Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 15

answer that people give is, "I'm not ready for
that yet." In our research at AARP, more than
90 percent of people say what they want is
aging in place. Unfortunately, the place that
they live may not actually be the best possible
place for them for all kinds of reasons. There
are solutions to these problems, but people
don't generally want the solutions.
Why not?
Let's take the example of hearing loss. Hearing loss does grow with age, but people don't
want hearing aids. They'll do anything to
avoid them-and they'll do anything to avoid
anything to do with aging. It's a problem that
needs a different kind of solution so that instead of people saying, "I'm not ready for that
yet," they say, "I can't wait for that." Unless
people in the aging enterprise can turn [the
conversation] around, they'll have continual
frustration to get people to get the solutions
that will actually make their lives better.
What are some ways that the senior
living industry can be successful at age
branding to counteract that mentality?
Sometimes they'll spend money on beautiful chandeliers because they know the adult
children will come around and see that and
say it's a great place. That's not necessarily
true. That's a superficial way of doing it.
Location is important, and a lot of senior
living places are built in the middle of nowhere. There's a market for that, but I think
recent demographics tell us that a lot more
folks want to move back into cities because
they know they can walk to the grocery and
go to a museum or concerts. University-linked
retirement communities are another good
idea. Putting your retirement community in
the middle of Ann Arbor, Mich., or Berkeley,
Calif., or Madison, Wis., doesn't cost any
more money than building it someplace else,
but you take advantage of the amenities of the
university town. You've got to figure out ways
to make your facility more connected to the
community so that people overcome these
stereotypes and prejudices.-Anne DiNardo

Community tours
Conference tours are available to EFA Expo attendees on Saturday,
April 9, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., showcasing some of latest senior living
design solutions in the Austin area. Each tour is limited to the first 50
registrants.
Buckner Villas
This 25-acre retirement community offers a mix of apartments and villas that
span the continuum of care. Attendees
will visit various areas of the site and
hear how recent developments have
been received by residents, as well as
get a sneak peek of construction on 69
independent living apartments, a new
conference center, and the freestanding
rehabilitation center.

Westminster Austin
Founded by a small church in 1967, this community
was the first of its kind in Texas to combine the
privacy of individual residences with the services of
a 24-hour, on-site health center. Today, Westminster is a CCRC offering independent living, assisted
living, memory care, and skilled nursing. Tour
attendees will view the results of recent construction that resulted in Westminster receiving the 2014
Gold Medal for the National Association of Home
Builder's Best 50+ Repositioned Community.

The Legacy at Crystal Falls
This luxury senior
living community in
Leander, Texas,
provides concierge
assisted living and
memory care services.
Resident amenities
include private rooms,
weekly housekeeping, and a range of health and wellness services. The community also houses a movie
theater, barbershop and beauty salon, anytime dining, game room, and putting green.
To register for a conference tour, visit EnvironmentsforAging.com.

For more information on the EFA Expo and
to register, visit EnvironmentsforAging.com
Spring 2016 * EFAmagazine.com

http://www.EnvironmentsforAging.com http://www.EnvironmentsforAging.com http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Spring 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Environments for Aging - Spring 2015