| Communities cater to seniors only
In their 65 years, Helen Gilliard and her husband, Howard, collected lots of stuff. All that stuff was in a four-bedroom house. There came a day when all that stuff was just too much.I gave it away and was happy to do so, the former Cypress resident said.These days, the Gilliards have less stuff, a smaller place to live and, they insist, a fuller life. They are part of a growing number of active senior adults who have traded in their homes for living in senior-citizen-specific communities.Its perfect, less overhead, better security and less worries, said Helen Gilliard, who lives with Howard in the Village at Morningstar community in Texas City.60 Is The New 30The 100-unit complex is a mixture of apartments and patio home-style cottages rented exclusively to senior citizens.To even be considered for a lease, a resident must to be at least 60.
Two Injured In Richmond Senior Complex Fire
A two-alarm fire broke out early Tuesday at a Richmond senior citizen's housing complex, completely destroying one apartment and sending two residents to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Richmond Fire Chief Michael Banks said the fire began at 8:03 a.m. in a sixth floor apartment of Hacienda Apartments, located at 1300 Roosevelt Ave. It was contained by about 8:20 a.m. Residents on the first five floors were instructed to shelter-in-place while firefighters got the blaze under control because many of them have trouble walking, Banks said. Of the 150 units in the building, 140 were occupied. The apartment where the fire started suffered heavy fire damage and other apartments on the sixth floor may have suffered smoke damage. At least one resident, a woman who had been living in the apartment where the fire started, has been displaced.
New bill seeks faster release of COLA pay
A senator has introduced legislation streamlining the process for releasing the cost of living allowance to government retirees.Senate Bill 15-79, authored by Sen. Luis Crisostimo, would authorize the NMI Retirement Fund administrator to disburse COLA payment without the consent of the NMI Board of Trustees. The purpose of the bill is to avoid delay in the release of COLA funds."The Legislature finds that while the central government has remitted the COLA funding to the NMI Retirement Fund, the retirees are left waiting pending release and approval by the NMI Retirement Fund. In these hard economic times, it is paramount that the immediate disbursement of COLA to the retirees be made promptly to its qualified members as this source of fund is a supplemental resource for the retirees subsistence and purchasing power that is not otherwise available with their present salary," the bill states.A relevant incident took place last month, when the release of COLA was delayed because some Fund trustees were not available to meet and approve the issuance of the funds.Currently, there are 1,494 retirees receiving cost of living allowance.
Senior Citizen Won't Let Herself Become a Victim of Elderly Abuse
Safety at home is a huge concern for all of us, especially older residents who may live alone. Senior citizens can be more vulnerable to neglect and abuse, as well as crime. It's not just health matters that have more and more seniors leaving their homes and heading to assisted living communities. Yetta Hornstein is finally at peace. "I just enjoy being with everybody. We're just one big happy family," said Hornstein. Hornstein used to live with her husband at home but when he died, she was left alone and night time proved unbearable. "Sometimes people would just knock on the doors at all hours of the night and it was frightening to be alone," said Hornstein. Hornstein and family members feared for her safety, until one of her brother's came up with a solution.
Senior housing a goal in Goodrich
GOODRICH - Vacant land near Goodrich United Methodist Church could become the site of the village's first senior housing development, something the church has advocated for years. D&J Investment Properties of Madison Heights has purchased 7 acres of land from the church for $1 in hope of constructing a two-story apartment building with 50 units. There are still plenty of steps that must be taken before the project can move forward, but the Rev. Karl L. Zeigler is optimistic the church's longtime dream will become a reality. "I'm on pins and needles waiting," Zeigler said. "We've made it over a significant hurdle by establishing this commitment from D&J Investment." Funding for the project must first be approved by the state Housing Development Authority, which requires a market study but also will consider community support for the project.
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