RETIREMENT AND MY HOME - WHAT GIVES?

Aging! Can I really be approaching that dreaded time when I need to sign up for Medicare? Yes, and actually, maybe it’s not that bad.

Just so you know, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging, the older population, those persons 65 years or older, numbered 37.3 million in 2006. And yes, I am almost at the landmark age - as I will turn 63 on my next birthday. If you are keeping track, that means that 12.4 percent of the U.S. population, about one in every eight Americans is already 65 or older.

Which leads to my thoughts on this subject when it comes to where I live (and my future retirement home). But wait, it’s not just about me, but about the builders who build the product that I might want, are they changing with these times? Are they taking advantage of this social and demographic shift? Or, are they conducting business as usual? Does this mean more "retirement" communities? More Sun Cities?

I guess for some it does. According to Bill Kaplan, co-founder and CEO of Senior Lifestyle Corporation, "We serve our residents with respect and dignity in a comfortable, enjoyable and safe community with opportunities to choose additional services according to need and personal preference. To their families, we provide a support system and peace of mind in the confident knowledge that their loved ones will be cared for with sensitivity, expertise and compassion."
Yes, for a lot of people who are aging, but not yet old, the idea of a safe, fun place to live and recreate sounds like a winner. Obviously, there wouldn’t be the large growth in retirement communities (or adult communities where one of the parties has to be at least 55 years old), if this weren’t so.

I guess my wife and I look at things a little differently. We are certainly not interested in "downsizing" (we need all the room we have in our home) and we aren’t interested in hanging out where a majority of the people are 55 or older. We like living in a mixed neighborhood of young families, working and retired people. We plan to stay in our present neighborhood for as long as possible. We know our neighbors, wave at everyone we see when we take a walk, and love to see our neighbors’ kids growing up. We stay young, we feel, by hanging around with younger, vibrant mix of people.

To answer the question - are builders paying attention to us who are growing older? - the answer is yes. Builders are going to be offering more types of adult communities, with more services, and it will be something that many will be drawn to, and enjoy living in, but it’s not for us. At least not yet.