Waiting lists for senior housing in Rhode Island continue to grow, leaving seniors few options.
Critics fear seniors landing in nursing homes by default
Half a century ago, many older Americans spent their later years living with their children, who gave them a safe home, family care, and a chance to pamper the grandkids.
Some seniors still do, but it’s the exception now. Families are often spread across the country, and today’s hectic lifestyles, with both spouses working, make it hard to tend to an elderly parent. And people are living much longer: A 60-year-old mom who moves in with her 35-year-old son may just live to celebrate his 60th birthday.
The 2000 U.S. Census found 152,402 Rhode Islanders aged 65 or older, including 20,897 over 85. Many still live in the houses where they raised their families, alone and a bit overwhelmed, but not ready for assisted living or a nursing home.
For many seniors, that’s still what it comes down to. But more and more, Rhode Island’s housing marketplace is providing a wider range of options – from senior-friendly apartment buildings, to independent-living units at assisted-living facilities.
The demand, however, still far exceeds the supply, and when you bring price into the equation, the gap is even greater.
Rhode Island’s median household income as of 2001 was $45,723 per year, but seniors have far less, $36,152 on average for the 65-plus population, and as little as $15,364 per year for women over 75 (men that age average $26,264 a year).
Local communities have dozens of public and subsidized private housing complexes where the elderly pay only 30 percent of their income for rent, but all the buildings combined have just about 17,500 units, with long wait lists.
Such is the shortage, said Larry Grimaldi, chief of information at the state Department of Elderly Affairs, that “moving from community housing to subsidized housing is something most people have to plan for years in advance.”
That leaves the private sector. And while Rhode Island is a far cry from Arizona or Florida, with their wide range of retirement communities, the options are increasing.
A new building at 100 Wayland Avenue, on the East Side, for example, has drawn a mix of tenants – mostly, but not all, retirees – with its comfortable apartments, good location and easy accessibility for older residents.
Finding such senior-friendly complexes isn’t always easy, however, and no one keeps track of what’s available – the Department of Elderly Affairs has a housing listing, but it’s only nursing homes and assisted-living sites.
Nursing homes are for the very sick and frail, though in Rhode Island, experts have long said too many seniors end up there by default. Assisted living, for its part, is expensive, and many seniors fear it will cost them their independence.
“Often what happens is, people don’t come onboard until they really need it,” said Jennifer DeLuca, vice president for corporate communications at Village Retirement Communities, which owns 10 assisted-living facilities in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The average resident’s age, she said, is about 85.
With few options for healthy seniors, however, and stiff competition in assisted living, many of Rhode Island’s dozens of providers now offer “independent living” too.
The biggest such complex is at The Village at Waterman Lake, in Greenville, a 305-bed facility on a 30-acre hilltop with lavish gardens, a nine-hole putting green, walking paths, a greenhouse and an English tea room. DeLuca said younger applicants wanted the benefits of catered meals, housekeeping and the pretty campus while retaining their independence, so a whole building was set aside for them, with 100 units.
All the Village communities offer a mix of independent living, assisted living and Alzheimer’s care. But when residents need nursing-home care, they do have to move. That’s one of the selling points of Emerald Bay Manor, in Cumberland, which has 30 nursing home beds, 75 assisted-living units, and 33 independent-living units.
“People can basically age in one place, which I think is an advantage,” said Richard Fishpaw, the executive director.
But all these facilities are expensive – typically about $2,000 for studio residents (including all the meals and amenities). For people who sell their home and have a pension or other small source of income, DeLuca said, “it’s more affordable than you think – that’s why the industry is booming.” For many, however, it’s too pricey.
Aiming to make assisted living more affordable, the state years ago funded 200 Medicaid waivers to help poor seniors. The wait lists are long, however, and state officials have resisted increasing the number of waivers. “I bet you they could do that five times and still not fill the need, so that’s the dilemma,” Fishpaw said.
