Thank you so much for all your information!!! It was very helpful!!! I
will definitely read your article.
I would really prefer a senior community where there are a lot of activities
& lots of ways to meet people. I am by myself & I won't know anyone in Las
Vegas so I definitely want to meet a lot of new people. I also want it close
enough to the casinos because I love them!!!
Thanks again!!!
In a message dated 1/25/2006 10:38:13 PM Central Standard Time,
misscraps@aol.com writes:
don't know about Carefree - but I think there is one near me at the
intersection of Jones and Flamingo. If so it is a very good location,
since it is
within walking distance of 2 buses, a Senior Citizen Center (free), a
library, post office, and grocery. Someone is also building about 5 new
houses on
Saddle close to the post office, which might be a good retirement house if
you
wanted to buy. This area is very nice.
Many people buy houses in Sun City, but be aware that if you do pick such a
community you have to pay added monthly fees for all the services. Sun
City
does allow you to use golf carts within the grounds, so you can avoid a car
if you lose the ability to drive, and golf cart yourself over to the grocery
or
recreation center. You can also get daily buses from there to casinos.
Sun City is in Summerlin, so it is some distance from most casinos.
As a Senior, think about your transportation needs when determining where
to
live. Many people 60+ start having eye problems, including cataracts,
which
may make driving at night harder or impossible. Will you want to live
where
you will have to drive on your own? Will you need a bus system (many
senior
developments or apartments have free bus service of some sort, though Sun
City does not)? Will you need public buses?
A friend of mine bought in Sun City, but found that she doesn't really like
to drive 20 or more minutes around to casinos or other parts of Las Vegas.
If you don't like to drive much, you may want to locate near an interstate
or
more centrally located.
We wanted to buy a house, and found our excellent location which allows us
to use public transit and walk to most features. We also do not have a
Home
Association or other added on monthly fees. We can even walk to the Senior
Citizen Center for free services. This saves us a lot of money.
Anyone over age 62 gets public transit for half price. A monthly pass only
costs $20 for unlimited buses. Paratransit services are also available in
Las Vegas. Buses can accomodate 1-2 wheelchairs or motorized carts and
have
bicycle racks. Bus service is good on East West routes, but slow (1-2
times an
hour) on most North South routes.
Many houses for rent are available in Vegas, so if you want a house but
don't want to buy, check this out.
For rentals - obtain the "For Rent" booklet in most 7-11s or small
convenience stores. It lists Over 55 apartments, as well as others. Many
Over 55
complexes have free bus service and sometimes recreation features. The
book also
shows if you can keep a pet or not.
For Seniors who worry about continuing care, rather than independent
living,
you will have to do more research to find which Senior communities have
good
facilities and whether you can transition from Independent Living to
Assisted Living without having to move as health fails. My mother lived in
a nice
Independent Living place in Florida. But she had many complaints -- the
food,
though good, never quite met her standards, since, well, it was somewhat
standardized food -- for example, they had bananas, apples, and oranges,
but
never fruit salad and she wanted fruit salad. Also turnover is high in
these
places, so quality of services varied as, for example, nurses or
entertainment
executives came or went. Being in a Senior Facility of this sort can be a
different sort of experience for different people. Some people had their
own
cars, even still had jobs, others used the free bus service, but my Mother
couldn't drive and didn't like to go by the bus, so ended up hiring someone
to
take her to doctor appointments. Some people enjoyed the free movies,
entertainment, gym classes (special exercise classes for Seniors), and so
on. My
Mom preferred to stay in her apartment and watch TV and pet her cats (they
allowed pets in this facility - which is always something to consider if
you have
pets). So she didn't get as much out of the place as others did.
Generally speaking - Active Seniors may want to find different types of
places from fairly Inactive Seniors. The people at my Mom's Independent
Living
were generally over 80 - white haired, and not very active. A younger
person
of say 65 might not find such a group very good to be with for meals and
activities. So if you are looking at a facility, notice who the other
people
are! Talk to them and ask them what complaints they have (there will
always be
complaints!) and what they like about the place.
If you are still active, you might prefer an Active Over 55 type of place,
whether it be Sun City, an apartment complex for 55+, or renting or buying
and
living on your own.
If you have more health problems, then you'll want more of an Indpendent
Living place, which might have a nurse available, possibly can do some
Assisted
Living tasks, etc.
Nowadays, 55-75, seems more like "middle-age." Certainly my 65-year-old
husband is hardly over the hill. You'll find him climbing stairs wherever
he
can - even going up 20 flights in a hotel! He is quite active, with few
health
problems, though some are starting. For someone like him, even an
Independent Living type place is still for "old people."
Good luck on your quest. Be sure to ask every question you can -- write
them down so you don't forget to ask them - and hopefully you'll find a
good
match for your needs.
Best, MissCraps
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