Simplifying Senior Living

Hurricane Season is a stressful time for all Floridians.  Already this season we have seen significant wind and rain whipping through  Brevard  County, flooding roads and damaging property.  For seniors living in their own home, there is a short term option available when the weatherman starts talking about storm systems heading our way - respite care at a local assisted living facility.   Respite care is available at most assisted living facilities throughout the year, typically offering anywhere from a few days to a few weeks stay to seniors who are unable to be home alone for a short period of time, such as while recuperating from illness.   With respite and month-to-month contracts, assisted living facilities offer the perfect solution to seniors willing to leave their homes during a hurricane so that they can safely continue to enjoy good cooking, air conditioning, and the company of other seniors while the storms howl outside. Whil...

For the past few years, I have gotten into the tiny house craze.  I mean really into the tiny house craze.  Living tiny is on my personal Bucket List!  And as the movement has evolved, it has begun to resonate with millennials embracing minimalism, Veteran organizations combating homelessness, working class citizens who desire home ownership, and as an answer to affordable senior housing. Tiny house neighborhoods are being built to house veterans and provide services in a supportive community, providing a meaningful solution to a profoundly impacted population.  Millennials are buying tiny homes in numbers to avoid financial pitfalls of previous generations, unwilling to add mortgage debt to rising education loans.  In high priced real estate markets, ADU's (Accessory Dwelling Units) are being built in backyards to allow for affordable home ownership or reasonable rental rates in neighborhoods otherwise unattainable.  And now, these smaller dwellings, en...

Long before the emergence of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, families took care of senior loved ones regardless of cost, convenience, or care needs.  In the so-called simpler times, seniors moved in with adult children and grandchildren gave up time, attention, and personal space to dote on their elders during final years of life.  As time marched on, families began to move to various locations to raise their families and make a living, separating seniors from their adult children and grandchildren.  Distance has increased the expense of caring for our senior family members.  Expense that continues to increase as the number of seniors increases, the number of caregivers decreases, and state funding systems stretch to the breaking point. The amount of money needed after retirement to maintain lifestyle and healthcare continues to be widely debated.  Articles regarding how much money is enough to live comfortably on in retirement have been makin...