Usually by the time you’re 60, having a roommate isn’t a high priority, or even on your radar. After all, roommates are for college students or those attending summer camp — not those entering their golden years.
However, as the baby boomers prepare to enter retirement, having a roommate may be necessary to make ends meet or to provide a little companionship. That explains why seniors across the country are trading in the single life and turning to senior home-sharing programs.
Most of the participants are widowed or divorced elderly women looking to fill an empty room. With foreclosures, property taxes and high rents posing problems for the elderly, the extra income of another companion can make all the difference.
So why use these programs instead of advertising for a roomie on Craigslist or in the newspaper? It all comes down to safety and comfort. These agencies conduct background checks and other screenings, while also looking into personality traits and lifestyle preferences.
When a match is made, the new roommates sign an agreement outlining chore duties, telephone use, visitor frequency and other details.
Participants seem to be satisfied, as these programs continue to see a rise in membership. For instance, the number of applicants to the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens has tripled since 2008. And interestingly, senior citizens aren’t the only ones getting involved. Many programs are open to applicants of all ages, such as the New York Foundation which only requires that one of the two roommates be over 60.
Perhaps, though, the most important service that these programs are providing is companionship. For the elderly who no longer have a household full of kids or a spouse, the days can be lonely and having that companion can make a world of difference
Kirby Dunn, executive director of Homeshare Vermont in Burlington, has noticed the positive impact of the roommate programs. “Independence is great but isolation as we age is a growing concern, so companionship can be almost life-altering,” Dunn told the Associated Press. “People are telling us they’re happier, sleeping better, eating better. … If I could sell you a drug that did that, you’d pay a lot of money.”
So while these seniors may not be pulling all-nighters with their roommates or labeling all the food in the refrigerator like in college, senior home-sharing programs are proving that life is always a little sweeter with someone to live with, no matter how old you are.
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Tag: Senior Citizens
When Seniors Have Nowhere Else to Turn, This Nonprofit Protects Them
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 13.7 percent of Americans are now at least 65 years old. And startlingly, as the number of elderly people in America increases, so does elder abuse.
Seniors are most often abused by family members or caregivers who can drain their financial accounts or harm them physically or mentally through neglect or brutality.
Fortunately, a nonprofit in New York City is looking out for seniors suffering from abuse and raising awareness of the issue.
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention operates a long-term care facility, Hebrew Home at Riverdale in New York City, which welcomes victims of abuse alongside its regular residents. Since the Weinberg Center opened in 2005, it’s funded over 53,000 shelter days for needy seniors — admitting about a dozen victims each year.
The Weinberg Center provides victims with medical attention, psychological counseling, social services, and activities, so the seniors — many of whom were isolated by their caregivers — can feel a part of a community again. According to Nicole Lewis of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, about half of the seniors the Weinberg Center provides emergency shelter to choose to stay on at Hebrew House.
Joy Solomon, the co-founder and director of the Weinberg Center told Lewis, “So many victims remain in the shadows, untouched and unknown.”
Which is exactly why they’re educating the public to be on the alert for elder abuse, even conducting workshops for Manhattan doormen instructing them on the telltale signs.
Dennis P. Brady, executive managing director for a company that manages two Upper East Side apartment buildings with many elderly residents arranged for the training, and told Winnie Hu of the New York Times last year, “It’s a good thing to do if we can help one person.”
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