![]() The homes are smaller and yards are smaller in size than most traditional homes and are more efficient due to their smaller footprint. At the time of our writing, we did not turn our attention on another type of developed community called a “pocket neighborhood.”Ī pocket neighborhood according to the architect, Ross Chapin, who in the early 1990’s was instrumental in spearheading this movement, is a community with 9-12 small homes, apartments or even trailers designed and built with the front of each structure facing the common area. Other interviewees resided in fifty-five+ communities, including a couple who lived in a CCRC, Life Plan community, which is costly and out of reach for most middle-income seniors. We feature baby boomers, including ourselves, who at the time of the writing were living in single dwelling residences and questioned how they could age in place in their present rural communities if they needed more care. In our book Pack Lightly: Making Sense of the Second Half of Your Life, we dedicate our first chapter to interviewing baby boomers and provide an overview of housing and community arrangements. In addition, nursing homes have struggled in many ways to accept all the patients needing care and nursing home administrators have told us that aging and dying in one’s home with health services provided is the future. The situation is only going to get worse according to one study, due to the population of middle-income seniors ages 75-84 increasing from 5.57 million in 2014 to 10.81 million in 2029.Īs more and more of us age, assisted living housing and nursing homes will not be able to keep up with the demand of those who need housing and health care assistance. ![]() ![]() Unfortunately, middle income seniors don’t fit the financial criteria for subsides whereas those in lower income status have channels for assistance, however limited. It also beckons the challenge to find creative ways to provide affordable housing for all. This highlights a reality that most seniors will most likely not have sufficient financial resources the longer they live, especially when it comes to housing. A study by Boston College Center for Retirement Research shows that 50% of retirees in 2021 are unable to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living.
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