortage of well-trained, capable home health care workers.  The need for these workers is expected to skyrocket in the coming decades.

The shortage of quality caregivers makes it important for local residents to conduct proper research when deciding on an appropriate home care provider for their loved one.  Therefore, most advocates recommend going through a qualified agency to find these assistants.  Most agencies are required to perform multi-state background checks, screen for drug use, and require references. The risk of abuse or theft is always much higher when home care workers are unsupervised and unaccountable.  Home care is of little value if that home care worker is inadequate.