Issues: Seniors Look Into The Future In Order To Successfully Age In Place

Submitted. Let’s face it. You may die one day. In fact I can pretty much guarantee it. You will get old. Your body won’t do the things you used to do. It will slow down and frustrate you because you aren’t quite finished living. Yes… You’re going to get old. We all are. The only thing we can control is how we are going to go out.

What are your plans? Will you stubbornly hold on to a house that is too much work for you until you break your hip and your kids find you a “nice home”? Or will you take charge?

More and more of today’s seniors are choosing to age in place, and take on the challenges of the next phase of life proactively. Aging in Place means that you are able to set yourself up in advance in a way that allows you to stay in control of your living situation as you age. Limiting home maintenance, setting up a community within walking distance and insuring access to services are all key to aging in place.

Ingrid Jones will be facilitating a Study Group designed to help 50-60 year olds look at the options for their golden years, specifically looking at the strategies and decisions people need to make in order to ensure they can get the most out of the years left to come.

“The interest has been overwhelming,” says Ingrid who is in her golden years herself, “I think the difference today is that our generation has witnessed our parents ignore the realities of aging until the last minute. We don’t want to go down the same road and so people are willing to take time to make some hard decisions before it’s too late.”

One of the ways people are choosing to address aging is through Seniors Cohousing. In Seniors Cohousing people own their own homes, but share a large number of common facilities that make it easier to downsize without missing out on the spices of life. Cohousers tend to spend hours together gardening, or making meals together, which is more attractive than sitting home alone to many of our eclectic and active seniors.

Seniors co-housing is not new. In fact it is becoming quite a trend throughout North America. Charles Durrett, California architect and leading author on co-housing has personally been involved in the development of 50 co-housing communities and is currently working with a group at The Yarrow Ecovillage here in Chilliwack, BC. He has been so impressed with the benefits co-housing specifically offers to seniors that he has written a whole book on the subject.

Creating Cohousing Building Sustainable Communities by Kathryn McCamant & Charles Durrett

“Seniors co-housing tends to be a little bit like living in fraternity house, only now you have time and money,” he tells me over the phone, “The group in Yarrow will be offering something very unique when they get built because of the walkability of the project. The Yarrow Ecovillage is featured in his latest book.

Co-housing allows people to own their own homes, but live in a rich and lively community where neighbours help neighbours and become friends. One of the key factors that makes this work seems to be people’s involvement in the design of the neighbourhood from day one. While it is not new to North America and even our area, it is still a new idea to most. Because of this the Yarrow Ecovillage is hosting two information nights.

What is co-housing? How Ordinary People built their own Neighbourhood.
January 20th 7:00-9:00
UFV Abbotsford Room B101

Introduction to Seniors co-housing
Jan 24 @ 7pm
Location: Clearbook Library, 32320 George Ferguson Way Abbotsford

For more information about the Aging in Place Successfully Study Group please contact seniorcohousing@yarrowecovillage.ca