Deaf seniors seek a retirement home of their own

Smithtr

Smithtr

G.G.H.T
Premium Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
16,217
Reaction score
18
Like many baby boomers, June McMahon has been thinking about a retirement move and touring South Florida senior communities.

She and her friends check out the activities offered, how the apartments are set up, if there is an on-site nurse. But their research so far has yielded few choices.

That's because this informal search committee is from the Florida Association of the Deaf — severely hearing impaired seniors who are looking for accessible housing that will suit them and others like them.

"We asked several places, when we called to schedule a visit, if they would provide an interpreter for our tour," said McMahon, 60, a retired teacher for the deaf from Boynton Beach and the Florida association's president. "They said no. So we just stopped right there."

Most retirements communities, assisted living centers or nursing homes say they can't meet all the needs of the "signing" deaf, most of whom were born with their disability or lost their hearing before they learned to talk and are dependent on American Sign Language. But two South Florida senior communities are hoping to change that.

Abbey Delray in Delray Beach and The Peninsula in Hollywood, both of which offer independent apartments and more advanced care, eagerly have moved in deaf seniors within the past year and hope more will come.

They have been investing in facility upgrades and staff training, as well as offering sign language classes for staffers and hearing residents who are interested.

The Peninsula, for example, installed signal lights for the doorbell and smoke alarm at the apartment of Anthony Re, 83, who is signing deaf. Management also outfitted the computer room with a video phone so he can make and receive calls.

Re had been living alone in a Pompano Beach mobile home, but he was becoming alarmingly thin and his health was failing last year. So Williams and others from the Center for Hearing and Communication persuaded Re to move to The Peninsula about six months ago.

He said he likes his new home, although he wishes there was a swimming pool. He rides the stationary bike in the exercise room, hangs out in the lobby bistro where the residents can get snacks, and has made friends with a hearing woman who can sign because her granddaughter is deaf.

But except for his new friend, there is no one else for the outgoing Re to converse with, which makes him sad. "I want to talk to the other people," he said, writing on the notepad he always carries in his pocket along with a pen, in case someone wants to chat.

'No way to communicate'

Deaf-friendly senior housing is a growing concern in Florida and around the country. The "signing" deaf population, top-heavy with boomers like the nation overall, is aging and losing their network of spouses, relatives and deaf friends.

"Older deaf people tend to build their own little communities, where their neighbors, the letter carrier and bus driver know them. Imagine leaving that [for a retirement facility] and having no way to communicate," said Shana Williams, social services director for the Center for Hearing and Communication, a nonprofit serving Broward and Palm Beach counties. "You go to play bingo, you can't hear them call the numbers. If they show a movie, you can't hear it."

There are very few senior facilities in the country that "provide a critical mass of sign language access to deaf and hard of hearing individuals," said Howard A. Rosenblum, CEO of the National Association of the Deaf. "Very few developers have considered building for this population."

The Florida association, which is an affiliate of the national group, has been working for years to build federally subsidized apartments for the deaf on limited incomes, preferably in South Florida, said its president, McMahon. But plans have stalled over a controversy in Arizona, where the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is saying a new housing project designated for the deaf must accept all seniors, she said.

Senior housing operators say the limited numbers of totally deaf elders make it unfeasible for them to retrofit a wing of their building and bring in specially trained staff, the way some do for dementia residents.

Facilities can and do accommodate deaf seniors on a case-by-case basis, using letter boards or consulting interpreters if necessary, said Kristen Knapp, spokeswoman for Florida Health Care Association, the nursing home industry group. It's similar to what's done for residents with special care needs due to a less common disorder or disease, she said.

There are about 800 members of the Florida Association for the Deaf statewide, with 280 in Broward and Palm Beach counties —although McMahon said those numbers don't include many who are deaf, and accurate statistics are hard to come by.

State officials estimate there are 3 million Floridians who are deaf or hearing impaired. Many who have some hearing loss today may become deaf as they age.

"There seems to be a need," said Janis Holvay, a sales counselor at Abbey Delray, which is currently home to a deaf widow and a couple.

"We feel like it is a good community outreach for us," she added. "If deaf people want to retire to Florida, they'll know there is a good community for them here."

The Peninsula can be reached at 954-399-5997 or thepeninsulaassistedliving.com; Abbey Delray can be reached at 561-454-2020 or abbeydelray.com. For the Center for Hearing and Communication, call 954-601-1930 or go to chchearing.org. For the Florida Association of the Deaf, go to fadcentral.org.

dlade@tribune.com or 954-356-4295
Click to expand...

Deaf seniors seek a retirement home of their own - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
 
After you set it up, then you better watch out for AGBell Association for the deaf and hard of hearing getting the HUD to make some of the d/Deaf people whether young or old to move out so that some of the hearing people can move in. They also want them not to sign, I think. They want the ASL to remove from the Apache ASL Trials sign to change to Apache Trails nursing home or apartments. The battle between the AGBell and the Deaf community are at war and we want to stop them from controlling us just to please the hearing people. Just like Apache ASL Trails, they were being threatened to be close if they will not allow to have hearing Seniors in. That is not fair. :(
 
Stargazer Lilies said:
Take a look-Apaches ASL Trails in Tempe, outside of Phoneix in Arizona. They are trying to set up community home for deaf seniors.

Apache ASL Trails - Please read the important announcement below.

Would be nice to see more of those all across the country, not just for deaf seniors but for young deaf people too.
Click to expand...
Apache ASL Trails (AAT) already set it up for deaf/HOH seniors and others with low-income as well as deaf/blind people in summer of 2011. However HUD under the federal government ordered AAT to welcome hearing seniors as well (75% of the tenants must be hearing). WTF? We are fighting against it right now.
 
Solution.....buy RVs and travel together! :)

(I know that is not the best solution but it would be nice! ha!)

I wonder if they can get a group together and buy an old property with several units to turn it into a senior citizen center? Easier said than done as it probably costs too much if they have to hire nurses, caretakers and all that. Hmmm..

Hopefully those senior citizens centers will change and provide the necessary accodomations.
 
Places like Apache ASL trails seem like the best solution for people willing and able to relocate. I hope HUD will finally understand this.

If they don't, or until they do, and for people who want or need to stay in a particular geographical area, I hope local centers will do the right thing and make basic accommodations (flashing light alerts, VP, etc.)

And it makes me think of something else, for centers that might have only one Deaf person, who'd like to be able to have *some* sort of communication with their new neighbors.

Retirement communities and personal care places often have special events and activities and all kinds of things that cost money and take time to plan, organize and present. Lectures, musical performances, etc. Why not try bringing in an ASL class? I understand that older people might not pick up a new language very well or very fast, but if they can pick up *anything*, that would be a little potential of connection for the Deaf person living there. Not just that people might know how to say "hello, thank you, how are you, my son is ill, I'm sorry..." but if you're taking an ASL class and you have a Deaf neighbor, you'll probably think, "how lucky I am to have someone nearby who knows this language!" Maybe ask some questions or try out something you've learned. Instead of feeling isolated, this person might start feeling like the resident expert (as s/he is and should feel!) with people reaching out for advice and assistance and enthusiasm and gratitude.

I know this isn't anything nearly as good as living with other people who are culturally deaf and fluent in your first language. But it would be better than doing nothing at all, I think.

And not just for the Deaf person. I can't help but think about the fact that many people who grow up hearing grow old and lose some/much/all of that hearing. Being able to sign, to whatever degree one can learn, has got to be a good thing, right? I'm kind of amazed that people don't think about this and just start learning for that reason. Heck, I feel like we should be teaching *all* our young people to sign regardless of ability to hear. But that's another conversation.

Anyway, thanks CrazyPaul for posting that other thread. I'm really glad I got to see both those videos.

And thank you Travis, for posting this!
 
Surprised there wasn't something before. I mean FSDB is a huge Deaf School, and a lot of people who are senoirs prolly went there when they were young. The population is low incidence but not THAT low incidence. And you know what? a Deaf home would attract Deaf senoirs to Florida which in turn would improve the ecnomy a bit.
 
Still it is kind of irony that we can not have ASL or be able to communicate in ASL with other Seniors just because HUD want 75% hearing Seniors coming in. No wonder HUD want to remove ASL from the sign of Apache ASL Trails to just plainly as Apache Trails. It is like segregation. There are many nursing homes and some senior apartments that was mostly hearing. Why can we take advantage of having only ASL in Senior homes whether in nursing homes or apartments? They were very happy to communicate in ASL so that communication is comfortable and easier to understand. If any of the hearing people including HUD does not understand why it is important for us to use ASL and not left out when it comes to communication. Just because they have to find ways to keep the Senior homes from closing the doors.

As for Florida, that would be great if they have a Deaf center or Deaf senior retirement homes. I would like to see that but when it comes to HUD and also AGBell organization trying to control us over hearing issues, then we get upset about that. I hate that when they beat us down like that. Does it mean it is a losing battle just because hearing people always get their ways instead of our ways? We can not have our own freedom and would prefer they leave us alone. I am so mad that I can not see straight why they do such things to Deaf Seniors. For me, I am an Elder of 67 years old.

I would love to see the Deaf Senior retirement homes blossom and striving to be a Deaf community for Senior or for old people like me. :(
 
It might interesting on how the "voice off Deaf seniors"interact with seniors that don't "use ASL"?

aside: not in a seniors establishment-at the moment.
 
drphil said:
It might interesting on how the "voice off Deaf seniors"interact with seniors that don't "use ASL"?

aside: not in a seniors establishment-at the moment.
Click to expand...
That's a good point. Even though the center is for deaf, HOH and deaf/blind people with low income, I am sure some HOH people don't use ASL but they are still welcome. If they don't like this place, they can move to another place where they will feel more comfortable.
 
Back
Top