Independent Living a "Bridge" to Better Services for Seniors

What New Canaan needs to serve its aging population is a network of health care, housing, transportation and technology services.  At its meeting Thursday morning, the Health & Human Services Commission said it is committed to helping the town meet those needs.

H&HS Commission Chairman Jim Lisher is enlisting the support of leaders of senior services in town to advance the recommendations, which were drafted by the Senior Policy Development Team and  presented to the Board of Selectmen in November. 

"There are four basic recommendations, "Lisher said. "I'm calling the first independent living facility exploration and development. The other three are working with technology, Planning & Zoning and Waveny."

Based on demographic projections, the Policy Development Team concluded that for the next 10 to 15 years "independent living with services" will best suit seniors in town.

"Our generic plan requires meals and on-site medical options that you can buy a la carte," Lisher said. "This is a terrific bridge to a lot of different possibilities. said.

The Senior Policy Development team explored the feasibility of building a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), but said demographics and the economic environment didn't support the plan. Neither did members of focus groups who told the Policy Team that they did not support a CCRC at Waveny, a concept under consideration by Waveny Care Center.

"We were requested not to do a specific review of the Waveney CCRC proposal," Lisher said, "but we couldn't ignore the CCRC concept."

The prime market for a CCRC are people in their late 70's to mid 80's, a group that will be declining in number for the next decade.

"For the time being we felt that our option of creating a virtual CCRC by building independent living was a better option," Lisher said.

The town's needs will change as Baby Boomers age.

"It will take off like a rocket somewhere toward the end of the 20-teens and into the 2020's," he said, "and at that point you may be able to make a point for doing that."

The Senior Policy group said the town will need between 300-500 housing units in the next 10 to 15 years.  Rental units with food services and access to medical care would serve the needs of the existing population, creating that "bridge" to more intensive care in later years. Lisher says the Commission will work with Planning & Zoning to create an environment that will make the town's environment friendly for developers.

"The point of fact is we need additional senior specific housing. Also senior friendly housing," he said. "If it's privately done, you can build one if you wish to. It would have to be able to handle 200 people and deliver service to a broader community than just New Canaan."

Lisher said the is an example of a privately funded project that is intended to serve a select segment of the town's aging population. The Inn, which is undergoing is designed to have fewer than 20 units, and will not provide additional services like food and medical care.

"The realities of building something in town are fairly difficult to mount, but not impossible," Lisher said. "Most everything that's in (the recommendations) will not cost the taxpayers anything directly anyway."

Lisher said the town is well-positioned to become a place where residents can stay as they age. With its inventory of condominiums, a navigable downtown village and responsive social services, the challenges will not be impossible to meet.

"Some really far sighted citizens over the years have prepared the way," he said. "We're not starting from scratch."