Retirement Living News - February 2002

Developers Adapt to Aging Boomers' Active Lifestyles
As the leading edge of baby boomers move into semi-retirement or retirement, developers of active adult communities are taking notice. They are adding amenities designed to appeal to the generation's nonstop lifestyle. The new look includes more activities ranging from rock wall climbing to softball to kayaking. His-and-her home offices with Internet access are also on the rise, as well as continuing education classes, fitness centers with a luxury spa, indoor swimming pools and weight equipment.

"Boomers are a dynamic group. They want choices, they want control, they want freedom," says Ron Geraci, an editor of My Generation, AARP's magazine for baby boomers. "They have no intention of really stopping their lifestyles, and retirement communities are changing to reflect that very quickly."

Many developers now avoid the word "retirement" to describe these communities, referring to them instead as "active adult" or "country club" properties. The goal is to attract boomers who aren't ready to quit working just yet.


Retirement Communities for Gays and Lesbians Planned for Santa Fe
The retirement industry is beginning to address the demand from homosexuals for their own retirement communities. At least a dozen developers are preparing to enter the market.

At the present time, two gay and lesbian retirement communities are planned for Santa Fe, New Mexico. RainbowVision Properties is currently negotiating with a seller for a downtown property that would include 100 independent living and 35 assisted living units. The company plans to offer townhouses for sale, as well as rental units. In addition, it will have a holistic wellness center, a community center and a pool.

Founding partner Joy Silver says the Santa Fe project will be the flagship for five other similar developments around the country.

Construction may begin this spring on another community, primarily for women, called Birds of a Feather. Located on 140 acres, it will feature 23 homes in a clustered subdivision northeast of Pecos. It will not include an assisted living component. Bonnie McGowan, a former partner in a Minnesota investment firm, bought the property two years ago after she learned that the three most popular states for gays and lesbians were New Mexico, Arizona and California.

[To read other stories about gay and lesbian communities, click on http://www.retirementliving.com/RLart25.html and http://www.retirementliving.com/RLart96.htm.]


New Wheelchair Will Revolutionize Mobility for Disabled
Sometime this year a powered wheelchair that can ascend stairs, climb curbs and balance on two wheels at eye level is expected to be launched by Independence Technology, a unit of Johnson & Johnson.

Know as the IBOT, the wheelchair uses six gyroscopes to send information to three sets of computer chips so the chair can mimic the way people balance. It has four-wheel drive capabilities that enable it to maneuver through off-road conditions, such as steep inclines and wet sand, which would leave other wheelchairs mired. What impresses onlookers the most is its ability to rise and rest on two wheels, placing the user at eye-level with adults standing nearby.

Clinical trials began in 1999 and last year testing revealed several areas where improvements were needed, such as the computer software. The cost to purchase the unit is fairly expensive. The company estimates the price will be around $25,000 to $30,000. Invacare Corp., of Elyria, Ohio, and Sunrise Medical, Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif., both market powered wheelchairs than can climb roadside curbs and traverse some off-road conditions at prices that range from $8,000 to $19,500.

Limited information is available on the Independence Technology site http://www.indetech.com (select Europe). To see some photos on an unofficial site, visit http://www.dynopower.freeserve.co.uk/homepages/newchair.htm.


Pfizer Offers Seniors a Flat-Fee Drug Plan
Pfizer, Inc., responding to pressure from consumers and politicians over drug prices, has launched a program to provide its prescription medications to financially strapped seniors for a flat fee of $15 a month. Called the Share Card, it will be available to single Medicare beneficiaries who don't have prescription drug coverage and who earn less than $18,000 a year, or couples with less than $24,000 in annual income.

Enrollment in the program begins this month and cards will be able to be used beginning in March. Participating pharmacies include chains such as CVS Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

By offering deep discounts to low income seniors on some of the most widely prescribed medicines, Pfizer could defuse mounting pressure on prices for all customers and spur rivals to make similar moves. Among Pfizer's popular drugs are Cardura, Celebrex, Dilantin, Lipitor, Procardia, Viagra, Zithromax and Zyrtec.

To receive an enrollment kit for the Share Card, call or visit http://www.pfizerforliving.com.