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Come join our community!

Friday, May 18th, 2012

The Birches at Esopus, an independent and affordable living community for individuals 55 years and older, is now accepting applications for our one and two bedroom units.

Don’t just visit! Call The Birches at Esopus your new home. Take a peaceful stroll and relish the views and soft breezes of the majestic Hudson River. Relax at one of the gazebos or patio areas, tastefully and strategically placed in the charming landscape.

Our unique location provides easy access to the Library, Town Hall, Restaurants and Shopping.

Don’t drive? No Worries! We are on the Kingston City Bus line, which makes frequent daily stops outside our spacious atrium.

Amenities: Heat and Hot included; Wall-to-wall Carpet; Spacious Closets; Emergency Pulls in each Unit; Large, Secure Storage Area Per Unit; Fitness Center, with Instructor; On-site Laundry Facilities; Closed Circuit Security System; 24-hour Maintenance Service; Craft Room, Library & Game Room; Large Community Room; Media/Theater Room; Outdoor Patio with Gas Grill; Bocce Ball Court; Off-street Parking; On-site City Bus Transportation

Don’t Delay! Come join us for a tour of Ulster Park’s best kept secret — you won’t want to leave!

The Birches at Esopus

35 Dick Williams Lane

Ulster Park, NY 12487

(845) 338-6173

A Sweet Treat

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

February 13, 2012
Residents of The Birches at Esopus celebrated Valentine’s Day in style with a delectable brunch of homemade treats, plenty of smiling faces and friendly hugs from a special guest. The Community Room was decked out in style for the event, which was organized by the residents of this premier affordable senior housing community which overlooks the Hudson River.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey & Fortunée Bennett.

Congressma Maurice Hinchey, who the residents lauded for his longtime support of and fight for seniors’ rights, dined with the residents, listened to their concerns and clearly enjoyed the delicious fare. He’s shown to the left enjoying a laugh with resident Fortunee Bennett.

Steve and Judy Aaron, who are responsible for this Birchez Associates community, praised those responsible for organizing the event, while delighting in the diversity of the scrumptious spread.

Bill & MaryAnn Banks

Longtime Valentines Bill and MaryAnn Banks, happily married for 35 years, spoke lovingly about the changes in their lifestyle since joining the Birches community and of the many activities and amenities offered at the facility. One of MaryAnn’s choices is the bus that comes to the door and takes her for excursions at the Mall (especially when Bill’s working or watching a game!).

Residents Eileen McGuire & Shirley Shumate

Spry and chic, the 91 year-young Shirley Shumate looked positively captivating in her red Valentine dress. For some seniors keeping in shape comes naturally, but many take advantage of the Fitness Studio, complete with instructor at no charge, at The Birches at Esopus.

Eileen McGuire, pictured with Shirley in the picture to the left, is president of the Residents Club at this award-winning facility.

Roseann Harominek spoke glowingly of her new life at the Birches at Esopus – as shown in the picture below, her smile speaks volumes. Many who attended were in their late 80s and 90s, fitting tribute to the aging in place philosophy of The Birches at Esopus and other Birchez Associates communities in the Hudson Valley.

Roseann Harominek

Plan now for family’s eldercare

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Note: It is important for a senior and a senior’s family to know where the senior is in the aging-in-place, continuum of care forecast. While Birchez communities are clearly oriented towards aging in place in an affordable setting, it is important for the family to consider the overall picture:

Written by Anya Kamenetz, Tribune Media Services

Poughkeepsie Journal, January 9, 2012

One day, most of us are likely to have an elderly family member who needs round-the-clock care. Putting a transition plan in place now can save you significant money, time and headaches down the road. Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor, pays for about half of all nursing home care in the U.S.

Diana Adams is an attorney in private practice in New York State doing eldercare law. She’s also currently applying for Medicaid for her elderly father. “If families are not prepared, the cost of long-term care is going to quickly absorb all the family’s assets,” she says. “This kind of issue is one of the reasons many middle-class people don’t end up with an inheritance.”

This column will focus on qualifying for Medicaid while protecting your assets. A future column will look at other options, such as long-term care insurance.

1) What can I keep?

When someone goes into a nursing home, he or she can retain up to $13,800 in assets. Any spouse or dependent, if still living independently, is entitled to keep his or her house and a car. On top of that, the so-called “community spouse” can also hold onto at least $21,912 and up to $109,560 of the couple’s joint assets. All of these figures increase with inflation each year and vary by state. You can also use some assets to purchase a prepaid funeral plan.

2) What might I lose?

Besides that house, car, funeral plan and sum of cash, everything else a couple owns is fair game to pay for nursing home care, which costs a median of $115,000 annually in New York state and $62,000 in Alabama. When you apply for Medicaid, the state looks back at your financial records for five years to establish that you have no further money to pay for care out of pocket. If you put the title of your home in a child’s name or transfer money into a grandchild’s college fund during that five-year look-back period, the government is entitled to take those assets. They will even take the payoff on a life insurance policy. So if you have any reason to believe that someone in your family might need care within five years, now is the best time to hire an eldercare attorney and look into setting up a Medicaid trust or other transfer of assets to try to preserve your inheritance.

3) What’s the application process like?

Most states maintain websites that give you an overview of the process. In brief, you need your Social Security number, tax returns to prove income from federal benefits or private pensions, information on your assets such as bank accounts and insurance policies, a marriage certificate (if any), proof of address such as a mortgage statement or piece of mail, and insurance and Medicare benefit cards.

4) What happens next?

Once your relative is approved for Medicaid and safely placed in care, it’s time to turn your attention to the community spouse or dependent.

Be cautious and always consult a professional who is familiar with the laws in your particular state before attempting any steps to shield assets from Medicaid, be it a trust, a transfer or a gift.

Chambers Elementary Students Serenade Neighboring Seniors

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

By KYLE WIND, Freeman staff, December 20, 2011

TOWN OF ULSTER — The Chambers Elementary School chorus on Monday spread some holiday cheer to its little corner of the world when students caroled and performed songs from their latest concert for residents of The Birches at Chambers and the Chambers Court senior communities.

Traditional holiday hymns 51 fourth- and fifth-grade students performed for their neighbors at the apartment complex, which is a short walk from the school, included “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel,” “Silent Night,” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”

“It was wonderful,” said 80-year-old Fran Gillis, one of the 25 residents who watched the performance. “It means very much to me, and the kids are really great.” (To see the accompanying video, click here.

Chorus Director Mona Stovall said the carolling is part of a longstanding Chambers tradition she started in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Students have caroled in different places around town over the years ranging from the Golden Hill Health Care Center to Barnes & Noble.

Fifth-grader Kiera Gallo, who was excited for the chance to perform her solo in “The Holly and the Ivy,” described the visit as “a chance to spread cheer through The Birches and Chambers Court.”

“The children get great joy out of it, and so do I,” said Stovall, who said she began the tradition because she believes in community service.

Stovall said the experience often exposes students to elderly people with disabilities, and some of her former students went on to become special education teachers, perhaps being put on that path as the result of their early carolling rounds.

Holiday Party Has Seniors Rocking to the Beat

Monday, December 19th, 2011

Holidays can be lonely for seniors living on their own. But at the Birchez Associates communities, you’ll find many ways to celebrate the holidays. In addition to cosponsoring the Kingston area senior New Year’s Eve party (to watch video, click here), Birchez owners Steve and Judy Aaron also hosted a holiday party for all their senior residents and staff.

At The Hillside Manor, a popular dining and events destination in Kingston, Birchez took over . A decorated Christmas tree welcomed guests in the foyer, with holiday decoration throughout. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres started the event in the front ballroom. Then festivities moved to the full back ballroom (complete with its own Christmas tree and Menorah) for dinner and dancing.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey pictured with Birches at Chambers Resident June Diamond (left) and Hostess Judy Aaron

Special guests included Congressman Maurice Hinchey who spun at least one senior on the dancefloor. County Treasurer Eliott Auerbach and his lovely wife Judy, County Clerk Nina Postupak, County Legislators Peter Loughran, Hector Rodriguez and Walter Frey, as well as Town of Esopus Council members Kyle Barnett, Gloria VanVliet and Donna McAuley also joined the party.

The band leader of “Outside the Box” thought he was doing the right thing when he mentioned a 92 year old resident was on the dance floor, only to have other dancers raise their hands to say “I’m in my nineties too!” From the salad course through desert, the dance floor was in motion. Whether a classic melody or a cover of a contemporary song from Lady GaGa or Adele, guests were up and dancing. Chambers Court Resident and Centenarian Bill McDonough didn’t dance but had a front row table to watch others do so.

Host Steve Aaron (right) greets Centennarian Bill McDonough as Chambers Court Resident Dorothea Schwenk looks on.

Pointsetta centerpieces obtained through the local Boys & Girls Club were given to those residents who found a lucky penny underneath their place setting. In addition to peach melba for desert, plates of cookies from local Deising’s Bakery provided some extra energy for seniors to keep the dance floor full.

And for residents who no longer drive, A.N.N. Transportation provided a handicapped bus and van to get everyone to the event. After four hours of partying, there was even some grumbling when the announcement was made that the bus and van were ready for loading to take residents home. “Already?” some were heard to exclaim!

For additional pictures, see Holiday Party album on Facebook

Going Strong at 100

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Recent projections on seniors living longer are certainly borne out at The Birches communities. Just last week members of the Residents Club for The Birches at Chambers and Chambers Court met to fete William McDonough on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

Bill was born November 23, 1911, and he considers himself “just an ordinary guy.” Bill didn’t know why people would make such a fuss. So he was surprised at the turnout that included residents, owners Steve and Judy Aaron, and staff of Birchez Associates and Rondout Properties. Or that we would want to interview him.

Earlier this year, Bill was honored as a centenarian by the Ulster County Office for the Aging. On the left, pictured before the luncheon began at the Hillside Manor, is Bill with his loyal helper Dorothea Schwenk, a resident of Chambers Court since 2004.

Since the County’s celebration, it’s been about six months of birthday acknowledgments. He brought one to the party this week, a birthday card from the President and First Lady (click on the photo so you can read it!). This was in addition to the number of declarations and proclamations from many local politicians and dignitaries including State Senator John Bonacic, Assemblymember Kevin Cahill, and Ulster County Executive Mike Hein.

Bill lived in the area for 25 years before moving to Chambers Court early in 2008. He values living in a safe senior community. Bill says he’s found a really nice place and values the new friends he’s made.

Bill served as a conductor for the New York Central Railroad for many years. His “route” was Grand Central to Buffalo on the 20th Century Limited. At the time it was the fastest train out there. Today Bill wonders why people want to go much faster. “When I think of some of these tiny cars speeding down the highway at 70 miles per hour, I don’t think it’s safe. Why is everyone in such a hurry?”

Bill is, at the moment, the only centenarian living at one of the Birches Communities but there are a number of residents close behind. Currently there are 43 residents aged 85 and over, with 14 of those 90 or over. In the picture to the right taken at the Residents’ celebration, Bill is pictured with Tess Glassman, a Birches at Chambers resident who turned 90 on November 20th. Between them is Steve Aaron, founder and managing member of Birchez Associates which developed and manages four senior communities in Ulster County.

Steve Aaron spoke about aging in place in independent living communities. “Bill’s a great example of why I believe so in the aging-in-place concept. It’s a better quality of life and much more economical for society than nursing homes or alternate level of care facilities.” Most units at The Birches Communities are handicapped ready if not fully ADA handicapped accessible. Home care and personal care aides from a number of local agencies can help provide assistance with daily living tasks which allows many seniors to spend their time “at home.”

Steve went on to say, “Annecdotally, we’re hearing that our residents, when they do have to be hospitalized or spend time in a rehab setting, are coming home sooner because the apartments’ features encourage that. They don’t have to wait for a ramp to be built or a bedroom created on the first floor or even the necessity to move from their home.”

– K.J. McIntyre, Director of Marketing, Birchez Associates

“We’re Not Ready”: More Bad News About Retirement

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Source: DailyFinance.com by Eamon Murphy posted 12/5/11

The idea of retirement in America is becoming increasingly far removed from the idyllic notion of our “golden years.” For many, it’s now just another source of worry, despair and resignation.

Last month, Ameriprise Financial and Wells Fargo each separately released ominous retirement surveys. The first reported that respondents aged 40 to 75 in the nation’s largest cities were significantly less confident this year than last about their ability to retire; increased feelings of retirement-related anxiety and depression were also reported.

The second report, based on a poll of 1,500 middle-class Americans, declared that when it comes to retirement, “80 is the new 65,” with 74% of middle-class respondents expecting to work past the traditional retirement age, and a quarter expecting to work until at least 80 to achieve a comfortable retirement. There was one small ray of hope in those the numbers — 35% said they expect to work past 65 because they want to, not because they’ll need to.

These days, though, even relatively sunny retirement news comes tinged with dark qualifications. A study of retiree attitudes produced by the Society of Actuaries, LIMRA and the International Foundation for Retirement Education found that although confidence was on the rise, financial planning is fundamentally inadequate: Only 45% of respondents believed that their retirement assets would need to last 20 years, the figure given by experts as the smart target. “It’s clear that retirees are hoping for the best or even taking an autopilot approach,” said one of the study’s authors.
Now, USA Today is reporting that “more Americans are finding themselves in their 50s and 60s with practically no money saved for retirement.” The last decade saw no growth in the stock market and included two bear-markets that devastated portfolios. Unemployment has been a scourge, preventing many from getting back on their feet after financial adversity. And the torpid real estate market has sucked value from people’s homes, undermining their use as financial safety nets.

Jogging headlong into this confluence of horrible economic conditions is the massive Baby Boom generation, setting up a potential nightmare scenario in which the ranks of the retired are swelled by fresh millions of Americans largely unable to pay their expenses.

That danger is real. According to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 56% of workers say they have less than $25,000 in savings. This figure is deeply distressing, given how expensive retirement promises to be: Assuming 3% inflation and a 5% annual return from investments, a 65-year-old will need to have $1.1 million saved in order to net an income of $50,000 a year in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Those who simply have insufficient savings are hardly the worst off: 42% of those polled by the EBRI said that their current level of debt is a problem.

for Advice for the Far-From-Retirement Crowd see the full article

So what can younger people learn from the perilous state of those currently approaching retirement? America’s twentysomethings are clearly in need of advice: In a recent survey by the PNC Financial Services Group (PNC), only 23% rated themselves as totally independent, and just 18% expressed confidence that they’ll have enough money to live comfortably when it comes time to retire.

Doing 90

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

November 29, 2011: The Report 90+ in the United States: 2006-2008 was issued this month by the American Consumer Survey (ACS), which is sponsored by the US Census Bureau. The ACS gathers data for the Census Bureau on an annual basis; this data is utilized by communities in allocating investments and services. Unfortunately, crunching the data and reformatting it into readable, intelligible reports takes time. Hence the appearance of three-year lag; in reality the 2010 census is cited in some instances.

Significant in the findings is that 90+ is the new 85+. Many demographic reports analyze age groupings such as 55 to 64, 65 to 74, and then 85+. This assumes a commonality in the group and/or smaller numbers that may not be reliable statistically. Yet the reality shown in this report is that there are some sharp distinctions, even in the five year segment breakdowns of 85 to 89, 90 to 94, and 95+. Certainly as our seniors of today age healthier than their predecessors this will morph expectations for these segments.

This segment is growing both in size and proportion of the older population. Between 1980 and 2010, the people aged 90 and over almost tripled to 1.9 million. Projections are that the 90+ segment will more than quadruple by 2050, in comparison to a doubling of the population 65 to 89.

New York currently ranks third (after California and Florida) in the sheer number of 90+ residents, but it’s not even in the top ten when comparing the percentage of 90+ versus the 65+ populations by state.

The report details racial and educational statistics, and considering the report covers those born in 1918, this is an educated group. Perhaps not a surprise that women aged 90+ outnumber 90+ men nearly 3 to 1.

The economic numbers are certainly of interest in the affordable housing field:

Social Security represents almost half of total personal income for the 90+ (47.9%)
The poverty rate for the 90+ is higher than that for those aged 65-89
16.5% of women and 9.6% of men aged 90 and older were in poverty 2006-2008

When one considers this in the perspective that many baby boomers are ill prepared for retirement, and certainly for living some 20 years longer than expected, the economic forecast for this segment is of concern. Further compounding this is that the report addresses the 2006-2008 period, during which the source of 29.8% of 90+ income was ”other” (which would include directly held investments), and 18.3% came from retirement accounts. Given the financial upheaval from the end of that period to the present would indicate that the 2011-2012 period would mean the 90+ segment might well be relying on Social Security for more than half of their income.

Difficulty doing errands alone and mobility-related limitations are the two most common types of disability for the 90+ (disability in this context is defined as a substantial limitation in a major life activity). Appropriate transportation modalities, proximity of services and handicapped accessibility will be key features of senior housing to come.

Aging in place will play an important role for the 90+ segment. While the percent of people with disabilities increases sharply with aging (see below), the nature of the disability(ies) may determine whether the individual needs an institutionalized setting or not. Certainly advances in senior housing facilities and services offer alternatives to more expensive nursing homes or even alternative level of care facilities.

Ages 85-89 80.4% report one or more disabilities
Ages 90-94 82.7%
Ages 95+ 91.2

To see the full American Community Survey Report, 90+ in the United States: 2006-2008, authored by Wan He and Mark N. Munchrath, click here.

- K.J. McIntyre

80 is the New 65 for Retiring Americans

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Source: AOL by David Schepp posted 11/16/11

The idea of retiring at age 65 is no longer a reality to many Americans, with many anticipating that they will have to work another 15 years – to age 80 — before they can afford to quit work, a new survey shows. Further, the poll of 1,500 middle-class Americans showed that 76 percent of respondents felt it was more important to save a specific amount for retirement, compared to 20 percent who said it was more important to plan to retire at a specific age, regardless of savings. The survey, conducted in August and September by Wells Fargo & Co., defined “middle class” as households having income or assets of $25,000 to $100,000.

“The fact that the vast majority of middle-class Americans expect to work well past the traditional retirement age has significant societal and economic implications,” says Joe Ready, director of Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust, in a statement released with the study. Among the questions raised, Ready says, are whether people will be physically and mentally able to work later in life and the way in which postponed retirements will affect employment opportunities for youth. (For accompanying video, click here. )

Working Out Of Necessity

Results from the survey showed that three-fourths of respondents said they expect to work in the retirement years. Of those, 39 percent said they will do so out of necessity, while 35 percent said they will work because they want to. Among respondents aged 40 to 59, more than half (54 percent) said they will need to work past retirement age, compared to 34 percent of those 25 to 39. Likewise, just 25 percent of those aged 40 and 59 say they will work past 65 because they “want to,” compared to 45 percent of 25- to 39-year-olds. The poll further showed that of those Americans who plan to work in the retirement period, nearly half (47 percent) expect to do similar work, while 42 percent expect to be employed in a position that requires less responsibility.

Factors contributing to workers’ belief they will need to delay retirement, Wells Fargo says, include the reduction of the number of private employers offering traditional pension plans. In recent decades, many companies abandoned so-called defined-benefit plans in favor of 401(k) and other types of defined-contribution plans, which are tied to the performance of the stock market. But the volatility of stock prices in recent years has left many Americans feeling the stock market is no place to put hard-earned retirement funds. The poll showed that 68 percent of those aged 25 to 75 have little confidence in the stock market as a good place to invest for retirement.

When asked how they would invest $5,000 for retirement, half of respondents said they would invest in a mutual fund or stocks, while 45 percent said they would purchase a certificate of deposit from a bank. The survey also showed that anticipated cutbacks in Social Security and Medicare benefits have many U.S. workers rethinking how much help they can expect in support from government programs.

Scaled-Down Expectations

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the survey showed that younger Americans are more willing to accept cuts to Social Security and Medicare programs to help reduce the ballooning U.S. debt. About half of those polled who were aged 25 to 49 are willing to accept future cuts, compared to 28 percent of 50- to 59-year-olds, and 19 percent of those aged 60 to 75.

Along with changing attitudes toward work in retirement, Americans are also revisiting their expectations for support from social-welfare programs, says Laurie Nordquist, director of Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust, in a statement. “As as we look for solutions to strengthen the country and address the debt load of our nation,” she says, “there is a willingness among younger Americans to put traditional support systems on the table for reform.”

The poll also showed that middle-class Americans are underestimating the amount of out-of-pocket health-care costs they are likely to incur in retirement, with respondents planning to spend a median $60,000. But, notes Wells Fargo, a 2010 study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimated the total cost of uninsured health-care costs for a typical married couple aged 65 is nearly $200,000.

On the Radio – MyKCR.org

Monday, November 7th, 2011

This Thursday, November 10, 2011, at 8:35am*, My Kingston Community Radio (myKCR.org, 920 am also known as WGHQ) once again shares the mike with K.J. McIntyre, Director of Marketing for Birchez Associates, for Senior Spotlight of the Month. This month’s spotlight is on Jewish Family Services of Ulster County and will feature Sharon Murray-Cohen, LMSW. Sharon, who is the JFS Executive Director, will speak about the services offered to seniors and their caregivers.

One often mistaken notion is that you have to be Jewish to utilize Jewish Family Services. Far from it; somewhere around one in ten clients of JFS is Jewish. JFS, in addition to programs provided by staff and licensed social workers, also has a volunteer program to assist seniors. Whether it’s just a call of reassurance, or accompanying a senior to the doctor’s office or shopping, these activities done by volunteers can make a huge difference in a senior’s quality of life. On Thursday during the live broadcast, you can call in to ask Sharon questions at 845-331-9255.

Jewish Family Services has new quarters at 280 Wall Street in Kingston above the Board of Elections. Their phone is (845) 338-2980, email JFS.Ulster@gmail.com and their website is JFSUlster.org

*If you miss the half-hour broadcast you can hear it online. Just go to mykcr.org, click on program archives, and fast forward about 2/3rds through the recording.