I really need your opinion please.

[Saxton]

I think it's a great idea. I've read about similar facilities in other parts of the country (none here ... obviously everyone moves out of this area when they retire to someplace warm!) and I would think south Florida would be a good location. You've obviously got the knowledge, experience and most importantly the passion. And I have a hunch this ties in to a thread we had a few weeks ago about bucket lists. I can't wait to hear all the details when you make it happen.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Hmm. Maybe when DS goes off to college I won't move to Orlando and start a service to watch people's demon spawn in their hotel rooms. Perhaps my talents could be put to use in some form or fashion in the ALF?

I know there are already in-room sitters. I was planning to compete with them. But I might like the ALF better. From one end of the spectrum to the other, you know?

 

[C&G'sMama]

Maybe when DS goes off to college I won't move to Orlando and start a service to watch people's demon spawn in their hotel rooms.

 

[PHILCT]

I have been reading about a few Assisted Living / Retirement Communities for Gay and Lesbian people over the last few years.

There are not a lot of them, and very few planned for low to moderate income gays and lesbians.

It is very sad to see Gay and Lesbian Elderly who go into the typical Assisted Living and Nursing Homes and they ultimately often go back into the closet for fear of abuse or neglect.

In Connecticut the private cost of Assisted Living Homes is approaching 5500 per month, and these are okay facilities. If one is on a Medicaid program it still costs the government about 2700 a month in this state.
This is a fact, I have dealt with two elderly family members who recently both passed away.

Luxury Retirement communities that guarantee switching to Assisted Living (if it becomes necessary) are incredibly expensive.

Nursing Homes are almost double these prices for assisted living homes.
Again in CT, the private pay is around 10K a month or more. This is why the Elderly have to deal with thinking about whether or not LONG TERM INSURANCE is worth it for them and their circumstances. I often wonder if Gay and Lesbian people feel a stronger need for this insurance or not?
And Long Term Insurance is not cheap and rises every year to maintain the increasing prices of nursing care that are way beyond normal inflation.

I don't think you can count on the public sector to be funding Gay/Lesbian Friendly facilities in most of the USA. Most of any future Gay Friendly Assisted Living facilities will have to be private for the most part, and I don't see the cost structure going down, except that some Elderly care costs are cheaper in the Sun Belt.

I think most Gay Baby Boomers would have to be prepared to spend quite a bit of money on the few Gay Friendly Facilities that are in the current plans. Most of the plans I have seen for these Gay Friendly Facilities are for those with a lot of savings and higher incomes.

Even Straight Elderly have to pay a fortune to get into a nice private Assisted Living/Retirement community.

Also the Gay Friendly Facilities I have seen planned are more oriented to Assisted Living/Retirement and not full scale Nursing Homes.

It would be nice to know that there might be more gay friendly Nurses and Doctors getting into the ELDERLY CARE field in the future.
The Gay Baby Boomers sure would appreciate that !

 

[OrlandoMike]

In Connecticut the private cost of Assisted Living Homes is approaching 5500 per month

Reminds me of that old story that went around the Internet a few years ago...

When the need comes, its cheaper to spend your last years on a cruise ship than an Assisted Living center!

 

[NHdisneylover]

I think it is a very good idea. I am sure it would take tons of work to really get everything figured out and implemented, but it could very well be worth all the effort.

When the need comes, its cheaper to spend your last years on a cruise ship than an Assisted Living center!

I used to know a lady who did that. She lived her almost all of her last four years on board Princess. She was very happy. It is sad though that we have not figured out how to come up with a more affordable land based assisted living situation for most people.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

In FL, there are Medicaid based programs that can be put in place in an ALF. The purpose of those programs is to prevent nursing home placement.

An ALF is NOT a nursing home. They are not inexpensive places to live, regardless of your income. If you have "high income" then you would be paying proportionately the same amount as if you were "low income."

It really does come down to a matter of managment of financial factors (for the ALF).

Public funding does not exist in any other form for ALFs in FL. Faith based funding does exist, of course, but I am NOT talking about that.

If you keep the ALF under a certain size (there are breaks in the numbers) you will then avoid some of the more costly aspects of operating a business...

Anyway... didn't mean to get into all that sort of stuff, just really want to feel out the topic with "like minded" individuals.

Current research shows that baby boomers don't intend to use ALFs or NH. Of course, the good intentions don't always pan out. That research is based on heterosexual needs though, not on the needs of our community. Those needs differ for many obvious and not so obvious reasons.

Finding a small exisiting ALF that I can get financed is the key right now. So! I guess I start there, eh?

Keep the comments coming though! I'm really interested in everyone's point of view as you all add a little different twist...

 

[C&G'sMama]

Anyway... didn't mean to get into all that sort of stuff, just really want to feel out the topic with "like minded" individuals.

Keep all that stuff comin'. It's very interesting and a great documentation of the beginnings through to implementation.

 

[Peepster]

Although it's not Assisted Living or a Nursing Home we are familiar with The Palms of Manasota in Palmetto, Fl, near Bradenton where my family lived for many years. The Palms is a gay/lesbian retirement community that has received some favorable publicity...now if they would just add some assisted living.

Believe me, being older than all of you, this is something we've thought of often and are praying that because we're not wealthy we don't a.) get separated or b.) end up somewhere at the mercy of bigots...as some of you have thought about too.

We've just come out of the closet, thank you very much for your support, and are enjoying the fresh air out here. Ain't going back in for nobody!

Let's keep searching. And if it's not out there maybe we can make our voices loud enough to get heard and get something started?

 

[PghLybrt]

I really do see a need for this. I joke (although it is not really funny) that when we are older we will be housing some of our friends. I do not see a way that they would be able to afford facilities or would want to ( the traditional ones). As it stands right now we have no rights when it comes to homes. We could live 60 years as a commited couple and the facility could split us up becasue in the eyes of the federal government we are not legally married. That is one of the marriage benefits that most worries me. That is one reason we started to design our house to build. We already know going into it we want one floor, wide door ways and most importantly an apartment for a live in nurse. Sad that we have to think about these things at (and I usually never admit this) 34. Sadder yet is that most of us do not even think about it until it is to late. I did see Olivia try and do one (or maybe they did) some where in AZ. I would love to see on in the Northeast, as we have 0 interest in the south.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'd think this would be a good thing (I'm not gay, but certainly gay friendly). My dad was in an assisted living facility and it pretty much reflected the general perspectives that you'd expect from "that generation".

Its really the reaction of the other residents that you need to consider, not the staff whom I'm sure would be professional about it. So, having residents that expect/accept gay/lesbian/trans folks would be the important factor. As I suggest to my friends who are facing the decision on selecting an assisted living facility - its important for you to feel comfortable there. Physical plant is not a significant factor, the staff and the other residents are important.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

You have touched on one of the most critical factors in ALF life. Matching up personalities is the key. Admitting someone to "fill a bed" is NOT going to facilitate a harmonious whole; particularly where smaller ALFs are concerned.

Also, staff is a huge factor. The wages are very low for personal care staff and as a result you cannot assume they are true professionals. There are some pretty scary people out there who work in ALFs (and NHs) and having a stringent hiring policy is another factor.

Fortunately, here in FL the law has changed and now (starting in August) ALL employees who come in direct contact with residents must have a class II background screening (instead of just a class I). That will help a bit, but the culture and beliefs of the staff member is critical information.

I've actually had a staff member say (in the context of a mentally ill group of adults living in a small ALF) that she knew why they were "crazy." "It's DEMON POSSESSION Miss!" And so help me g-d the woman meant it.

Needless to say, she is not the sort of employee I'd want working with anyone.

So, all of that simply to agree with you! The residents have to be considered when admitting to the ALF, and the staff have to be either extremely culturally sensitive or able to be trained to be.

I've already got a handful of people I would contact who are either gay professionals (nurses and CNAs) or gay non-licensed workers in the industry. (Dining services, etc.).

Just have to find an ALF that I can sell to the bank! It needs to be an existing ALF too. Buying a house and converting it to an ALF is cost prohibitive (for me anyway).

So, shall we discuss potential names? (No 'girl, not the one I mentioned on Facebook! LOL. I was KIDDING).

Seriously, I'd love some suggestions, complete with why you'd name it that.

I have a few in mind, a couple that are obvious (to us) but classic and I'll be hard pressed not to incorporate all or part of the "classic" terms into the final choice.

There is already a Rainbow ALF in the Orlando area, by the way. I actually know the owner! It's not a reference to the gay community however. And nope, I'm not in favor of using Rainbow in the name... at least not at this time.

So! What are your thoughts?

 

[ConcKahuna]

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16696537/1950-N-Clarke-Road-Ocoee-FL/

Found one for you!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Wow. They haven't been called ACLFs in years!

That's a biiiiiiit out of my price range, there ConcK!

It'd be incredible though, wouldn't it?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I'm still not good at names.
But I rock at passing background checks, fingerprints, drug tests, driving record checks, etc.
Let me know what sort of positions your facility will have. Then I can look into what additional education I might need while I wait for DS to get through high school. I have always wanted to do something related to medicine or social work, but I don't have a degree.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Right now Florida doesn't require a lot of credentials for many of the employment positions that can be available in an ALF. Depending upon the size of course, but the personal care workers don't need to be certified, and a nurse is not required for a standard license. It's a good idea to have one on contract though.

Dietary/kitchen is a matter of how big the facility is... special training is required, but it's on things like universal precautions and sanitary hygiene practices, ect... short courses with certificates.

The administrator has to be certified, but all the rest of the required training is driven more by who does the training. For example, anyone can be a medication assistance provider (MAP) without having to be a nurse. It's a matter of taking and passing a four hour course and then having two hour updates annually. The course must be taught by an RN or a pharmacist, though.

Things like that.

 

[rpmdfw]

Hmmm. Names, huh?



Pity that "Barbary Lane" is already taken. I really like that one.

Off the top of my head here are a couple

Stonewall House
Yellow Brick Road
Harry Hay House
Maupin Manor (probably not, seeing how Armistead Maupin's cousin Elizabeth Maupin is the local theatre critic, but I liked it, so I'm throwing it out there)
Harvey Milk House

None of those are terribly inspired, I'm afraid. I'll keep thinking . . .

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Right now Florida doesn't require a lot of credentials for many of the employment positions that can be available in an ALF. Depending upon the size of course, but the personal care workers don't need to be certified, and a nurse is not required for a standard license. It's a good idea to have one on contract though.

Dietary/kitchen is a matter of how big the facility is... special training is required, but it's on things like universal precautions and sanitary hygiene practices, ect... short courses with certificates.

The administrator has to be certified, but all the rest of the required training is driven more by who does the training. For example, anyone can be a medication assistance provider (MAP) without having to be a nurse. It's a matter of taking and passing a four hour course and then having two hour updates annually. The course must be taught by an RN or a pharmacist, though.

Things like that.

That's interesting and scary all rolled into one, isn't it?

I was working on my Associate's with an emphasis on psych and child development. I was leaning towards working for Child Protective Services or doing Client Services with an AIDS agency. Then the county decided they wouldn't hire anyone with less than a Bachelor's for those positions UNLESS you had some special skill (bilingual, or a minority in a group with a high number of clients etc.) that would make you more valuable without the higher degree. At that point I was already making more money as a nanny than I would have as a social worker. So I decided to be a nanny and do volunteer work with the AIDS agencies.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I am kind of digging "Stonewall Manor". But maybe that sounds too serious.

 

[Sphyrna]

If you need an IT guy let me now!