At the age of 60, more and more Americans decide to enter a nursing home and become neighbors with their parents.
Mrs. Cecily Craig, 71 years old, only takes a few minutes to walk from her apartment to where her mother lives at the Park Pointe Village nursing home, South Carolina (USA).
Her mother, Elaine Page, moved here nearly 20 years ago. In 2016, Mrs. Craig moved into the same nursing home. Divorced, without children, she wants to live near her mother when she gets old. Mother and daughter live in separate apartments, have independent friends and schedules. This helps Mrs. Craig conveniently take care of her mother at any time but does not have to be on duty all day.
The model of two generations living together in nursing homes is increasingly popular in the US. People of the Baby Boomers generation (born between 1946 and 1964) are now aged 62 to 80. Many people are starting to move into nursing homes while their parents are still living here at the age of 80, 90, even over 100.
US census data shows that the population aged 65 and over increased by 38.6% between 2010 and 2020. The group aged 95 and over increased by nearly 49%, from about 425,000 to 631,000 people. Expert Caroline Clapp from the American Center for Housing Investment and Senior Care said more and more people over the age of 60 are eligible to move into nursing facilities with their parents.
Living close together makes it easier for children to take care of their parents, while also reducing the burden of home repairs, paying real estate taxes or insurance premiums.
Mrs. Donna Noser, 66 years old, decided to go to a nursing home with her mother after seeing her mother, Mrs. Shirley Brandt, 84 years old, spend most of her savings on her old place of residence for $5,000 a month and to hire a nurse. At that time, Mrs. Noser had just divorced and needed to find a place to live.
In February, mother and daughter moved into a two-bedroom apartment at Viva Bene nursing home in St. Louis (Missouri) for $2,400 a month, less than half the previous cost. This helps Mrs. Shirley have relatives nearby, and Noser does not have to live alone.
Ms. Laurie Schultz, Director of Viva Bene Nursing Home, said that over the past year, many adults, mainly women, have asked to rent a house to live together or rent an apartment near their mother.
Even though they live close together, each person still maintains their own space. Mrs. Ingrid Landreth, 69 years old, moved to the Quincy Village nursing home, Pennsylvania, where her mother had lived for 7 years. The 90-year-old mother lived in a one-bedroom apartment, while Mrs. Landreth rented a two-bedroom apartment nearby. Her mother loved knitting, and she participated in theater and history activities. Mother and daughter go to church together on Sundays and see each other when needed.
To respond to this trend, nursing homes are changing the way they operate. In addition to healthcare, they built independent apartments, gyms, entertainment areas and organized many art and exchange activities.
In some cases, parents move into nursing homes after their children. In 2021, Susan Palde and her husband left New York for a nursing home in Florida when they were over 70 years old. After settling in, she convinced her mother, Rita Spina, to move in with her. Now 102 years old, Rita still eats with friends and plays canasta.
"I can take care of my mother, and at the same time know how I will be cared for when my health declines," said Susan.
