Blue Jays and Songbirds and Squirrels - Oh My!

Simple changes have made an enormous difference to my 86 year old Dad as he adjusts to living alone with home hospice care.

My Dad always loved being outdoors. I remember him hunting pheasant in the woods behind our house in Michigan and fishing with friends. My sister and I were often called from our rooms for a nature show that we HAD to see on TV. Days off were usually spent working in the yard. When he married my step mother, he found the perfect companion - someone who would go camping with him.

Life is rarely fair and in the past two years they were nearly shut ins. My step mother had reduced mobility and suffered from vertigo, which meant that the house was often darkened by closed blinds. My Dads lungs were filling with fluid and he spent much of the day napping. Their world was reduced to time spent in easy chairs. But they had each other - and they were happy.

In September my step mother passed away. The hospice team warned us to prepare for Dad following closely behind. It has been our mission to make the time he has left the best that it can be. And it is surprising how much little things can make a difference.

A charming hand made bird feeder was being used as decoration - hanging inside the porch and never filled. We moved it to a sunny spot and brought in 25 pounds of bird seed to keep it filled. We continued their long standing habit of putting peanuts out for the Blue Jays and squirrels and moved an unused gift - a wrought iron standing feeder - nearby. We moved the neglected birdbath to the same area and added a hummingbird feeder. We planted container herbs which become part of our meals. Voila! We have a mini wildlife habitat. 

Whenever the weather allows, meals are on the porch where Dad can enjoy the wildlife.  We noticed Dad leaning and straining to see the birds from 'his' chair in the den and convinced him to switch to the chair with the best view. Finally, we realized that his chair at the head of the dining room table gave him a view of the kitchen and moved his seat so he could see the birds.

Conversations with Dad are now frequently interrupted when he notices a squirrel or Blue Jay visiting to find peanuts or a flock of birds congregating at the feeder. 

And those meals on the porch? They are accompanied by song birds who seem to share our appreciation of old blues standards. 

Neighborhood Living – Aging in Place in Mar Vista

In 2001 I moved from the 1942 bungalow that I had recently renovated overlooking Lake Hollywood and moved to the flats of Mar Vista. In very short time, I fell in love with the Mar Vista community and found out what neighborhood living is all about. Today, I know that I want to be able to grow old here.

Aging in place is the new hot topic and a conversation that we all need to engage in. Whether we are young and concerned about our aging parents or looking ahead to what our own needs will be, the conversation is equally important. The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies with support from AARP just released this study with some sobering statistics.

·         By 2030 the number of adults aged 65 to 74 will nearly double from 21.7 million in 2010 to 38.6 million

·         The typical homeowner over 65 can only afford in-home assistance for about 9 years – or 6.5 years in an assisted living residence. For renters it is much worse.

·         In 2010, there were more than 7 potential caregivers for every person in the high-risk years of 80-plus. By 2030, the projected ratio will fall to 4 people for every person 80-plus. By 2050, it is expected to further fall to less than 3 to 1.

There are enough concerns that the Milken Institute’s BestCities for Successful Aging Advisory Committee is asking mayors across the nation to sign a pledge that promises to improve life for older adults and residents of all ages. We have a lot to consider – will our homes and our neighborhoods support our desire to age in place? Do we have the community support that we need? Even if our finances allow in-home care, will there be caregivers available to hire? If unable to stay in our own home, are there alternative residential options in our community?

The Mar Vista Community Council has launched the Aging inPlace Ad Hoc Committee and I am thrilled to be a part of it. Let’s start a conversation about what our needs and resources are. Let’s work with the Mar Vista Business Association, our city and county departments and elected officials, and local organizations on our needs for aging in place. And let’s make sure as issues come before MVCC and the City Council that we are paying specific attention to how they support our ability to age in place.

Please join us at  Aging in Place in Mar Vista on Facebook  as we post articles on the topic of aging in place!

5 Steps.....

In July my 86 year old father was hospitalized for what they thought was congestive heart failure and now believe to be lung cancer. Arriving at the hospital to visit him, my 91 year old step mother was in a freak accident and broke her shoulder, 4 ribs and her thumb - as well as being badly bruised. They shared a hospital room for two nights and then returned home to 24/7 caregiver assistance. With that, my education on aging in place began.

Dad returned home to hospice care. He is visited at home by a doctor, a nurse and a social worker. We have oxygen on site and he will receive a wheel chair, a hospital bed and whatever else might be needed. Dad is regaining his strength. He is able to walk their dog Heidi to the front grass and go to the curb to get the mail. Getting Dad to a doctor would be inconvenient, but very doable.

Peggy - older, much more frail and very seriously injured - does not qualify for home care. There is a physical therapist who comes to the house weekly, but we are expected to get her to any number of doctors appointments. Right now, they want us to get her from Santa Clarita to Panorama City for an x-ray of her thumb and for a bone density test. Peggy can barely get to the bathroom with a walker and assistance. The concept of getting her to maneuver out of their home, down 5 steps and into the car is absurd - and far too risky. 

The 24/7 care giver is private pay. On one hand, I'm astonished that $175 a day is enough to hire someone to live in your home and be on call around the clock. But on the other hand, $1,225 is a stretch on a fixed income. Their savings will go quickly. So additional expenses need to be carefully considered.

5 steps mean that a care giver and a daughter cannot safely get Peggy to the doctor. An ADA compliant ramp to cover the steps would cost thousands of dollars. Impractical when she is likely weeks or a few months away from being able to maneuver with assistance. 5 steps mean that we need to use a transport service for these appointments - $260 dollars for the round trip, and with multiple doctors,  there can easily be one a week. 

This week we just said no. She's not ready. The appointments are not worth the stress. They'll have to wait.

We have a large population of aging boomers. As we build new housing, it is time to think about how we should build to support aging in place. 

Aging in Place ....

At 61 years old  with parents ranging from 85 to 92, it's time for me to think about what we need to age in place. What are the conversations that we need to have with our own aging parents and what will we need from our family and our community? I'll use this blog to post about what I learn - articles to refer back to, tips about best practices and resources that might be useful - and share my journey with my community.

A recent study by AARP found that the major findings that enable aging in place include -

Land use policies that can help older adults live closer to or within walking distance of the services that they need.

Transportation that provides increased mobility without reliance on a personal car.

Affordable, accessible housing to meet the demand of an increased consumer demand without turning to institutionalization.

The Mar Vista Community Council is launching an Ad Hoc Committee dedicated to ensuring our ability to age in place in Mar Vista. The initial goals are - 

•  Outreach – keeping the community aware of issues and resources 
•  Collaboration - with the Mar Vista Business Association, our city and county departments and elected officials, and local organizations on needs for ageing in place.
•  Advocacy – viewing issues that come before MVCC and the City Council with specific attention to how they support our ability to age in place.

    Stay tuned!