Sharing open spaces such as a reclaimed valley, garden courtyard, joined backyard, mailboxes or Pedestrian Street is one characteristic of pocket neighborhoods. The styles could include contemporary, craftsman cottage, modern, Spanish or contemporary. Small towns, urban, rural and suburbs are prime spots where seniors can seek homes in pocket neighborhoods.

Features of a Pocket Neighborhood

More boomers are opting for pocket neighborhoods for a variety of reasons.

• Share common ground

Seniors who opt to live in pocket neighborhoods have the advantage of sharing gardens, buildings, mailboxes and parking among other amenities. Sharing the space with your neighbors can bring about a sense of togetherness. You can meet and interact with your neighbors easily. Living in pockets allows you to form relationships with neighbors.

• Security

As a senior, you may find it important to live in a shared neighborhood. You may experience a sense of security since you are living with dozen or so neighbors who take part in the care and oversight of the shared outdoor space. There are boundaries in the community and a sense of privacy can also be present.

• Identity

Pocket neighborhoods can give seniors a sense of identity. The style and design of the pockets allow your neighbors to know you well. You can have chats and casual conversations which can create an identity with your neighbors. Caring for the common space can also bring a sense of identity and purpose to the boomers.

• Privacy

Even if you share the common space outdoors, the pockets are built with privacy in mind. Fences, plantings, gates, railing and flower boxes are some aspects used to provide privacy between the front door and the commons. Since your home in such a neighborhood can be close to another, it can be designed to ensure that neighbors do not peer into your home. The open side of your home can face the closed side of the neighbor’s home. Privacy and shared space are balanced well without impacting on the experience of seniors living in such neighborhoods.

• Eligibility

Lenders will look at your financial condition, debt-to-income ratio, and credit history as well as loan-to-value ratio. The current value of the property, income, assets and loan size are other elements that lenders can consider to determine your eligibility. Also look at your credit score. Lenders may base your eligibility on the score as well.

• Know the type of loan you want

All the information you have about the loan you want can help you find the loan with the best possible rate. Seniors can disclose their details to their loan officers to help in determining the best loan that suits their requirements.

• Shop for a new loan

When shopping for a new loan, you can find the best financial deal. You should have all the necessary information you need to shop, compare and negotiate for a new loan that can save you money. The internet and newspapers are some shopping resources.

• Be careful with advertisements

Some advertisements may offer low rates to lure you. The advertised rates may not be as reliable as you want them to be. The advertising materials are designed to make the product as attractive as possible.

• Do not go for lenders who solicit customers

Lenders who entice you to refinance your mortgage may rush you into making a hurried decision. When you are ready to refinance, you should make a decision when you have scrutinized all the lenders.

• Be wary of rates and teasers

Lower rates and teasers such as loan adjustments can lure you into refinancing. You should consider all the other factors before taking on a new loan to decide if refinancing is wise financially.

• Refrain from extending your loan unnecessarily

At your age, it may not be good to take on a loan that you will pay for long after your retirement. You can choose a loan with a shorter term to eliminate the housing debt as soon as possible and enjoy your retirement in peace.

At this point in life you are healthy but since no one knows the future you may not know how you will manage yourself if deliberating illness strikes. Continuing care communities can offer you your independence while living among your peers. You can choose to live in a townhouse, condo, apartment, home or even a mobile home.

Considerations when Finding the Perfect Independent Living Community

If you love your independence including that from some tasks such as gardening and cleaning you may want to live in an independent community for the elderly. Security can be another reason as to why you may want to move to a community with an age restriction.

Location

You may consider the region you want to move into. When deciding on location you can consider factors such as weather, sites, attractions, security, medical facilities and close proximity to friends and family.

Your needs and desires

Since each community can suit different retirees you may want to know what you are looking for that will suit your retiring needs. You can decide on the building styles, size, privacy, storage, ease of access, guest rooms, parking and pet friendly among others.

Visit

You can find out about the people who live in the community by visiting. You can talk to staff and a few of the residents to find out if they are friendly and how it is like living there. Your visit may clear some doubts about whether the residents are truly independent or share the same hobbies and interests as you.

Things to do

Since you will have a lot of free time in your hands you can find out if there is a recreational center, a pool or bowing league. You can find out if there are art and cultural activities as well.

Budget

Retirement communities are available at different budgets. Knowing your budget will enable you to choose a home that will not cost you a fortune instead meets your financial status. When setting a budget you can consider fees you may incur such as clubhouse, security, insurance, utilities, taxes, transportation, homeowners fees among other amenities.

• Cover some windows

When you cover some windows you can block the heat. This can apply to windows that allow too much sunlight into your home. You can shade your home from the sun by using heavy drapes, window screens, awnings or patio cover. For future savings you can strategically plant shrubs, trees and vines.

• Fill up the fridge

You can cut down the energy your fridge uses during summer by stocking it up with food. When the fridge is full food may not warm up too fast thus your fridge does not have to work harder to stay cool.

• Turn up your thermostat

Since the heat is already oppressing your summer days you can set the thermostat at high to match the temperature than try to cool it. You can find a comfortable temperature that you can tolerate without needing to cool the air.

• Cook outside more

Cooking outside can be fun during summer. It keeps your house cooler and you do not have to use electricity to cook or stay cool.

• Engage in afternoon outdoor activities

During the afternoon when the heat is intense you can make plans to spend your time outdoors. You can go to the pool, mall, grocery store or the library.

• Close vents in unused rooms

The vents in the rooms that you do not use should be closed to stop using electricity to cool rooms that are hardly used.

• Weather stripping

You can seal off the openings on windows to keep the cool air in the house and heat out.

There are tricks designed to change your energy habits and invest in various items to improve energy efficiency in your home. Some tips may be useful depending on age and past improvements to your home and condition of your appliances. Hardware, discount and home improvement stores are some sources to purchase DIY installation items.

Within a fraction of a second, your home may be turned to ash and everything you’ve worked hard for, come to an end. But if worse comes to worst, you may only suffer emotional and financial damages if you follow a few tips and not lose your lives. The tips may help in avoiding a fire altogether as well. Fireproofing your home both inside and outside can reduce the risk of fire significantly.

Seniors can add the following to their fire safety plan:

• Smoke alarms

Your home should have smoke alarms preferably near your bedroom so you can hear it well and in the kitchen, this is most recommended for seniors with hearing problems. You should make sure the smoke alarms are working well by testing the button on the side, ask your grandchild if you are having a hard time locating it and I bet, he’ll find it in no time, just like mine did! Also, ensure the batteries are always working and you can do so by changing them at least twice a year. Everybody should recognize the sound of the smoke alarms to know what to do next. Just as there are fire drills at work, so should your home. Your household should be aware of what would occur in case of a fire.

• Avoid clutter

Stuff you do not need such as papers, boxes, clothes and toys should be sorted out and what is not necessary should be given away or disposed. Anything that is in excess and needs to be removed should go. A fire can blaze through a messy house faster than if the house had less clutter.

• Fire extinguisher

There should be a fire extinguisher in your home. The fire extinguisher should be placed where it is easily reached in case of a fire. A multipurpose fire extinguisher is best and should always be checked to make sure it is fully charged and operational. You should inspect it at least once a month and ensure that there are no dents, leaks, blockages or has been tampered with.

• Electrical issues

Seniors should replace the electrical fuses properly. As far as the electrical sockets and outlets are concerned, you should never overload them. You can also have an electrician visit your home to check the wiring and ensure it is safe.

In addition to the above, you can use a protective screen for your fireplace, use stoves with automatic fire extinguishers and use infused bamboo instead of scented candles as they are more effective and very safe too.

American activist over the age of 50 have followed suite with an increasing concern for the environment, with the question “what sort of Earth will we leave for the future generations and what will make our own surrounding healthy to live in?” Most of them have been recycling and conserving fossil fuels while living in their own home and are now forming green committees with like-minded neighbors, after moving to retirement homes.

Robert Lane says. “We have to reduce driving. We have to start thinking in terms of carbon, not money.”

Lane states that everyone starts with the light bulbs. Switching from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent is a great achievement. J. Nelson Kling, president of the nonprofit Mennonite Home says, “We have a community of senior residents requesting us to reduce our energy use and our carbon footprint,” He estimates that a single building might have about a thousand sconces illuminating the hallways. He adds that the home saved thousands of dollars in electricity costs after they replaced bulbs.

There are bigger conservation projects of greater impact but have correspondingly bigger price tags. These include; double-pane windows, high-efficiency appliances, low-flow showers, sinks & toilets, native-plant landscaping, rainwater irrigation, and getting off the power grid.

Senior residents of Valle Verde were worried that ways to reduce energy dependency would cost them a lot of money. They got some easy successes early on with things that were inexpensive, and they got some momentum. The following year, the community started installing photovoltaic panels to collect solar power. It also began replacing older boilers with more efficient gas boilers, and utility bills reduced immediately. The community is saving an estimate $100,000.

Nonprofit organizations can afford the latest and greenest technologies through special grants and tax credit when developing new housing for low-income Americans aged 50 and older. One such organization, Berkeley, Calif.-based Satellite Housing, opened the solar-powered Helios Corner, a project that includes 80 rent-subsidized, independent-living apartments for older residents. A hydronic heat system has maintained winter heating bills at $10 to $15 a month per unit, which is significantly lower than the average $60 per unit. The organization is also adding dual-pane windows, solar panels and efficient appliances to the 1970s structures it manages.

* Clear the room and start from scratch. With all those accumulated junk littering your home, it’s quite hard to see the beauty and potential of a room, right? If you would like to test your “eye for beauty”, why not start with the guest room since it is rarely used therefore won’t cause any disturbance or difference if held unusable for days. Take everything that can be moved out – everything, including the bed, if it’s not fixed. With a bare room, you’ll be able to see what needs to be done to make the room brighter.
* Invest in good, classy cabinets to hold your display items. Seniors indeed don’t run out of things to display but leaving them out to collect dust is never a good idea. Your cabinets don’t have to be expensive, just as long as it is sturdy and can stand the test of time.
* Bring in plants. This is ONLY IF you swear to water them and care for them everyday otherwise, just leave them out and alone as a favor. Plants bring life to a house and it brightens up a place.
* Sort your junk – your older junk! Take a quick trip to your storage area –ideally while taking out the current junk from your house –then do a quick inventory of the things you already have there and can be used again inside the house that will suit your current theme. This is called “recycling”. A little restoration can make it interesting again.
* Go for yellow tones as they tend to make a very stylish accent. Orange, brown and mustard are your perfect colors. Don’t make a mistake of choosing too bright and too dull colors, just the ones in between.
* Use old dresses that are no longer serviceable considering your age as pillow covers. Pillow covers are meant to be interesting, by using your own dress which you have worn once or twice will give it character.
* Go for blue in the bedroom. Blue is calming and you can never go wrong with blue, even babies use them! It also creates the illusion of space so your room will look bigger.

· Take out hazardous materials you have been keeping such as cleaning agents, bleach, etc under the sink. Better to store them outside the house or in a part of your house wherein your senior cannot access. If this is not an option then try installing locks on your kitchen cabinet.
· Hide sharp objects and just about anything that can cause bodily harm such as knives, bottle opener, etc. Furthermore, remove anything that looks like food such as fruit-shaped plastics for display as these things can easily confuse a senior with Alzheimer’s disease.
· Install monitors around home. Of course, you don’t have to be all blatant about it instead, discreetly install monitors where your senior is most likely to be left alone such as their bedroom. This will also allow you to do other things inside of home while they are sleeping or not needing immediate attention.
· Be especially aware of electrical units with dials, particularly that of your heating devices. As much as possible, your water heater should be monitored by you when used. Same goes for electric blankets and heating pads.
· Avoid clear glass at all cost. A person, even without Alzheimer’s, can easily be confused by a clear glass, thinking that there is nothing that separates two parts of the house. This usually causes ugly accidents with lots of blood. To avoid this from happening, try sticking decals on clear glass so that your senior will have their point of reference.