CREJ - Healthcare Properties - September 2016
What is your idea of a senior living community? Is it old frail people sitting around watching television all day, eating their meal off a plastic tray, going back to their room and not being seen until the next meal? Well as a baby boomer and someone that has been caring for seniors almost 30 years that is not what I want for me or anyone else. In my present role, I am responsible for helping developers, financial groups, builders and the community understand we don’t want the same old ideas. Our lives are tied to our smart phones, smart watches, iPads, navigation systems, internet, voice dialing, etc. Why do I bring these items up in an article about senior living? Because these things don’t stop when you move into a 55-plus community. In fact, more and more people over the age of 55 are demanding to have high-speed Wi-Fi internet anywhere on site, business centers, theaters to stream movies, massage/spa facilities, bistros and all-day dining services with more than one option. Learning doesn’t stop with retirement, it allows you to explore more options and keep up with your grandkids. So by offering classes on site, with the help of local high school and college students willing to help you, keeps residents up to date. What would a typical day look like when I retire? I would probably still wake up around 5 a.m. and decide if I want to get up or not. When I did decide to get up, it would be to get dressed in my workout clothes and head downstairs to the gym. My wife would still be sleeping most likely (she is not a morning person). Workout a good 30 minutes, go in the Jacuzzi or steam room, shower, dress and head to breakfast. I would sit at the breakfast by myself reading the news on my iPad or talk to one of the other residents at the breakfast counter. I would then order a breakfast for my wife and take it back to the room for her. After she was ready to start the day, we would see what activities were planned on the in-house TV channel or my iPad. Then we would decide if we were going to attend one or more of them with our new friends. Eating properly prepared and nutritious meals every day can be a challenge. Choices are what we have had all our lives, so why stop now? In the community I choose, you can stay in your room and prepare a meal or go to the bistro/café and order a sandwich, salad or go to the main dining room and be waited on by friendly staff who want to make my day brighter. How many of us dread going to the doctor? What if the doctor came to you either in your room or the on-site clinic? Having a nurse on staff to take your vital signs, answer questions about your medications, check your weight or that small rash on your arm would make anyone’s day. If you do need to see a doctor it can be done via telemedicine in the clinic. The doctor can look at your rash and have dialogue with you as if sitting in their office. They would then be able to prescribe something to ease your discomfort or order further testing. What about activities throughout the day that don’t stop at five when the staff go home to keep me active? I want someone who is trained in recreational therapy to conduct a yoga class, proper stretching, walking groups, day trips to the theater, theme parks, casinos, overnight trips to the mountains, cruises, etc. I want someone to keep my mind stimulated with word challenges, physical challenges and contests with other communities, the chef to demonstrate new recipes and techniques in preparation and plate presentation. The ideas and questions that I have been describing in this article in some of your minds may be farfetched and unachievable. I would say that is an unfair assumption and you should tour some communities before deciding. All of these areas and services are presently being designed not only in brand new communities, but also some communities are allocating capital dollars to redesign and remodel to keep up with residents’ needs, desires and the competition. Am I ready to move into a senior living community? No, I am not. But I am looking to the future and saying “What do I want when I get there?” We need to be on the cutting edge now as we design these communities. Do you remember 20 years ago the technology we had and thought was so fantastic? Now look at us, you can carry a phone, computer, navigation, make purchases and video chat all with an electronic device in your pocket. The generations following behind us may outlive us by 20 years just as many in our generation outlived their parents and they outlived their parents. Am I looking forward to retiring someday? Yes, I am, but I do not want to see my future in an apartment watching television all day. I want to enjoy my life, my wife, kids and grandkids with no worries except to get my foot on the floor each morning and start my day.