Senior Housing and Assisted Living

Fitch Ratings released its 2010 Senior Living Outlook that shows it is extending its negative outlook for the nation’s senior living sector.  The report paints a cautious picture of the senior living finance market with risk associated with renewal of bank lines, the tenuous residential housing market and the lower liquidity experienced my many operators. The report shows the widening gap between more established retirement communities and newer start-up developments that lack an established track record.

Fitch’s Outlook talks extensively on cash flow and loan covenants, near and dear to bankers, investors and operators.  Fitch paints a neutral to negative picture as it notes that it expects more ratings downgrades than upgrades and that affirmations will be the most frequent rating for the year.

The report outlines the challenges that exist in the market which include:

• Renewal Risks on Lines of Credit
• Weaker Liquidity
• Higher Capital Costs
• Real Estate Market Stress

For the full report, click here (registration required).

Findings from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey for the fourth quarter of 2009, which focused specifically on kitchen and bathrooms, shows that design of kitchens and bathrooms has been more modest recently and favor function and efficiency.  The study shows that consumers are placing higher priority on products that are energy efficient and designs that provide access for seniors and environments that are adaptable.

“The general consensus is that homes will continue to be smaller on average than they were in the past decade,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “But since kitchens remain the nerve center of the home, doing more with less space is a key consideration. Integrating kitchens with family space remains a design priority, as does including areas devoted to recycling, pantries, computer workstations, and spaces devoted to recharging laptops, cell phones and PDAs.”

Baker added, “Homeowners are moving away from glitzy features such as steam showers and towel warming drawers/racks, and instead looking for water-saving toilets, radiant heated flooring and LED lighting options to manage utility costs.”

KeyInvest, an Australian retirement village owner / operator, announced the purchase of a large parcel of land in the regional city of Horsham, Victoria, where development of a retirement village to be known as Wimmera Lodge.  Plans include development of up to 88 two and three bedroom villas to be developed in two stages under the ownership and management of KeyInvest.  Villas are expected to be priced from the low $200,000’s making this an exceptional value for money lifestyle.  This site, once fully developed, will boost KeyInvest’s total retirement living portfolio to around 400 retirement homes in six locations.

“Each of the villas will provide high quality retirement living accommodation a few minutes from Horsham’s main street,”  said KeyInvest’s Managing Director, Mr Ian Campbell.  “Over the coming years Wimmera Lodge will provide fantastic opportunities for retirees to enjoy brand new, affordable homes and also provide a boost for businesses and employment.”

“There are three ingredients in the good life : learning, earning, and yearning.”

Christopher Morley 1890 – 1957 Parnassus on Wheels [I:http://senior.infonex.us/files/2010/03/PeterShaw4.jpg]

The old proverb about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks might well be true of dogs, but it is most certainly not true of people ! In fact, many retired and elderly people devote their lives to learning new things. After all, the yearning and the earning might be down a bit after retirement, but there is absolutely no reason for the learning bit to stop !

Mortimer J Adler (1902 – 2001), the prominent American philosopher and educator said:

“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.”

Research has shown that, all else being equal, people of eighty have every bit as much learning capability as children of twelve. Indeed, adults are generally superior to children in learning languages, because of developmental differences in the brain. The neural cells responsible for higher order linguistic processes such as understanding semantic relationships and grammatical sensitivity develop with age.

Having said that, health is a factor in all learning, and many chronic diseases can affect the ability of the elderly to learn. Hearing loss affects many people as they age, and can affect a person’s ability to understand speech, especially in the presence of background noise. Visual acuity also decreases with age. Furthermore, desire, interest and/or attitude are also potential barriers to learning – “I’m too old to learn” or “I’ve learned enough” are frequent responses. Too bad such attitudes prevent some folk from really enjoying their retirement !

Many among the elderly however welcome the opportunity of broadening their horizons through education. Because of this, many older people are getting to grips with recent technological advances such as eMail and the internet. This is excellent, as not only is e-learning rapidly becoming both accessible and affordable, but offers opportunities to those with physical disabilities such as hearing or mobility. A word of caution though – there are plenty of nefarious characters out there on the net only too willing to relieve you of your hard earned loot in exchange for substandard or even non-existent training or education.

But whatever shall I study ?

Years of hard work, raising families and so on take their toll on people, leaving them with little time to devote to themselves, and no particular interests which can be pursued in retirement. Here are a few options chosen at random by me:

Music appreciation, and musicology in general Ditto Art Ditto History, local and general Ditto Ancient History and /or Archaeology Ditto Literature

The goal of learning, for most people, in these cases, is not a degree or similar. It is rather the process of learning which is important – the brain requires to be stretched, or it may begin to shrink ! Furthermore, there are many other benefits not straightaway obvious, such as the social opportunities arising from learning in a group of like minded others.

Henry Ford once said : [I:http://senior.infonex.us/files/2010/03/PeterShaw3.jpg]

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.

Peter Shaw is a writer with a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of those who are newly retired, retrenched or unemployed. Find his thoughts and ideas here: Instant articles and books for the retired And go here for a bit of fun: A fun page for the retired !

Elevate chairs were invented making use of a prototype on the recliner chair, which was invented the 1920s. In 1931 cousins Edwin Shoemaker and Edward Knabusch patented this invention. For numerous persons suffered with limited mobility, elevate chairs improved the top quality of life. You possibly can locate a wide selection from quite a few manufactures when buying on the internet for energy chairs. Purchasing on-line would ensure that you simply will get the finest deal as well as the chair fits your exact desires. I’ve compiled the manual below to assist you to make an informed selection and help you save the most income.

Help you save dollars but not sacrificing top quality. Pick a chair that may be created for your body kind and medical desires. Several times consumers are tempted to purchase the larger the superior item, but it is not essential inside the situation of potential chairs.

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Are you in a position where it has become essential to arrange for aging care? It does not matter if the place is for yourself or someone you love, discovering the right aging care facility is very important. Here we will take a look at some of the different aging care options and how to select the right facility for your needs.

It is necessary to comprehend when someone suffers from certain medical ailments they can need very specialised care of which will make some medical care choices unwanted. They may include Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, care after a massive stroke or cardiac event, or even something similar to arthritis, where mobility can certainly be profoundly affected.

Do you feel that you’re in good health but need assistance with daily chores and tasks? Should you be still mentally aware, have good balance and mobility, and are not within a altered mental state, you might be able to remain in your home and simply hire a nurse to come in. This can be great for some health conditions such as diabetes, where some specialised foot care may be needed but overall health is still fairly good.

You may look at a retirement residence as a good transition from your home. You want to make sure that the facility you choose has activities you will enjoy and enough privacy and independence that you will feel at home there. Look at this place as somewhere you will want to live for a long time. Health care methods and advances in medical care can keep you around for many years to come.

You may be forced to look at a nursing home in order to take care of your specific health needs. If you are selecting a facility for a loved one, you need to make sure that the residents are healthy and well cared for. The cost of these facilities may be high, and there should be signs that the money is going back to the patients and being used to benefit them, as well as improve the facility. Look for a facility that can accommodate you or your loved one’s specific challenges and needs. Is there in house physiotherapy and routine medical check-ups? These can be important things to consider when picking a facility.

Once aging has reached a very advanced stage, you may need to use palliative care to provide you with personal care until you pass on. This can be a hard decision to make especially since it is normally being made on behalf of a loved one, instead of by the loved one themselves.

By asking questions and making sure that the facility you have chosen meets the requirements and lifestyle of your loved one, you can find the best aging care available. New facilities are now being built all the time and as technological and medical advances continue your immediate future has never looked better.

Before you decide to go out and buy a policy see if you qualify for long term care insurance, ask questions and request a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top US LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.