Continuum of Care.

• Author: KAWA-JUMP, SHIRLEY
• Position: Brief Article

Indiana retirement facilities provide more options.

The earliest baby boomers are approaching retirement, and that means there will be an elderly population explosion in the next three decades, a demographic shift that is spurring continuous-care retirement facilities to expand their facilities and options in order to meet a growing demand.

According to Census figures, there were more than 42 million people over the age of 60 in the United States in 1990. That figure is expected to double by 2050.

"The interest in assisted living is increasing. It's something we hear about all the time in the marketplace," says Keith Van Deman, chief advancement officer for Franklin United Methodist Community in Franklin. FUMC was founded in 1949 by the Methodist Church and now houses 525 residents in its independent-living homes, assisted-living apartments and special health centers.

FUMC recently broke ground on an expansion and renovation of its current health center, which will include an advanced Alzheimer's care unit. "We believe this $5 million project will make us the first in Indiana, and one of the few in the country, to offer the complete continuum of care for Alzheimer's patients," says Van Deman.

A full spectrum of services is in demand by today's consumers. "A lot of people are choosing to go to facilities that offer assisted living, rather than just retirement communities" explains Van Deman.

Assisted living is a popular option at the new Hartsfield Village retirement community in Munster, operated by two local hospitals. "It bridges the gap between independent living and skilled nursing care, with reminders of medication, help getting dressed, help getting into and out of the shower, help getting to the dining room," says Connie Mascitti, Hartsfield Village's director of marketing.

Many elderly people worry that they may not have the care they need when they need it, making continuous-care facilities the perfect option because they allows residents to stay near or in their homes while they are being treated. In addition, if half of a couple needs Alzheimer's care or cancer treatments, the two of them can remain on the same campus.

Alzheimer's care is available in a special section of the skilled nursing section at Hartsfield Village. "Our Alzheimer's unit is more for the advanced stages of Alzheimer's," Mascitti says. "Some people at early stages can go into assisted living."

Wherever they are treated...