55 and over housing..will the age rise or will soon be seeing kids running around?

[Disney1fan2002]

years and years ago, 55 was retirement age. An age where you put in 30-40 years of work, and now you got to relax and enjoy the rest of your life (which was probably not long)

Someone came up with these affordable, low maintenance communities. 55 and over. Back then, 55 yo's did not have young children. So, rules were put in place controlling grandchildren. One community near me will only let grandchildren visit for no more than 7days in one visit. Other do not let overnight visits at all.

My town, a small, quaint town with a terrific school system, has these 55 and over's popping up everywhere. Today, there are THREE being built in different parts of town. The only thing I can think of, is these developers wanted to come in with multi-housing. We all know what multi-housing can do to a school. So, the town might of got smart, and approved them for 55 and over. (not sure if that is the case, or even if that is legal, but it is my theory).

Well, I am now wondering, because parents are waiting later and later in life to start a family...55 and over's will be moving in with there 10 year olds soon enough. When do you think we will start seeing 55 and over community's no different than the recent subdivision when it comes to how many kids are running around? or do you think there will be rules, NO KIDS ALLOWED. ????

 

[ducklite]

They get around having kids go to school with the "no overnights" or "not longer than seven days" rules.

I don't see things changing. I fully intend to move into a 55 and older community when I'm into my 70's. I'm hoping to retire at 62, and am not counting on SS being there.

Anne

 

[Robinrs]

The community I worked for for over a year was a independent senior living community for 55 and over. The rules were that if a family member chose to stay there for over a week they had to get permission from the exec director. Children were not allowed to LIVE there because anyone on a lease HAD to be over 55. Our biggest problem was NOT children but low life "Failure to Launch" grown children trying to live off Mama or Grandma!

Children came to visit but "kid noise" was limited and severely frowned upon. They were usually taken out by the residents on trips instead of traipsing around the place.

The point was to give these people a stress free environment with their peers. The rules should reflect what they want the community to be. There are millions of other places families are welcome.

 

[DawnCt1]

"The Villages" located somewhere in Florida I think, often advertises in Ct. DS 24 was watching the ad and said, "if I woke up there, I would kill myself". DH agreed with him. There is something about being in a neighborhood, watching young children ride their bikes, play street hockey, skateboard, etc that ads character and fun to a neighborhood. Looking out the window and seeing a "sea of Q-Tips", because ultimately that is what one would see, would definately be depressing. I still get a huge laugh over the new "adult community" being build in our town. It is next door to the funeral parlor, and within a half mile of the nursing home. They named it Howard's End!

 

[Robinrs]

"The Villages" located somewhere in Florida I think, often advertises in Ct. DS 24 was watching the ad and said, "if I woke up there, I would kill myself". DH agreed with him. There is something about being in a neighborhood, watching young children ride their bikes, play street hockey, skateboard, etc that ads character and fun to a neighborhood. Looking out the window and seeing a "sea of Q-Tips", because ultimately that is what one would see, would definately be depressing. I still get a huge laugh over the new "adult community" being build in our town. It is next door to the funeral parlor, and within a half mile of the nursing home. They named it Howard's End!

It may not be everyone's cup of tea but it's an alternative. Kids are not necessarily a plus to a community so some adults choose to live away from them. Referring to our older community as Q tips... well, I guess because they are so such a major part of my life, I find quite disrespectful. The people I worked with were brilliant, fun LIVELY people with wisdom I felt so full of everytime I listened to them.

Like my Dad always said getting older is not a choice, it's what we all have to deal with and it beats the alternative! Hope one day no one sees you the way you see them. Our opinions of the aged are usually reflected by our children and I was up close and personal to the "children" who couldn't care less about the "Q-tip" who raised them.

 

[salmoneous]

BTW - your theory is dead on. Communities give tax/zoning variances to 55+ communities because they love people who pay property taxes, but don't send kids to the schools. Nothing better.

 

[AMcaptured]

Personally, I think 55+ communities are bad not for the community but for the elderly citizens living in them, and I do mean active 55+ communities, not assisted living ones.

My parents spend half the year living in one in Florida and thankfully they come back North for the summer. I tell my mom her and my father need to come home just to be de-programmed. I think mentally it is just not a healthy place to live. Now if there were actually 55 year olds living in them it might be OK but NO ONE is 55.....It seems like everyone is 70 years old and up. I actually believe they make people older and not younger mentally. All they talk about among themselves is their prescriptions and ailments. They are also very rigid, one time we arrived at my parents house and before we even finished saying hello my parents neighbors were at the front door wanting to know how long "that kid" was going to be staying there!!!! My mother said, "that kid" is my granddaughter and she will be her for 3 days. The neighbor then went on to remind my mother what hours of the day children were allowed in the pool!!! Who really needs that stuff?

As Hillary says, it takes a village. I can't stand Hillary but when it comes to our elderly I have to agree. What good is having a "village" if the elders aren't around to pass on their wisdom to the youngin's?

 

[DawnCt1]

Referring to our older community as Q tips... well, I guess because they are so such a major part of my life, I find quite disrespectful. The people I worked with were brilliant, fun LIVELY people with wisdom I felt so full of everytime I listened to them.

.

Since most of us aspire to be Q-Tips, there is nothing disrespectful about it. I know Q-Tips who refer to themselves as "Q-Tips".

 

[DawnCt1]

Personally, I think 55+ communities are bad not for the community but for the elderly citizens living in them, and I do mean active 55+ communities, not assisted living ones.

My parents spend half the year living in one in Florida and thankfully they come back North for the summer. I tell my mom her and my father need to come home just to be de-programmed. I think mentally it is just not a healthy place to live. Now if there were actually 55 year olds living in them it might be OK but NO ONE is 55.....It seems like everyone is 70 years old and up. I actually believe they make people older and not younger mentally. All they talk about among themselves is their prescriptions and ailments. They are also very rigid, one time we arrived at my parents house and before we even finished saying hello my parents neighbors were at the front door wanting to know how long "that kid" was going to be staying there!!!! My mother said, "that kid" is my granddaughter and she will be her for 3 days. The neighbor then went on to remind my mother what hours of the day children were allowed in the pool!!! Who really needs that stuff?

As Hillary says, it takes a village. I can't stand Hillary but when it comes to our elderly I have to agree. What good is having a "village" if the elders aren't around to pass on their wisdom to the youngin's?

You are so right!
After my mother retired I saw some signs that she was becoming more rigid. All it took was a reminder that "lack of flexibility is a sign of aging". That's all it took. I have a good friend who is 84. She has never retired. She works 4 days a week/40 hours, as a paralegal. She is no different than women who are 40 years younger. My MIL on the other hand is as rigid and inflexible as you can get. I think what separates "Jo" for many of the other people her age is living in a multi age neighborhood, working with a multiage population, working in her yard, active in her church group, etc. The elderly do better when they are intergrated into a population instead of segregated in communities that restrict a wide variety of people. Of course, it is all by choice and people can and should be able to chose what they want. I just don't see it as a panacea.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

There is something about being in a neighborhood, watching young children ride their bikes, play street hockey, skateboard, etc that ads character and fun to a neighborhood.

Heh, not to me. That sounds like a migraine headache neighborhood to me. But to each his own.

 

[ducklite]

The one across the street from my development is most definitely a mix of very active barely AARP members and truly geriatric folks. I see a lot of not yet retireds leaving for work every morning. In fact one of our most defintely not a Q-Tip or retired Dis'ers bought a place in there about six months ago.

They have a great activities and social programs, and for those of you who know TC from Fingers N Toes, she's got a ton of nail clients there, and not all are retired.

I'm looking forward to moving there down the road, in fact the proximaty to where we live know was a factor in our current choice of neighborhoods, When we do decide to downsize, we'll still be in the same area, shop at the same market, eat at the same Chinese place, etc. It just seemed nice to be able to say, this two square mile area is "home" for at least the next 35 years.

Anne

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, I think rigidity is less a sign of aging than it is a personality trait. Rigid older people were rigid younger people.

I think everyone should have the opportunity t decide where they want to live. Quite frankly, right now I live in a regular neighborhood, sinlge people, childfree married couples, married parents, single parents. All the kids are nice, all the adults are nice, so I enjoy it.

My DSIL lives across the street from a family with kids and the kids are a nightmare. Started out as a troublemaking middle-schooler, went on to "alternative" high school, broke into neighborhood house & cars, has been in jail now that he is an adult.

I'll take a 55+ community to that as a neighbor any day!!!!!

 

[Feralpeg]

"The Villages" located somewhere in Florida I think, often advertises in Ct. DS 24 was watching the ad and said, "if I woke up there, I would kill myself". DH agreed with him. There is something about being in a neighborhood, watching young children ride their bikes, play street hockey, skateboard, etc that ads character and fun to a neighborhood. Looking out the window and seeing a "sea of Q-Tips", because ultimately that is what one would see, would definitely be depressing. I still get a huge laugh over the new "adult community" being build in our town. It is next door to the funeral parlor, and within a half mile of the nursing home. They named it Howard's End!

The Villages is a really nice place. There is a ton of things to do there. The houses are beautiful. I looked into it before moving to Florida. I wasn't old enough and DD wasn't old enough. You must be 55 to live there and your children must be over 18.

I have a friend whose mother lives there. They visit about once a year. They can stay with her mom for a week, but they can only use one of the pools. They love visiting there.

Someday, when I feel less mobile, I may consider moving to The Villages.

 

[dvcgirl]

You are so right!
After my mother retired I saw some signs that she was becoming more rigid. All it took was a reminder that "lack of flexibility is a sign of aging". That's all it took. I have a good friend who is 84. She has never retired. She works 4 days a week/40 hours, as a paralegal. She is no different than women who are 40 years younger. My MIL on the other hand is as rigid and inflexible as you can get. I think what separates "Jo" for many of the other people her age is living in a multi age neighborhood, working with a multiage population, working in her yard, active in her church group, etc. The elderly do better when they are intergrated into a population instead of segregated in communities that restrict a wide variety of people. Of course, it is all by choice and people can and should be able to chose what they want. I just don't see it as a panacea.

Nah, I think it's really more a difference between people and not those who keep working/active in a "regular" neighborhood vs those in a "retirement" neighborhood. My in-laws are in their early 70s, have been retired and living in an adult community for about 7 years now. Like many, they were tentative in making this decision. They weren't sure if they'd like it. They *love* it. They have a large circle of friends, all of whom are active. They are in a million different clubs, teams and activities. One interesting point is that my in-laws made younger friends there....all of their "gang" (as we call them) are 8-10 years younger than they are. Maybe that has something to do with them staying "younger", but they love the community they live in. And I don't blame them....it's quite nice!

 

[C.Ann]

"The Villages" located somewhere in Florida I think, often advertises in Ct. DS 24 was watching the ad and said, "if I woke up there, I would kill myself". DH agreed with him. There is something about being in a neighborhood, watching young children ride their bikes, play street hockey, skateboard, etc that ads character and fun to a neighborhood. Looking out the window and seeing a "sea of Q-Tips", because ultimately that is what one would see, would definately be depressing. I still get a huge laugh over the new "adult community" being build in our town. It is next door to the funeral parlor, and within a half mile of the nursing home. They named it Howard's End!

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I've been to the Villages numerous times and now have a friend who is living there.. Believe me - there is so much activity going on there it would probably make your 24 yr. old DS look like a "shut-in"..

If those residents are "retired", I can't even imagine how much more activity they were involved in before they moved there! Really an awesome place to live..

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

We have a number of those in our town. I do think they serve a good purpose for some people, but also wonder what will happen to them as more people are putting less money away for retirement and retiring at a later age, etc... Also for here I would say the members of these communities are quite active. The biggest 55+ development locally was recently on the news for needed increased police patrols, seems a large number of the old folks had taken to getting it on in public. Latest couple was caught on a park bench in daylight! You probably wouldn't want your kid visiting Grandma there!!

 

[castleview]

We have a number of these going up in my CT town also. But they're not THAT cheap. Around here, they're starting at $350,000. People say it's great for tax revenue and no burden on the school system. But all our referendums go to budget and they getting voted down more since these developments arose.

 

[Micca]

I'm 51 and I don't think they'd allow me in when I turn 55 because I'll still be cranking the AC/DC. Interesting dilemma, isn't it?

 

[DawnCt1]

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I've been to the Villages numerous times and now have a friend who is living there.. Believe me - there is so much activity going on there it would probably make your 24 yr. old DS look like a "shut-in"..

If those residents are "retired", I can't even imagine how much more activity they were involved in before they moved there! Really an awesome place to live..

I don't think he was commenting so much on "The Villages", because it does look nice but more so on the age restriction. Don't forget; when you're 20 something, anyone over 35 is a geezer.

 

[DawnCt1]

We have a number of these going up in my CT town also. But they're not THAT cheap. Around here, they're starting at $350,000. People say it's great for tax revenue and no burden on the school system. But all our referendums go to budget and they getting voted down more since these developments arose.

You are correct, they are NOT that cheap. We live in northern Ct and all of the units around us start at $350K. If I am going to consider retirement, it will be a tax friendly state; Florida and Texas come to mind.