Ashby Village Update!

It is official.  Today (July 12, 2010) Ashby Village is open for business!  After years of hard work, it is actually a realty.  Judy Boe and I have only been working for about two years, but others, notably  Shirley Haberfeld, Pat Sussman and Jane Selby  started years earlier.  The launching of Ashby Village represents  a major commitment of many people in our community.

This morning Judy and I delivered our Ashby Village Provider Network binder to the office.  We have been recruiting  providers  for almost a year and are quite proud of our results.  The providers have come from our own real estate networks and from  Ashby Village members’ recommendations.  We have providers for most of the categories we need and will continue working on getting more providers to join the network.  The providers in our network have completed applications, been interviewed, had references checked and licenses verified.

Today was so exciting!  Shirley Haberfeld and Tami Blaj (the volunteer coordinator) were working at the office today while Judy and I were there.  I am so proud to be a part of this effort and think that programs like Ashby Village are critical for the future.

Below is a brief summary of Ashby  Village prepared by the Board of Directors.

What is Ashby Village?

Ashby Village is a membership organization that provides the practical means, social connections and resources that enable people to stay both independent and supported as they age. Villages provide opportunities for residents to share resources, information, and social events, while also accessing vital health and social services in the community. With one call or online query, you can arrange help with grocery shopping, transportation to a concert, get a referral for home healthcare, or offer your time to help another Village member.

Ashby Village is part of a movement of virtual communities that began with Boston’s Beacon Hill Village in 2001. Today, hundreds of Villages are operating or forming across the country. The Village movement fosters individual independence and safety and strengthens neighborhoods. Ashby Village serves the East Bay communities of Berkeley, Albany, Kensington, El Cerrito, Emeryville and Rockridge.

Villages provide an alternative to current models of living as we age: members stay in their own homes as they develop a wider net of community relationships. Ashby Village is not a physical village, but rather a community built of members throughout the greater Berkeley area. Annual membership in Ashby Village will provide a broad range of personalized assistance and services that, taken together, create a safety net of support that enable members to stay in their own homes. And because we are in our start up phase, charter members will help determine how we grow Ashby Village.

Ashby Village is a nonprofit organization, currently under the umbrella of LifeLong Medical Care, and has an annual budget of $175,000. We are self-sustaining through membership fees. Our challenge is to grow a membership base that enables the staffing and infrastructure to support our growth. Foundation grants and individual donations will underwrite subsidized memberships to low income members.

If you are interested in joining Ashby Village, would like to volunteer or want more information, check out our website at www.ashbyvillage.org.

I have been working very hard for the past several months getting ready for the launching of Ashby Village. It will be open for business in less than a month although we will not have the official opening celebration until the fall. My job, along with Judy Boe and Taree Klausner,  is to put together the Ashby Village Provider Network which will consist of tradespeople and others who have been recommended by Ashby Village members and volunteers.

Over the past few years, a new work category has been developing–that of Senior Move Manager.  A couple of weeks ago, Judy and I had lunch with Sondra Jensen and Caryl Wells of Smooth Moves. They have been helping seniors move for over seven years. Sondra is also a charter member of Ashby Village.  We had such a nice conversation about their business that I asked them to write an article for East Bay Smart Senior. If you want to get in touch with Sondra or Caryl, the number for Smooth Moves is 510-527-8752.

Many senior citizens decide (or perhaps the decisions are made by others) that they must leave their homes of many years and move into a retirement, assisted living, skilled nursing, or Alzheimers community.  Whether due to illness, disability, or simply a desire to stop cooking and gardening, this move is always filled with stress.

Senior move coordinators and packers therefore tread gently when helping clients prepare for this life transition.  In addition to being supportive and understanding of the huge changes that lie ahead, move managers are also ready to step in and help with the first major task: downsizing.  In Smooth Moves’ seven years of helping senior citizens with their moves we have not yet seen an instance where our clients were moving into larger quarters.  Instead they are usually leaving large homes where they have lived and raised their families for many years and moving into small one- or two-bedroom apartments in a residential care community.  To ensure that the desired items will indeed fit into the new apartment we are often asked to make scale drawings of the rooms, measure the furniture that will be moving and “place” it on the drawing.

We approach the task of downsizing carefully and first assess the client’s own ability to make decisions on which of their belongings can be donated, sold, or discarded.  We provide a variety of colored stickers which they can affix to items going in different directions; we work with whatever other sorting system they may have devised; or we work side by side with the client discussing each item and using gentle persuasion along the way.  How often is this used?  Does it have special meaning for you?  Will it fit into the new residence?  Could you live without it?  Who would you like to have it?  The next step is to appropriately bundle the items and arrange for their pickup by charities, consignment vendors, and trash haulers.

Then we’re ready to start packing everything that will move to the new residence.  Boxes are carefully filled, labeled with their contents, then stacked in out-of-the-way areas until move day when we arrive bright and early to strip the beds, unplug telephones, pack any remaining lamps/food/kitchen ware, and oversee the movers as they load the truck.  We generally follow the movers to the new location, ensure that furniture is placed as planned, and begin unpacking boxes as soon as the movers finish their job.

The final stage for us is making sure the apartment looks cozy, comfortable, and most importantly, familiar.  We make the beds, set up the kitchen, place knick knacks, plug in lamps, TVs, computers, and sometimes even hang pictures.  A bouquet of welcoming flowers is placed on a table and off we go.

A few weeks ago, the Marketing Department at St. Paul’s Towers, a CCRC/Life Care facility in Oakland, asked me to speak to a group of potential residents about what is really going on in the real estate market in the East Bay.  Many of the people considering moving to St. Paul’s need to sell their homes first.  There are a lot of articles in the newspapers here that exaggerate the problems in the local housing market.  In Berkeley and many parts of the East Bay, the housing market has not experienced the crisis that other parts of the country have.  I had collected very recent statistics from our Multiple Listing Service so I felt confident that the information I had was accurate and relevant for them.

Following is my talk and the slides I made for each of the zip codes and neighborhoods in which the audience live.

Good afternoon everyone.  Thank you for coming today.  I am sure you would rather be out playing golf or working in your garden so I am really glad you are here and  I hope you find my information useful.  My name is Joann Sullivan.  I am a realtor at Thornwall Properties in Berkeley.    In my business, I work with many seniors and their families.  St. Paul’s invited me here today to talk with you about what is really going on in the Bay Area Real Estate Market.

I came about the same time last year, too.  Then, the newspapers were full of doom and gloom stories about the housing market.  Headlines read:

“Housing Declines Match 20 year record,” “Free Fall Misery in Housing.”  “Bay Area Home Prices off 30.8% in November, Bottom not in sight yet.”     According to recent articles, the 2010 median home price in the Bay Area is $350,000, down almost 50% from $665,000 in July 2007.

There are  areas in California and even in the Bay Area that are experiencing housing problems like this, but you should not generalize from these reports to your own neighborhood.  Housing problems are much more severe in Southern California than Northern California.  In certain parts of the Bay Area-namely, parts of Contra Costa County, some neighborhoods in Oakland and Berkeley and southern Alameda County where the foreclosure and short sale rates are still high–the housing crisis is very real.  Foreclosures are bank owned properties that have been taken over by the bank.  Another name for a foreclosure is an REO.  Short sales are  properties that are sold for less than the balance owed.

That being said, many neighborhoods in the Bay Area have remained pretty stable.   The number of short sales and REOs is low, inventory is relatively low and prices have not fluctuated very much.  These include Alameda, Albany, El Cerrito, North Berkeley and  Rockridge.  Many sellers are reluctant to put their homes on the market now, but they are usually pleasantly surprised at the response.  There are still houses that receive multiple offers and sell for more than the asking price.

The most important thing to remember about real estate other than location, location, location is that real estate markets are very specific.  I have broken down our East Bay region into more homogeneous areas so we can talk about them today, but when you are thinking about selling your house, you need to know what is going on in your own neighborhood and your own block.  The best indicator for what you are going to get for your house is what a similar house down the street sold for a couple of months ago.

Now let’s look at the real estate statistics for the East Bay.  St. Paul’s sent me the zip codes for all of you who were coming today.  Those are the areas we will look at.

Generally speaking, most East Bay areas saw an increase in the number of properties sold from 2008-09 to 2009-10.  The number of days on market ranged from a low of about 3 weeks up to a maximum of 2 months.  The higher priced neighborhoods (Elmwood, Moraga, Montclair and Piedmont) experienced longer marketing periods.  Nonetheless, even the longest marketing periods in the East Bay are  very low compared to other parts of the country.

Most East Bay areas experienced a decrease in both list price and sales price with the higher priced markets witnesing a greater decrease in both list prices and sales prices than the lower priced markets.

Exceptions are Livermore and several neighborhoods in Oakland which experienced price increases over the two periods.  I think that many neighborhoods in these areas were targeted by first time homebuyers as good places to buy.  Prices were right and the buyers were eligible for a tax credit, as well.

All of this being said, the market today feels much more vibrant than last spring.  There are more properties on the market now than last spring and buyers are ready.  Sellers still seem a little  nervous, but it all depends on the house.  Houses that look good, in a good location and are priced right will do very well.  Many are selling with multiple offers and going over asking.

Now let’s talk about getting your house ready to sell.  The first thing you should do is talk with a realtor.  He or she will provide information on property values in your neighborhood which will help you decide whether this is a good time for you to sell.  Don’t try to generalize from what you read in the papers.  This is true whether your home is in Salinas, Kansas or El Cerrito , California.  If you do not have a realtor, you can call me and I will either get this information for you or refer you to a realtor who knows your neighborhood.

Your realtor will help you decide what needs to be done to get your home  ready for market.  One option is to sell it “as is.”  There are lots of buyers looking for this type of property that they can fix up themselves.  If you choose this option, you should price your home accordingly.  You probably will not get top dollar for your home and it may take longer to sell.

For most homeowners in our area, their homes are their most important investments and they want to get the best price they can.  For many seniors, the proceeds from the sale of their home will support them for the rest of their lives.

You will need to decide how much work you want to do.  You may need to make repairs-for example, replace the roof or gutters, install a new water heater, replace broken windows and damaged floors.  You may choose to upgrade the kitchen or bathroom, paint inside and/or outside, replace your roof, refinish your hardwood floors, and landscape your yard.  Your realtor will help you find contractors and may supervise their work for you, if necessary.

Your most important marketing decision (after choosing your realtor) will be determining the list price.  If you price it too low, the offers you receive may not be as high as you want; it you price it too high, you may reduce the number of potential buyers.  Your realtor will provide you with information on recent comparable sales in your neighborhood.   At my office, when one of us has a new listing, all of the agents visit it before it comes on the market to give additional input for determining the list price.

The goal of your marketing plan is to get as many potential buyers into your home as possible.  When it  comes on the market, there is usually an open house for realtors and two Sunday open houses for buyers.  At my office, we list the property on the MLS, put a sign in front of your house, make pretty flyers with pertinent information, send out postcards to the neighbors and advertise in the local newspapers.  Because so many buyers are now using the internet to find properties, we set up a unique website for the property.  It has lots of nice photos or a video and information about the property and neighborhood.  There are also other internet sites like Realtor.com, Trulia.com, craigslist, SFGate and agency websites (e.g. thornwallproperties.com) where we post information about our listings.

If you live in an area which is not doing so well, you should first talk with your realtor to find out how the market is actually doing in your specific neighborhood.  Remember, you should not generalize from what you read in the newspaper.  You may be surprised.

You will follow the same steps as we discussed before, but your marketing efforts will need to be more aggressive.

Your house needs to be in excellent condition, look great to buyers and be priced competitively.   Your house needs to look good on the outside and on the inside.  People are going to drive by to see what they think before they decide to go inside.  You want them to come inside.

Setting the list price is even more important here.  You and your realtor will need to analyze recent sales to determine what you can get for your house.  If you do not have any interest with the original list price, you will need to reduce the price quickly and significantly.

Many of you are selling homes that you bought a long time ago that have appreciated considerably.  If you have lived in your home for more than five years and have not sold a home in the past two years, you are eligible for a $250,000 (or $500,000 for a married couple) tax exemption.  If you want to reduce your tax liability, you might think about an installment sale or a lease option.  These financing alternatives might appeal to young buyers who are not able to obtain traditional financing.  Your realtor, accountant or the staff here at St. Paul’s can help you figure out your best option.

I have covered the changing East Bay real estate market today.  There are several messages that I want you to take with you.  Don’t believe what you read in the newspaper.  The housing market in the East Bay is actually much better than other parts of the country.  I talked a little about getting your house ready to sell and marketing it in both healthy and not-so healthy markets.  A house that is in good condition, priced right and in a good location will always do well.

Following are the slides I made for the presentation.  I compiled data on all of the zip codes and neighborhoods that were home to the people attending the talk.

Alameda

North/Berkeley Hills

Central Berkeley

West Berkeley

South Berkeley

Elmwood

El Cerrito

Livermore

Moraga

Oakland 94602

Oakland 94605

Oakland 94606

Oakland 94608

Oakland 94610

Oakland 94611

Oakland 94618

Oakland 94619

Piedmont

San Leandro

San Pablo

Walnut Creek

For the past several months, I have been writing about resources for seniors and their families in the East Bay.  Most of the articles have focused on programs that help seniors age in place.  Almost all seniors want to remain in their own homes, but some are not able to for a variety of reasons.

During the holidays many families are struggling with the decision about moving their parents or other elderly relatives to a retirement community.   It is easy to put off a decision like this when parents live in other locations and their children do not realize how frail they have become.  I work closely with Mona Lalchandani of Exceptional Senior Placement to help my friends and clients find appropriate communities for their loved ones.  Mona has been providing services to seniors for almost two decades and really knows the retirement communities in our area.  Her services are free to seniors.

I invited her to write an article about some of the questions that people have when they are considering  moving either themselves or a family member to a retirement community.

Families are overwhelmed with moving their loved ones to a retirement community, especially when seniors are adamant about staying in their own home and when they emphatically refuse to be “put away” or feel they are being institutionalized. This is one the hardest decision an adult child or spouse will make on behalf of their loved ones. Families (of the sandwich generation) are juggling careers, their own children, some degree of long-distance caregiving and struggling with the “guilt” of finding an appropriate placement. But a time comes when the senior cannot live safely and independently at home. Some of the signs that mom or dad cannot remain at home are:

1. Medication-when seniors forget or refuse to take their medication, there is no structure or routine and there is no one to monitor the medication.

2. Meal preparation-when a senior cannot manage to shop and cook for themselves. They are unable to operate the appliance, especially the stove safely. When the senior is losing weight and is too frail or confused to eat nutritious meals.

3. Safety-when the senior is a fall-risk, the home is not equipped with grab bars, ramps if needed and an emergency response system.

4. Personal hygiene-when a loved cannot and will not bathe, groom or dress themselves appropriately.

5. Transportation-when a senior should not be driving, and do not have alternate means of transportation to doctors appointments, the grocery store, etc.

6. Socialization-when the senior is isolated, and has little social interaction or stimulation.

7. Home Management-when the senior can no longer pay bills on time or manage their finances and keep up with home maintenance, yard work etc.

These are signs that the senior needs to think of independent living, assisted living or board and care options. It is better to plan ahead than to have a crisis.

Independent Living-When cooking meals, housekeeping, yard work and home repairs become burdensome, many senior move into Independent Living Communities to enjoy a more carefree lifestyle. They live in their own apartment but are offered a myriad of amenities such as a fitness center, restaurant-style dining, libraries, and social and leisure activities. The community offers peace of mind for seniors and their families yet enable them to enjoy their independence without the hassle of maintaining a home.

Assisted Living-Seniors who live in assisted living communities are unable to live independently but do not need skilled nursing. Assisted living are usually congregate or apartment-style living which provide meals, housekeeping, laundry, medication management, personal care, wellness and fitness programs and social activities in a supportive environment. There are 24-hour caregivers who can provide assistance with ADLs (activities of daily living, bathing, dressing, grooming, ambulation and toileting).

Some Assisted Living communities offer a separate dementia care for residents suffering from memory loss. This is typically a “secure” memory care neighborhood with trained staff who are devoted to providing specialized memory care in a supportive environment.

Board and Care Homes-These facilities are usually 4-8 bed homes which can provide hands-on care for frail seniors and seniors with limited income. They provide meals, housekeeping, laundry, medication management, personal care and include a limited amount of social activities.

Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers-Also known as a Nursing Homes, these facilities provide 24-hour nursing care and rehabilitative services to individuals who need medical supervision. Sometimes seniors require a short stay for rehab and strengthening after a hospitalization before returning home or to an assisted living facility. Others require long-term medical care that cannot be provided in other settings.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC)-When an independent living community is connected with an assisted and a skilled nursing home it is called a CCRC. The resident can take advantage of the full range of services and transfer from one part of the building to another when their needs and level of care change.

Cost

The cost of the facility depends on the type of facility you choose and also the level of care that is provided to keep the senior safe and enhance their quality of life.

Board and Care costs range from $1,200-$2,500 for a semi-private room, which includes all room and board as well as all costs for personal care (including medication management and incontinence care). Private rooms range from $2,000-4,000 per month. A few Board and Care homes will accept one client at an SSI rate ($1,050 per month).

Assisted Living communities charge between $2,000-$3,500 for a private studio with a small kitchenette and bathroom. This price only includes rent, 3 meals/day, house-keeping, laundry, activities and transportation. Any personal care like bathing, grooming, toileting, medication management etc. are at an additional cost; the fee for services is either based on a level of care or a point system. A one-bedroom costs range from $2,500-$5,000.

Dementia Care is more expensive, since it is a smaller unit with more trained caregivers. The price range is $2,500-$6,000 per month and some communities charge extra depending on the level of care.

CCRC has a one-time entrance fee which can be costly in addition to a monthly fee. The contracts for CCRC differ in the amount of entrance fee based on the size of the apartment and also on fee for services.

Community Fee: Most Assisted Living and Dementia Care communities charge a one-time community fee which ranges from $500-$10,000. This is not a deposit and the communities use the money for the upkeep of the property, initial assessment of the potential client and to paint and clean the carpets in the apartment. Sometimes this fee is negotiable. There are several aspects of the community a family member must consider before moving their ones. The checklist can be extensive and therefore it is important to do due diligence and get references from current residents or their families.

Some of the important considerations are:

Is the facility licensed, how long have they been in business, what are the qualifications of the administrator or executive director?

Does the facility post a valid license and have written descriptions of resident’s rights and responsibilities?

Ask to see the latest state licensing inspection reports

What is the monthly cost, what services are provided in that fee, what additional services are available and at what cost? What is the Community Fee?

Can the fees/charges be changed based on the level of care?

What happens when the funds run out, what is the notice period for a resident to leave the facility?

Is the facility safe, clean and have trained staff. Does the facility have 24 caregivers and an emergency response system?

Do other residents appear happy, relaxed, well groomed and engaged?

Is the facility wheelchair accessible?

What is the staffing ratio, are the staff engaged with the residents?

Can the facility provide references? Does the facility have respite stay?

As I mentioned that the checklist is long, sometimes families get a “good feeling” when they tour the community and feel their loved one could live there with love, dignity and compassion.

As I mentioned earlier this process can be a stressful experience for families. While there are many options, families may be in crisis and are can easily become overwhelmed with making a decision. I decided to start my own senior placement services 3 years ago when I saw the anguish the families go through. Compassion, respect and dignity are the foundation of my senior placement business. Being raised in a culture where elders are revered for their wisdom and experience, I felt a great passion for starting a consulting service where I would be instrumental in finding the “right” placement for the seniors.

My service is free to the client and I become their advocate and help them narrow down the options based on:

Location

Budget

Medical Condition

Social Environment

Emotional Needs

Physical Needs

My service is FREE to families and I provide:

Confidential Assessment

Research Options for Senior Placement

Contact Facilities and Tour with Clients

Assist with the Necessary Paperwork

Negotiate a Better Rate

Follow-up within a week of placement.

Working with families has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I strongly feel that I can be an advocate and find the best options they deserve and help enhance their quality of life.

I can be reached at (510) 910-0344. My website is www.seniorcareoptions.info

I had been thinking about the next blog article that I want to write when I came across the article below in this month’s issue of The Gilbert Guide by  Dennis Fortier.  I feel like I know a lot about Alzheimer’s , but as Dennis states, there are things that all of us can learn about this horrible disease.  In his article, he encourages readers to disseminate the article so that is what I am doing.

http://www.gilbertguide.com/articles/national-alzheimers-awareness/

A few weeks ago, my friends Judy Boe and Shirley Haberfeld  and I had lunch with Jill Gilbert.  We wanted to tell Jill all about Ashby Village and she wanted to tell us about Gilbert Guide’s new endeavor-The Daily Wrinkle.  In addition to the Monthly Gilbert Guide and Weekly Insider e-newsletters, there is now a daily update of videos and articles designed to make aging easier for seniors and those who love them.

The first edition of The Daily Wrinkle featured a video of Jill Gilbert, telling everyone what they could expect over the next few months.   Since its debut, The Daily Wrinkle has presented information on travelling tips for seniors who use wheelchairs,  fashion for seniors, aging in place, a device to help with navigating your car into the garage safely and other articles and videos.  There will be lots of information about technology  and useful websites to help seniors, their families and caregivers.  So far, I have enjoyed all of the articles and videos and hope you do, too.  To see all of the videos and articles and to subscribe or comment on the articles, click here.

When I read the article on “Senior Fashion”, I emailed them about Gorgeous Grey, the website devoted to women who do not die their hair.  I am particularly fond of that website because my photo is featured on it.  Yesterday The Daily Wrinkle post was about Gorgeous Grey.   They also announced a Senior  Fashion Forward contest.  I know a few very stylish seniors that I am going to nominate.   The details are in yesterday’s post.

The second Ashby Village Community Meeting will be held next Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. at Lifelong Medical Care, 2031 6^th Street in Berkeley.  Lifelong is one block south of University Avenue and the entrance is on Addison Street.  This is a very good opportunity to find out about this valuable program which will begin in January 2010.

The first meeting was held last Sunday.  About 30 people attended.  The enthusiasm for this program is very high.  Tell your friends, family and anyone who is interested in aging in place.  Ashby Village is the best option for many of us.

Ashby Village had originally been planned for Berkeley and Rockridge residents.  However, the Board has decided to accept members from other East Bay cities as well.  A group of Kensington residents have joined and several El Cerrito residents have expressed interest in joining.

All East Bay residents over the age of 50 years are invited to the community meeting.  For more information, check the Ashby Village website.

A few weeks ago, my friend Peggy and I were on our afternoon walk and she was bemoaning the fact that she would be 65 in a few weeks.   She had received some information from Social Security and was trying to figure out what she was going to do about Medicare and all of those issues associated with retirement even though she was going to continue working for 2-3 more years.

She had talked with the HR staff at her office and was even more confused than she had been originally.  She thought they might have given her erroneous information.    I suggested that she call HICAP.  Even though Peggy works in senior services and is a very savvy person, she had never heard of HICAP.

I decided at that point to include a post about HICAP in my blog.  It is such an important program and not many seniors realize that it is available.   I called my friend Janet Van Deusen, HICAP Director in Alameda County, and asked her to define HICAP for us.

The Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) is a statewide volunteer supported program that helps Medicare beneficiaries of any age make informed choices and provides advocacy when their health care benefits and rights are threatened or denied.  HICAP provides free and unbiased community education and individual counseling to Medicare beneficiaries and their families about Medicare, Supplemental plans, Prescription Drugs, Medicare Advantage plans, Long Term Care, Appeals, and other related topics.

Legal Assistance for Seniors has served as the parent agency for Alameda County’s HICAP since 1988. LAS/HICAP provides individual appointments at over thirty locations throughout Alameda County with trained volunteer counselors who are registered with the California Department of Aging.  Staff and volunteers also provide community education presentations and workshops to groups large and small throughout the county.  Please contact HICAP at 1-800-434-0222 or 510-839-0393 to schedule an appointment or presentation.

For more information about Medicare, contact the state program: http://www.cahealthadvocates.org/_pdf/facts/A-002-CHAFactSheet.pdf

HICAP volunteers work in libraries, senior centers and other agencies to help seniors with all of their Medicare-related questions.  The training provided to the volunteers is comprehensive and extensive. Janet is the most knowledgeable person around about Medicare and health insurance coverage for seniors and is available to help the volunteers if they have questions they cannot answer.

If you are having difficulty trying to figure out your health insurance coverage after age 65, call 800-434-0222 or 510-839-0393 and set up an appointment with a HICAP volunteer near you.  You can also check out their website www.lashicap.org.

Also, they are always looking for volunteers.  HICAP has a comprehensive  training program about once a year.  it is a good way to keep up with all of the issues related to Medicare and to help seniors.  I think I would like to be a HICAP volunteer when I retire.

Following is an article by Ashby Village Board Members, Shirley Haberfeld and Pat Sussman.  It is scheduled for publication in Persimmon, an on-line literary magazine for women.

Do you remember that first phone call from your eldest sister?  “What are we going to do about Mom - she doesn’t want any help and she won’t move out of the house”.  That call set the stage for the last years of your widowed mother’s life.  She still lived in the house where you grew up, she’d had some recent falls and sometimes was a bit confused on the phone, but she was still involved with her Wednesday bridge club and tried to get out to church occasionally.  Four of her friends died in the last three years - and so did your father.

Well, now I’m the Mom and I don’t want to wait until one of my kids has to make a phone call like that.

In February 2006, the “New York Times” published an article about a community that had formed in Boston - Beacon Hill Village - dedicated to helping residents in the community age in place - that is, stay in their own homes - not in remote institutions.  The article sparked a conversation between neighbors who met in an Elmwood living room. Each story was different yet somehow the same. We knew we wanted our aging to be different. Our interest was an outgrowth of our own personal experiences as we’ve cared for or found living arrangements for aging parents or dealt with chronic illness with family or friends. We knew we wanted to find a way to continue to age in the self-sustaining community that we cherish. We wanted to plan for our later years now, before a crisis and we wanted to help our friends and neighbors too.  Most of all we wanted to be in charge of those later years and we wanted our kids to know our wishes.

Since January 2007 a group of seven women have been meeting to discuss ways we could support one another as we grow older - much like the Boston project but with that special flare we only find in Berkeley.

Our personal stories aren’t unique, because senior health care and associated conditions are a significant policy issue in the U.S. as the population ages

The 65 and older population is projected to increase to 88.5 million in 2050, more than doubling the number in 2008 (38.7 million). The 85 and older population is expected to more than triple, from 5.4 million to 19 million between 2008 and 2050.

So, given all the statistics, the Beacon Hill model and our own ideas, we decided to found Ashby Village, a non-profit membership organization to provide the information and access to services that will help us remain at home as we age.  Ashby Village members make one phone call to the Ashby Village office to arrange assistance with a specific problem or to find an activity or event they might be interested in. The small Ashby Village team will not only respond quickly to requests for services or information, they’ll make a follow-up call to allow members to evaluate the service they received. A wide range of referral services (paid for by the member) and program benefits (free) are currently being developed. The staff will also research and assess these “approved” service providers.  The annual cost of membership is $1,200 per household ($100 a month) and $750.00 for an individual. Some services such as home care, house-hold repairs, etc will be paid directly by the member - however we expect to be able to provide discounted rates.

What makes this model unique?  The heart of the Village is the grassroots community with its core free and discounted (brokered) services. mechanism through which services are delivered - through a grassroots, member-based, one-stop shopping.  It’s taking a local partnership building process where local service providers, community institutions, medical providers, philanthropists, and organizers come together to create a menu of services for members wishing to live independent of senior residential homes.  Critical to this model is the active leadership and participation of the seniors themselves in every aspect of the programs. The services fall under the headings of Arts and Cultural, Health and Wellness, Community Connections and Daily Living.

In addition to a reduced isolation of seniors in Berkeley and North Oakland, it is expected that communication is enhanced and that gaps are reduced in the services that are provided by others in the community.  The overall goal of Ashby Village is to create strong, healthy communities in which older adults can remain independent with increased security and quality of life in multi-generational, familiar settings….their own homes and neighborhoods.

Our tentative launch date is January 1, 2010.  If enough funding is available we expect to hire an Executive Director this September to pull together the organizational structure and relationships.  At this time, Life Long Medical Care - a well regarded group of community health centers in Berkeley and Oakland, is acting as the Ashby Village fiscal agent and is able to accept donations as well as funding grants.

Since late 2008 we have presented Ashby Village to many Berkeley residents through “living room chats” - a one and a half hour of informal presentation with questions and answers.  People are enthusiastic and have joined working committees and some have taken on short-term projects.

To schedule an Ashby Village Living Room Chat for you and a group of friends and neighbors, email: membership@ashbyvillage.org or phone 204-2860.

Also visit our website at www.Ashbyvillage.org for more information.

Several weeks ago I wrote about elderblogging and introduced some of my favorites-Ronni Bennett’s Time Goes By, Gorgeous Grey and others. In today’s edition of Diane Driver’s monthly newsletter Resources in Aging from the University of California at Berkeley, she lists two new blogs for seniors and their families.

The first is by Candacy Taylor who has spent several years doing research on waitresses in diners and coffee shops and written about them in her blog, Counterculture Waitress.

The purpose of her blog is “to build a community around  (her) project Counter Culture: The American Coffee Shop Waitress.” She  wants“ to spark a new appreciation for the hardworking women who race to our tables, quarrel with the cooks, and bring warmth and culture to the American roadside dining experience. The project consists of a traveling photo exhibition, a NPR radio documentary and a forthcoming book and film documentary.  Candacy “hit the road in 2001, traveling over 26,000 miles throughout the US, . . . interviewed and photographed 59 waitresses in 43 cities. Each interview lasted 1-3 hours, all of which were transcribed, logged and indexed for the book and the exhibition. The waitresses are 50 and older and have worked in coffee shops or diners for at least 20 years and have a loyal following of regular customers.”

The second is the New Old Age from the New York Times about aging, finances, health and relationships between seniors and their adult children.   “Adults over age 80 are the fastest growing segment of the population, and most will spend years dependent on others for the most basic needs. That burden falls to their baby boomer children, 77 million strong, who are flummoxed by the technicalities of eldercare, turned upside down by the changed architecture of their families, struggling to balance work and caregiving, and depleting their own retirement savings in the process.”   Some of the recent posts are related to such topics as home safety (the bathroom, the most dangerous room in the house), why families wait so long to call hospice, a new easier email program for seniors called PawPawmail. The posts are insightful and well written. The New Old Age is going on my sidebar with the other Senior Links that I think are so important.

Also, I have two elderblogging friends who have retired in the past few years.  Carolyn Gopalon moved from the East Bay to her new home in Conoor, India last year and she chronicles her travels in her blog, Retirement Journey to India.

My other friend is Kathryn Hill who was the broker in my office for many years.  She now spends most of the year in Yelapa Mexico, but since her retirement, has spent six months each year travelling around the United States. Last year she was in the western U.S. and British Canada. This year she is in the southeast. Her blog is called Travelkathryn’s weblog. I am amazed at all that Carolyn and Kathryn have accomplished.  Their writing is great and their photographs are phenomenal.

Neither Kathryn nor Carolyn have special computer skills and taught themselves what they needed to know to produce their blogs.  They both felt that they had something to say and that others might be interested in what they are doing.  Their blogs are wonderful because they are so excited about their journeys.  If you think you might like to have a weblog and need some help, let me know.  I have very user-friendly instructions which were developed by the secretary in our office.  I would love to see the elderblogging community grow.