The demographics of many multifamily buildings are shifting. The original residents who bought in decades ago are now aging in place, leading to a rise in the number of elderly residents and those with mental health challenges. This presents unique challenges for boards and property managers who have a fiduciary obligation to all owners/shareholders and […]
More retired Floridians are returning to the workforce
Tampa Bay Times reporter Lauren Peace, who wrote about this issue, said some challenges facing Florida are an influx of newer residents and natural disasters. These have caused housing prices, insurance rates and home maintenance costs to rise. “And then the last piece of it is, following the Surfside collapse, legislators passed a bill to […]
Wellness Amenities and Their Impact on Resident Satisfaction (FL)
Wellness amenities can not only improve the health and happiness of your community members but can also drastically improve the property values and attraction to your neighborhood. As the leading HOA management company, Wise Property Management can provide the highest quality homeowners association management Read the article…………………………….
Pros and Cons of Active Adult Communities
The terms “55-plus community,” “active adult community,” “lifestyle communities” and “planned communities” refer to a setting that caters to the needs and preferences of adults over the age of 55. These communities are designed for seniors who are able to care for themselves but may be looking to downsize to a community with others their […]
Developing HOA Policies to Protect Older Adults
It’s natural for community association board members and managers to be concerned for residents who start displaying signs of failing health, confusion, hoarding, and other erratic behaviors. Read the article………………………
Saving Lives in Your Community Association: Defibrillators (AEDs), Bleeding Control Kits (BCKs), and CERTs
Does your community association have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) or a Bleeding Control Kit (BCK) on hand in the worst-case scenario and do you have trained people on hand to use these devices? Do you have a gym, pickleball/tennis courts, and other recreational amenities where a cardiac event may be more likely? Listen to […]
Real Estate Matters: Communication could be the key to preventing unintentional damage caused by aging residents in high-rise
Q: We live in an upscale condo high-rise building. We have a sizable group of aging residents who cause damage to surrounding units and common areas. Sometimes they forget to turn off the water to their bathtubs or sinks. Other times, they don’t notice leaking ice maker lines or other water issues. Many are in […]
Aging in Place: 5 Considerations for Community Associations
“Aging in place” refers to the ability of a homeowner to remain living in their own house and community independently as they age rather than moving to a retirement or assisted-living facility. Motivations include comfort, autonomy, safety, and proximity to social connections. The trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Read the article………………………..
How Water Activities Boost Wellness in Active Adult Communities
Pools are a wellness catalyst in many community associations. Many people find aquatic exercise a favorable and beneficial way of living a healthy lifestyle. Water activities have a greater advantage, with notable results for active adults with health challenges. Read the article………………………..
An Association’s Response to Those Persons Who May Need Some Additional Care in Living (FL)
Some older individuals choose to live out their final years in their personal residences, alone, rather than in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. Additionally, there are times that other residents may experience mental or physical health issues which make them unable to adequately care for themselves. Associations are often at a loss with how to […]
Supporting Aging Residents: Empathy, Strategy, & Care
Aging shareholders often contend with two serious problems: declining health and limited finances. As people age, it’s of course more common for them to live with health challenges related to genetic propensity, lifestyle choices, and the aging process itself; Read the article………………………..
Board service presents challenges in community for older persons (FL)
Q: This is the second senior condominium I have owned and in which I have resided during the past 16 years. I have faced the same impending issue in both, that being extreme difficulty finding enough qualified people both willing and able to run the community. Read the Q&A……………………………….
‘Matter of life and death:’ How will senior navigate four-story Warminster condo complex with no elevator? (PA)
Two years ago, Pat Boyle sold her home and downsized into a condo at Centennial Station, a 55-plus community in Warminster, in part because it promised to be easier for her to get around. Read the entire article……………………………….
The compassionate condo community
The graying of America continues. The number of Americans who are over 65 creeps upward. Today, that number is about 50 million. It is likely to expand to near 100 million by 2060. And our longevity is creating a bit of a problem. When social security was enacted the average life expectancy was 65. Now, […]
5 ways to help aging residents living in an HOA
Most of us imagine retirement as a peaceful, care-free time. But it’s not always possible to “age with grace.” When we enter the later stages of our lives, it can become more challenging to care for ourselves. Mobility may become more problematic, or we may have a harder time remembering things. However, HOAs can make […]
How to Help Aging HOA Residents
As a community’s population ages, the HOA board faces new challenges, and it can become more difficult to balance the needs of elderly homeowners within day-to-day operations. Simple adjustments and preparations can ensure that older residents feel valued and cared for. Read the article………………………………..
An Association’s Response to those Persons Who May Need Some Additional Care in Living (FL)
Some older individuals choose to live out their final years in their personal residences alone, rather than in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. Additionally, there are times that other individuals may experience certain mental health issues that make them unable to adequately care for themselves. Associations are often at a loss with how to assist […]
An Association’s Response to Owners Requiring Additional Care (FL)
Some older individuals choose to live out their final years in their personal residences, alone, rather than in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. Additionally, there are times that other individuals may experience certain mental health issues that make them unable to adequately care for themselves. Associations are often at a loss with how to assist […]
HOA: Protecting the Most Vulnerable (FL)
Multifamily residential buildings provide both privacy and community. Privacy, because a recluse in New York City can have almost anything delivered to his door and thus never have to leave the sanctuary of his apartment; and community, because a single retiree in an active adult community in Palm Beach can enjoy the company of his […]
What HOAs Need to Know About Mental Health
Should an association make accommodations for people with neurological issues like early onset dementia, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum, whether they tell you or the association observes it? What special accommodations or exceptions are available under the Fair Housing Act? Read the article……………………………..
7 Ways To Help HOA Aging Residents
When an HOA board is made up of younger residents, it can be easy to forget about the senior members of the community. But, every community member matters, including HOA aging residents. As such, it is important to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate more elderly homeowners. Read the article……………………………….
As life moves online, an older generation faces a digital divide (MD)
As life has increasingly moved online during the pandemic, an older generation that grew up in an analog era is facing a digital divide. Often unfamiliar or uncomfortable with apps, gadgets and the internet, many are struggling to keep up with friends and family through digital tools when some of them are craving those connections […]
Senior Communities and HOAs
Baby Boomers account for nearly a quarter of the population in the United States, and the demand for homes within retirement communities is steadily on the rise. Senior living communities are typically marketed to those 55 years or older and appeal to older adults who are looking to live near others in the same stage […]
Bedbugs Turned This Co-op Into a Community (NY)
You had a bedbug problem that led to something else. But first, tell us about the bedbugs. An older gentleman in one of my buildings did not realize he had an infestation. By the time we got into it, it was a bigger deal than it needed to be. We brought in the pest-control company, […]
Helping Seniors Survive The Hazards Of High-Rise Living In Honolulu (HI)
When a fire erupted in his high-rise condominium building, Roy Mogi, 83, evacuated down six flights of stairs and crossed safely to the other side of the street. Then he collapsed, and his head slammed against the pavement. He died of blunt force trauma. Honolulu Fire Capt. Scott Seguirant said it’s not known whether exhaustion […]
Challenge to Aging in Condos
Housing aging relatives in a condo rather than in a more supportive care environment can be a security and safety risk not only to those directly affected but to all residents of a condo building. The cost of retirement or assisted living facilities can deplete family resources if an aging relative resides there for an […]
Court of Appeals Affirms Public Policy in Favor of Adult Care Facilities (MI)
Just about every set of bylaws has them – restrictions on “commercial” activity and the requirement that a home/unit be used only for “residential” purposes. However, litigation regularly erupts over whether certain activities are commercial or residential in nature. With regard to adult foster care facilities and whether they constitute commercial or residential activity in […]
Dealing with elderly neighbor in violation of rules (FL)
For most violations of rules and restrictions contained in a Condominium or Homeowners’ Association governing documents, the enforcement procedure is fairly simple. A call or letter is sent by management telling the rule or regulation violator to knock it off. If the violation continues, then a certified letter is usually sent from the Association’s attorney […]
Lending a Helping Hand
People living in the same building, at times for years or decades, may have little contact with each other. Most of the time contact is limited to a short greeting or conversation while in the elevator or when checking for mail. Brief conversations may occur during building meetings or social events. When a neighbour begins […]
What HOAs Should Really Know About Aging Residents
Every HOA community faces challenges with aging-in-place residents. The “Baby Boomer” generation is, on average, 65 years old and would rather stay in their home than move to a senior care center or in with another family member. For HOA boards and their respective community managers, this creates a new set of circumstances to […]
Don’t Pick The Wrong Fights For An Aging Parent
One of the biggest challenges baby boomers face is managing the lives of their aging parents. It can not only be time consuming and costly, but it can also create a fine line to walk when going to bat for them. On a couple different occasions, I have come across situations where an adult son […]
Aging Condominium updates for an Aging Population
Condominiums are not just for young people, there are many elderly condo residents that bought their units in the 1980’s. Many early construction condo buildings are now facing challenges of providing amenities to owners who are 65 years or older. These buildings often lack accessibility and safety features now common in new buildings. Read […]
Opportunities for Aging On-Site Managed Communities [A Case Study]
As the community association industry ages so do the associations that we manage. While I write this blog, your community association is changing and evolving into something entirely different than it might have been created by the developer to be. Whether you are a manager, board member or resident, we all need to think about […]
The Rising Cost of Aging in Place
NORCs, in financial squeeze, push Albany for more funding. Gary Altman’s parents moved into Hillman Housing in Co-op Village on the Lower East Side in 1955, when they were newlyweds. Altman, one of four siblings, still lives in Co-op Village and is now president of its East River co-op board. Altman’s mother, age 87, is […]
Managing Tough Situations: When Neighbors Are Struggling
Condos and co-ops are called communities for a reason—families and individuals live side by side with one another, sometimes for years or even decades. Although residents may not exchange much more than a “hello” or “nice day” with their neighbors, there is still a human connection. So when a neighbor displays unusual or changed behavior, […]
As the Population Ages, Boards Need to Think of Safety First
As baby boomers slip into middle age – and beyond – many co-op and condo boards are facing a huge challenge. Even if your building is not yet officially a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community – that is, a building where more than 45 percent of the residents are over the age of 60 – it’s […]