Retirement communities: retirement homes aren't what they used to be

New Mexico Business Journal, July, 1998 by Nancy Harbert

Retirement "homes" are changing. Reflecting a generation's strong sense of independence, the concept of a retirement community is taking over.

Reflecting also the abundance of the 1990s, the choices are many, including campus-like villages, seniors-only apartment complexes or buildings and subdivisions catering to seniors.

Some communities, such as Sunrise Bluffs, a new seniors-only gated development west of Belen, are designed solely for self-reliant residents. Manufactured houses with two-car garages begin at $63,500. Residents can use horseshoe pits and a chipping green, and plans are in the works for a health club with indoor pool and card and pool rooms.

For seniors who prefer neighbors of various ages, there's Chamesa, also in Belen. Fully equipped modular homes on quarter-acre lots start at $50 a square foot and a golf course is scheduled to open in 1999. Walking paths and bike trails will wind through this subdivision designed for 875 homes. Though many of Chamesa's amenities appeal to seniors, all ages are welcome.

Self-contained communities such as Ponce de Leon in Santa Fe, which ensure a smooth transition from independent to assisted living, are becoming popular. Instead of a lease-option or home-ownership, residents pay a monthly rent, which at Ponce de Leon ranges from $1,480$2,290 for an unfurnished apartment in the independent wing, to $2,375-$3,580 in the assisted living area. They can design their own living plan, choosing from a wide range of options, including meals and laundry service. Much like a luxury hotel, meals are served in a dining room and there is a beauty shop, a convenience store, a bank branch, a billiard room and library.

A crowded schedule of activities, ranging from daily exercise classes to afternoon singalongs, fills the days. "We like to have parties," adds Mary Ellen Lium, the community's marketing associate.

La Vida Llena, in Albuquerque, offers both assisted and independent living. Residents pay an entry fee and then a monthly fee that covers a range of services including meals, entertainment, transportation, laundry and housekeeping. La Vida Llena is also equipped with a state-of-the-art health care facility.

Most of these full-service communities also offer a secure facility for residents who suffer from Alzheimer's or other memory-loss ailments. At Villa del Rey in Roswell, for example, the residents are encouraged to maintain as much self-reliance as possible, but the Rose Garden is secured so they can't wander off. At Villa del Rey, other residents can live totally independently in self-contained apartments or receive a wide range of assistance, which is designed to keep them living on their own for as long as possible.

With so many alternatives from which to choose, finding a retirement home need no longer be drudgery; it can be life's next adventure.

Nancy Harbart is an Albuquerque freelance writer.