Letter from Jim & Polly Renckens
Is ‘Perfect Village’
Pricing Out Seniors?
Now getting into our ninth decade of life, we find there are concerns that weren’t there in our eighth decade.
The latest concern is downsizing. Even though we older folks want to stay in our present home forever, the reality is that the constant upkeep, inside and out, becomes very difficult. So now is the time, and many others feel this way too, to move forward to the next stage of our lives. Now is the time to sell the house and move to a first floor, handicapped accessible two-bedroom in Cooperstown. BUT—now the problem! These apartments are like finding “hens’ teeth” (as my Dad used to say). We don’t want to put our home on the market, and have no place to live.
Cooperstown really is the “Perfect Village,” but for our age group there are several problems. First, there are few housing opportunities for people in our situation. We are not ready to live in a single room, despite some wonderful local accommodations, and there are few apartments offering what we would like. Second, in our local area we have no progressive living facilities. In Oneonta you have St. James’ Manor and The Plains; in Utica there is Preswick Glen; New Hartford has Sitrin, but Cooperstown lacks such a program. We need a program that begins with self-living units, then moves to assisted living and finally transitions into full care. With the number of seniors locally (and the numbers are growing) we have a definite local need. And finally, maybe there are contractors or visionaries that would jump at this opportunity. Lately, Francesca Zambello and Simple Integrity have begun Chestnut Crossing. Maybe, if The Clark Foundation could offer some land on Brooklyn Avenue or River Road or Route 28 south of the village, some contractor would consider building this much-needed complex close to Bassett Healthcare and downtown.
We love the area, we are so fortunate with all we have, with Bassett being the hub—but as we age, we realize there is still an important piece yet to be filled.
Time to fill in the missing piece of the “Perfect Village.” How about “The Gateway Complex” south of the village? Just thinking…
Jim and Polly Renckens
Richfield Springs
Affordable, accessible, comprehensive senior housing near all Bassett System facilities will be a key to maintaining high quality healthcare throughout our region in the future. The Renkens’ call for such facilities in Cooperstown (the center of the Bassett endeavor) is a welcomed stimulus! With an abundance of resources at hand the Perfect Village is certainly capable of engaging such an effort. C’mon Coop! Lead the way. Show the region how it can be done.
Affordable, accessible, comprehensive senior housing near all Bassett System facilities will be a key to maintaining high quality healthcare throughout our region in the future. The Renkens’ call for such facilities in Cooperstown (the center of the Bassett endeavor) is a welcomed stimulus! With an abundance of resources at hand the Perfect Village is certainly capable of engaging such an effort. C’mon Coop! Lead the way. Show the region how it can be done.
Well said! I was fortunate when I “downsized” last year to have a daughter and son-in-law that could place an “elder home” on their property, but it meant moving away from the medical care I’d used for over 60 years. Fortunately we’ve found excellent care here in the Ithaca area, but I don’t know what we’d have done if we didn’t have this option. Hopefully someone will grab the reins and give the Cooperstown area what it needs.
Well said! I was fortunate when I “downsized” last year to have a daughter and son-in-law that could place an “elder home” on their property, but it meant moving away from the medical care I’d used for over 60 years. Fortunately we’ve found excellent care here in the Ithaca area, but I don’t know what we’d have done if we didn’t have this option. Hopefully someone will grab the reins and give the Cooperstown area what it needs.