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click> Retirement for parents
We have been looking into senior housing and the different types available. The Rossmoor housing in Walnut Creek sounds like it gears towards various age groups and levels of care, one buys their own housing/condo and it has it's own facilities such as buses within the housing complex, lots of activities, etc. Does anyone have any experience/opinions (good or bad) about Rossmoor? This facility seems different than the usual. Hana
click> my mother
My mother lives in Rossmoor and loves it. She is an active 64 year old (she still works in the financial district every day!) and bought a co-op several years ago.
She completely gutted it and remodeled to suit her needs and taste. While she does not take advantage of many of the activities, many of her friends do. We have played golf there several times and it's great. She takes my son swimming and he has a great time. She travels quite a lot so the fact that she can literally lock her door and leave for weeks at a time is great for her. It would not be a good place if you require assistance with your day to day care and or activities. It is definitely geared toward self-sufficient seniors, there are no meals provided. Hope this helps. Kristi
She completely gutted it and remodeled to suit her needs and taste. While she does not take advantage of many of the activities, many of her friends do. We have played golf there several times and it's great. She takes my son swimming and he has a great time. She travels quite a lot so the fact that she can literally lock her door and leave for weeks at a time is great for her. It would not be a good place if you require assistance with your day to day care and or activities. It is definitely geared toward self-sufficient seniors, there are no meals provided. Hope this helps. Kristiclick> My in-laws live at the Rossmoor Waterford
...the Waterford which is a four story condo complex. I've taken a few snaps: click this link.
You own your condo and pay a monthly fee which provides weekly maid service, one meal daily (lunch or dinner in the dinning room), insurance etc. Folks who move to the Waterford are typically looking for more services (dinning room, maid service on site, etc). You must be able bodied to move in and it has no nursing home facilities. You still have access to all of the other amenities in Rossmoor, bus, pools, golf, community centers, etc...My in-laws like the Waterford because it meets their needs- they no longer want to cook every meal, the dinning room provides a daily social outlet, they own there own unit, they use the other facilities as wanted. We go out with my 3 year old and swim, feed the ducks, take walks, eat in the dinning room. My husband and in-laws met with the realtor from Rossmoor and looked at everything - private homes, town houses and the Waterford condos. The Waterford was the best choice for them. Mary
You own your condo and pay a monthly fee which provides weekly maid service, one meal daily (lunch or dinner in the dinning room), insurance etc. Folks who move to the Waterford are typically looking for more services (dinning room, maid service on site, etc). You must be able bodied to move in and it has no nursing home facilities. You still have access to all of the other amenities in Rossmoor, bus, pools, golf, community centers, etc...My in-laws like the Waterford because it meets their needs- they no longer want to cook every meal, the dinning room provides a daily social outlet, they own there own unit, they use the other facilities as wanted. We go out with my 3 year old and swim, feed the ducks, take walks, eat in the dinning room. My husband and in-laws met with the realtor from Rossmoor and looked at everything - private homes, town houses and the Waterford condos. The Waterford was the best choice for them. Maryclick> My grandfather and his wife lived in Rossmoor
My grandfather and his wife lived in Rossmoor and really loved it. There are hiking trails, clubs for all manners of interests, free shuttle buses to the supermarket and BART, and a lot of interesting folks living there. My grandfather swam laps every day in one of their pools, Edda was in the folkdancing and hiking clubs, and they had friends who were retired psychiatrists, psychologists, anaesthesiologists, artists, episcopal priests... Edda continued to commute to work on BART as a paralegal in Oakland for many years, and volunteered to deliver meals for shut-ins. They took BART into San Francisco for their season subscriptions to the symphony and ACT, and to Oakland for the ballet. All the maintenance of their place was taken care of. They were crazy about the place until the days they died. When their friends grew too old or ill to care for themselves, there was assisted living right outside the gates... Walnut Creek has a terrific arts complex. My mother often regrets that she sold their coop; she wishes she could winter there. Christine
click> Chris Thompson, 03.'05, EAST BAY EXPRESS
EAST BAY EXPRESS.
If the canopied glens of Lamorinda shelter its residents from the outside world, the Tice Valley that cradles the Rossmoor retirement community literally locks the world out. Uniformed guards stand watch in security kiosks that straddle the only access road, and unless the computer recognizes the bar code glued to your car window, the gates stay shut. Inside, the nine thousand seniors who call Rossmoor home drive golf balls along the 27 links that line the valley's floor, or drink cafeteria coffee and play bridge inside the Gateway Clubhouse. Thursday is "Fun Day," when residents sing along to "Camptown Races" or Irving Berlin. Some residents drink away their nights in front of the TV; others awake at dawn to watch wild turkeys graze the lawns in front of their million-dollar homes. Dogwalking is huge.
If the canopied glens of Lamorinda shelter its residents from the outside world, the Tice Valley that cradles the Rossmoor retirement community literally locks the world out. Uniformed guards stand watch in security kiosks that straddle the only access road, and unless the computer recognizes the bar code glued to your car window, the gates stay shut. Inside, the nine thousand seniors who call Rossmoor home drive golf balls along the 27 links that line the valley's floor, or drink cafeteria coffee and play bridge inside the Gateway Clubhouse. Thursday is "Fun Day," when residents sing along to "Camptown Races" or Irving Berlin. Some residents drink away their nights in front of the TV; others awake at dawn to watch wild turkeys graze the lawns in front of their million-dollar homes. Dogwalking is huge.
click> Trista Morrison
Copley News Service:
Retiree Jeanne goes to the gym four times a week. After working out for two hours, she does laps in the shallow lap pool. She takes yoga and tai chi classes, attends several concerts each month and frequently shops with her friends.
"I think a lot of retired people want to stay active," says Jeanne. "No one wants to just sit around and wait to die."
She represents a growing number of retirees who are bucking the trends commonly associated with retirement, including the notion that seniors are less active than other age groups. Gone are the retirement community brochures plastered with photos of elderly couples playing shuffleboard. According to a study by the National Association of Home Builders, jogging trails have replaced golf courses as the No. 1 amenity seniors seek when choosing a retirement community. In fact, golf courses were mentioned as a desirable offering by only 29 percent of survey respondents.
Although many self-described "active adults" are already in their 80s, their numbers are expected to mushroom as the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin to reach retirement age. According to the National Association of Counties, a baby boomer turns 50 every seven seconds. Although the average age for retirement in the United States is 60, many boomers are already planning where and how they want to spend their retirement, and early studies indicate that the trend toward a sedentary lifestyle is just one of many they're breaking.
California, of course, has a number of thriving retirement communities, including Rossmoor in Walnut Creek.
Another way in which aging baby boomers differ from past retirees is in how financially prepared they are for retirement. While their parents retired with a safety net of pensions and Social Security to provide income, many aging boomers have been forced to manage their retirement savings on their own. This independence has resulted in both positive and negative outcomes.
"I'm seeing a polarization in how financially prepared people are for their retirement," said accountant David Ward, partner with the San Diego firm Massey and Ward. "On the one hand, I have clients who have taken advantage of 401(k)s, IRAs and other retirement savings plans, and who are very prepared to retire with the resources to enjoy the lifestyle they want to live. On the other hand, many people decided that the extra $20 or $50 each month was more important to them than contributing to a retirement plan and today they are in a pretty bad situation."
Retiree Jeanne goes to the gym four times a week. After working out for two hours, she does laps in the shallow lap pool. She takes yoga and tai chi classes, attends several concerts each month and frequently shops with her friends.
"I think a lot of retired people want to stay active," says Jeanne. "No one wants to just sit around and wait to die."
She represents a growing number of retirees who are bucking the trends commonly associated with retirement, including the notion that seniors are less active than other age groups. Gone are the retirement community brochures plastered with photos of elderly couples playing shuffleboard. According to a study by the National Association of Home Builders, jogging trails have replaced golf courses as the No. 1 amenity seniors seek when choosing a retirement community. In fact, golf courses were mentioned as a desirable offering by only 29 percent of survey respondents.
Although many self-described "active adults" are already in their 80s, their numbers are expected to mushroom as the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin to reach retirement age. According to the National Association of Counties, a baby boomer turns 50 every seven seconds. Although the average age for retirement in the United States is 60, many boomers are already planning where and how they want to spend their retirement, and early studies indicate that the trend toward a sedentary lifestyle is just one of many they're breaking.
California, of course, has a number of thriving retirement communities, including Rossmoor in Walnut Creek.
Another way in which aging baby boomers differ from past retirees is in how financially prepared they are for retirement. While their parents retired with a safety net of pensions and Social Security to provide income, many aging boomers have been forced to manage their retirement savings on their own. This independence has resulted in both positive and negative outcomes.
"I'm seeing a polarization in how financially prepared people are for their retirement," said accountant David Ward, partner with the San Diego firm Massey and Ward. "On the one hand, I have clients who have taken advantage of 401(k)s, IRAs and other retirement savings plans, and who are very prepared to retire with the resources to enjoy the lifestyle they want to live. On the other hand, many people decided that the extra $20 or $50 each month was more important to them than contributing to a retirement plan and today they are in a pretty bad situation."
click> KATIE HAFNER, NY Times
For Some Internet Users, It's Better Late Than Never
By KATIE HAFNER
WHEN Helen Karjala decided to set up her own computer last year, she was fearless. She patiently plodded her way through the process of setting up the machine and connecting to the Internet, an ordeal that can bring unwholesome utterances to the lips of people half her age.
''I started investigating the wires and the prongs and I thought, 'I can do this,''' recalled Mrs. Karjala, who is 88. ''Of course, I needed a magnifying glass.''
Mrs. Karjala, who lives in Rossmoor, a retirement community in the San Francisco Bay area, now spends at least an hour each day at the computer. She exchanges e-mail messages with two dozen relatives in Finland, keeps her language skills polished by reading a Finnish newspaper online, and collects chicken and eggplant recipes.
Once largely written off as a lost cause, older Americans are now coming into their own as Internet users. They are researching their family histories, sending e-mail, running virtual book clubs, reading about religion and travel, and pursuing other interests lifelong and new.
According to a new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a research organization in Washington, the ranks of Americans over 65 who use the Internet have jumped by 47 percent since 2000, making them the fastest-growing group to embrace the online world.
Despite the increases, this age group still has a long way to go. Only 22 percent of Americans over 65 go online, the study shows, compared with 75 percent of those ages 30 to 49. But as Americans who are more comfortable with computers gradually reach the age of 65, the percentage going online (or more precisely, staying online) should soar.
''People who are in their 50's now, once they begin on a computer there's no going back,'' said Tobey Dichter...
click> D.Fritzer. Peace of mind for pennies, literally,
Fantastic. Peace of mind for pennies, literally, per day. My in-laws live in Rossmoor. They love the freedom, beauty, and whenever the mood strikes them they take BART to San Francisco. We lucked out by getting very inexpensive umbrella coverage that would cover basic expenses of an aide, or, caregiver, if either one of them ever took a spill, God forbid, or needed a little assistance in their daily tasks. Neither one of them needs this, they run us into the ground with their energy, but, since we live hundreds of miles away, this lifts a huge burden from everyone's shoulder. I've researched this matter with great care; if you are interested then the best source is www.cjbconsulting.net