1. AGING IN MULTIGENERATIONAL COHOUSING COMMUNITIES
Cohousing Association of the US
Regional Conference/Boulder, CO/ 4/21/18
Ronnie Rosenbaum, MS Community Facilitation, Family/Elder Mediation, and Collaborative Divorce Facilitation Creating Peaceful Solutions Together

2. Your Cohousing situation? Your goals for this session?
Who is here?
Your Cohousing situation?
Your goals for this session?

3. MY BACKGROUND AND INTEREST IN AGING IN COHOUSING

4. UNIQUE ASPECTS OF MULTIGENERATIONAL COHOUSING
“Children are medicine for elders; elders are maps for children.”
JOYS OF AGING IN A MULTIGENERATIONALCOHOUSING COMMUNITY

5. CHALLENGES OF MULTI- GENERATIONAL LIVING

6. CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS AND NEEDS: THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE

7. THRIVING AT ANY AGE Purpose and meaning
Physical, nutritional, medical/health, mental, emotional, social, recreational and financial well-being
Interdependence

8. WHAT DOES SENIOR FRIENDLY MEAN TO YOU?

9. CONTINUUM OF NEEDS Social connection and support
Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)
Activities of daily living (ADLs)
Full time skilled care

10. Social connection and support
Sharing activities
Sharing joys and sorrows
Being neighborly
Sharing information about issues and resources
Discuss and plan for future needs as we age
That’s what cohousing friends are for!

11. Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) Potential to provide in cohousing
Easier to provide
Harder to provide
Managing transportation
Shopping and meal preparation
Housecleaning and home maintenance
Managing medications
Managing finances
Managing communication

12. Activities of daily living (IADLs)
Walking
Feeding
Dressing and grooming
Toileting
Bathing
Transferring

13. TO ASK FOR EACH SITUATION
WHAT AMOUNT OF CARE AND SKILL LEVELS ARE NEEDED?
WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE IN COHO?
IS THERE FAMILY? DO THEY LIVE NEARBY? ARE THEY SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR RELATIVE STAYING IN THE COMMUNITY?
CAN IADL/ADL HELP BE BROUGHT IN FOR 2-4 HOURS/DAY WITH NEIGHBORS/FAMILY PROVIDING OTHER HELP?
CAN SERVICES BE SHARED?

14. CLARIFY EXPECTATIONS ABOUT COMMUNITY
Community means different things to each of us, with a variety of expectations.
This changes as we enter new life stages, and with turnover in residents.
It’s important to have facilitated discussions: at the formation of the community and to revisit periodically.

15. PHYSICAL/SAFETY CONCERNS: Discuss at formation and revisit
Universal Building Design of the community: especially the Common House
Changes as we age that effect safety: vision, hearing, smell/taste, balance
Perimeter parking may impact people with mobility problems
Costs of physical changes in the community: Who is responsible, those individuals impacted or the entire community?

16. INTERGENERATIONAL CONCERNS
How to support people as they move through different life stages:
How do we change the use of our common space to meet those changing needs and the needs of a changing demographic? (eg: guest rooms housing caregivers who provide collaborative care.)
Engagement of all community residents
Different tolerances around noise and activity levels

17. CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT CARE
Boundaries
Personal/individual or community responsibilities
Between community members and families of elders
Between what an individual in the community wants and what is in their best interest/feasible
Short or long term

18. DENIAL AND AVOIDANCE ABOUT AGING

19. OUR PATH AT HARMONY VILLAGE
FOREVER YOUNG, EVEN AT 90 YEARS OLD!

20. THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!
Ronnie Rosenbaum, MS
Creating Peaceful Solutions Together