The Trend Is Clear: Boomers Prefer an Urban Retirement

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For anyone involved in the senior housing industry, the recent uptick in media coverage has been remarkable. From the PBS NewsHour segment on senior homesharing, to the New York Times article on elderly New Yorkers being priced out of the city, there is clearly a growing awareness of the insufficiency of our nation’s senior housing stock.

A recurring theme in most of these articles is the emerging preference for an urban retirement, especially among the Baby Boomer generation. This new generation of seniors is finding that the traditional approach to retirement – epitomized by sprawling suburban developments centered around golf courses – just doesn’t meet their needs. Aging Boomers want to remain active and engaged in retirement, and they want to be immersed in the cultural vibrancy and diversity of the city.

For anyone planning a sustainable retirement lifestyle in the Bay Area, Oakland and Phoenix Commons have a lot to offer. The New York Times recently recognized Oakland as “Brooklyn by the Bay,” with a creative energy unmatched anywhere else in the region. Jingletown, the neighborhood where Phoenix Commons is being built, is a great example of this renaissance, with its walkable waterfront location, quirky art studios, new residential developments, and easy access to surrounding areas.

But don’t just take our word for it! Come visit Jingletown, take a stroll along the estuary, and talk to the people who live there. Walk across the Park Street Bridge into Alameda, and see how close you are to hundreds of shops and restaurants. You’ll quickly discover why so many older adults are choosing Oakland for a new approach to retirement living.

Do you have questions about Senior Co-housing?

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Come to this event to learn more about co-housing and what is available for seniors.

Lauren Zimmerman-Cook, CFO of Phoenix Commons, will discuss the growing trend of senior co-housing. As part of the team putting together the Bay Area’s first senior co-housing community, Lauren will explain how this solution addresses the unmet housing needs of seniors and embraces the importance of living in community. Pre-registration required. Please call Mastick Senior Center to reserve your seat.

Mastick Senior Center on Tuesday, April 29, at 1:00 pm in Room D.

1155 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda, CA 94501

(510) 747-7506 or call Samantha at (510) 217-8527

The Science of Older & Wiser

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How important is wisdom as we become older? In her recent New York Times article, Phyllis Korkki writes that wisdom is the most important quality we can possess to age successfully and be able to confront the issues of physical decline and death. Facing those challenges armed with the positive well being and kindness that define wisdom is essential. Korkki cited an analysis by geriatric neuro-psychologist Vivian Clayton which determined the three components of wisdom are cognition, reflection and compassion.  While our cognition is slowed by aging, our wisdom can be enhanced by the broader life experience from which we, as elders, can draw.

“Wise people learn to accept reality as it is with equanimity and when they do, they enjoy a greater sense of well-being,” according to University of Florida- Gainesville associate sociology Professor Monika Ardelt.  Psychologist Erik Ercikson, Korkki says, coined the term “Generativity” or giving back without needing anything in return, whether that giving is creative, social, personal or financial as one of the most important signs of wisdom.

Whatever the nature of one’s limitations, simplifying one’s life is also a sign of wisdom, Dr. Clayton said, for example, by giving your things away while you are still alive. Some people have trouble with the idea of settling for less — “they have gotten so used to the game of acquiring more,” she said.

The acceptance, reflection, kindness, selflessness, simplification, that help us bring wisdom to our aging can become the key to facing the downside with grace. To read the entire New York Times article, “The Science of Older & Wiser” go here or paste  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/business/retirementspecial/the-science-of-older-and-wiser.html?_r=0 in your browser.

Phoenix Commons Leading the Way for Oakland’s Waterfront Renaissance

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At our groundbreaking ceremony, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan spoke about the numerous development projects underway along the waterfront of the Oakland/Alameda Estuary. Ambitious projects such as the logistics and warehousing center on the former Oakland Army Base, and the 3,100-unit Brooklyn Basin project which just broke ground, are symbols of Oakland’s resurgence as a great place to live, work, and play.

Phoenix Commons is proud to be an early pioneer in this waterfront renaissance, located in the heart of a save, vibrant, and walkable neighborhood that provides easy access to all the great things Oakland and Alameda have to offer. With so many activities just a short walk or bus ride away, each day will hold the promise of adventure for our members.

Come and see what all the hype is about! Meet the current members of Phoenix Commons at one of their gatherings, and explore the many benefits of aging together with other active and caring seniors. For more information, contact Cheryl Champ at (510) 217-8527.

Phoenix Commons – A Video Introduction

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Watch this five-minute video to learn more about how Phoenix Commons can help you lead a dynamic, meaningful, and healthy life while in retirement!

Video: Welcome to Phoenix Commons

Eyes, Vision, and Aging

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Come to this FREE educational event presented by Dr. Meredith Whiteside, from U.C. Berkeley School of Optometry, and learn how to take care of your eyes and protect your vision.

Everyone’s vision can change with age, some changes are normal, but losing vision is not a normal part of getting older! Older adults are at higher risk of developing several age-related eye diseases and conditions.

Peet’s coffee and refreshments will be provided.

Location: Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak St.

Date: March 19, 2014

Time: 1 – 2 pm

To RSVP, or if you have questions about the seminar series, please call Samantha at 510-217-8527 or email[email protected].

This free educational event is sponsored by Elders Village an Alameda based 501(c)(3) with funding provided by AEC.

Senior Cohousing: A Financially Sustainable Third Way

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Some rather startling results emerged from a recent survey of older adults:

  • 70% of Baby Boomers are unaware that the costs of long-term care are NOT covered by either Obamacare or Medicare
  • Affluent Boomers expect their long-term care to cost $36,220 annually, while the actual cost of such care is expected to rise to $265,000 annually by 2030, a gap of over $200,000/year between expected and actual costs
  • 71% of Boomers want to receive long-term care in their own homes

Combined with the fact that 43% of the 55+ crowd has less than $25,000 saved for retirement, it’s quite clear that we are not prepared as a society for the enormous task of taking care of our seniors in the years ahead. The article mentions aging in place as a preferred option, but few homes are adequately constructed for the special needs of seniors, not to mention the resulting social isolation that can destroy one’s health as severely as any physical disease.

Yet there is an alternative to aging in either an institutional setting or alone in a big, empty home. This third way, enormously popular in Scandinavia and now just starting to gain a foothold in the U.S., is to age in an intentional community. The benefits for older adults of having a solid social support system nearby have been documented in numerous studies, yet continue to be underestimated by most traditional retirement planners.

Senior cohousers are not immune from the natural aging process, but the daily adventures that are possible with their neighbors make them a more vivacious and optimistic bunch than your typical group of seniors. By tapping into and sharing their own knowledge and skills, cohousers can enjoy a wide variety of services and experiences at much lower cost than they would in an institutional, consumer-driven model. It may not keep you out of the nursing home forever, but senior cohousing can prolong the active stage of your elderhood and help you conserve your financial resources in the process.

Adding Life to Years

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Adding life to years is the concluding message of this great little video commissioned by the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO). It was released back in 2012 to coincide with World Health Day, but our society’s need to hear this message is more urgent than ever. The video addresses the many stereotypes that hold back seniors and limit their opportunities, and provides a blueprint for better integration of seniors into our communities.

One of the best features of the video is its positive, uplifting tone. Your attitude is a primary factor in determining how you age, so it’s important to affirm older adults’ potential for both learning and action. Instead of waiting passively for what the future brings, you can be proactive and find out how to shape your own future, like the participants at the Successful Aging workshop series presented by Elders Village (www.eldersvillage.com). Instead of settling for an institutional retirement home designed for your parents’ generation, you can create your own community and determine its features, like the steadily growing core group of future Phoenix Commons members is now doing. The possibilities for your Third Age are endless – all you need is a group of caring and sympathetic companions for the journey.

WHO: Healthy aging – Adding life to years

Dreaming of Sustainable Communities For All

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Yesterday we celebrated the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a transcendent figure who will always occupy a special place in our nation’s history for his selfless advocacy on behalf of peace and justice. In addition to equal rights and nonviolence, Dr. King was also a proponent of community self-reliance and cooperative ventures. He understood that collaboration not only improved the economic conditions of a community, but also empowered the individuals within it to take control over their lives and form free associations with others in the pursuit of common interests.

With a new generation entering elderhood in droves, many of them without the traditional family structures that have supported elders in the past, Baby Boomers will need to discover new ways to unite together and form communities of common interest and support. Phoenix Commons intends to blaze a trail for this new generation of seniors, as the first senior cohousing community in the San Francisco Bay Area. Future members are already meeting regularly to explore various ways to share resources and knowledge, working together to create a vibrant, autonomous community of conscious aging.

Aging in community should be an option for every senior, regardless of income. If you are interested in aging cooperatively with others but cannot afford to join Phoenix Commons, you should look into the CAN Project (Collaborative Aging Network), recently launched by Elders Village, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides educational and community building resources to seniors in the SF Bay Area. Funded by the Making A Big Difference grant awarded by Coming of Age (Bay Area), the CAN Project will form a network of senior volunteers, trained to serve as peer-to-peer counselors to other seniors interested in cooperative housing and other forms of collaboration. This project has the potential to significantly amplify awareness and knowledge of cooperative aging concepts on a grassroots level, and we support them wholeheartedly. For more information, be sure to visit the Elders Village website.

Groundbreaking for Phoenix Commons

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On a bright, crisp Thursday morning, dozens of people gathered on the Oakland waterfront to celebrate a major milestone for our community. Phoenix Commons, the Bay Area’s first cooperative lifestyle community for seniors aged 55+, officially broke ground, coming one step closer to spearheading an exciting, new trend in senior housing in the Bay Area.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and City Councilman Noel Gallo were among the many public officials, community supporters, senior housing advocates, and future community members in attendance. As guests examined a 3D model of the building, enjoyed the property’s view of the estuary, and enjoyed champagne and hors d’oeuvres, there was a sense that the future is bright for senior housing in Oakland. Mayor Quan summed up the potential impact of the project beautifully when she said, “I think we will redefine retirement and how people live as seniors.”

Coverage of the event can be found in the Oakland Tribune, and other local publications around the East Bay.