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‘Green’ senior housing receives praise

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

KINGSTON, 7/12/2011 – As Ulster County’s population ages and energy resources grow scarcer and more expensive, there will also be a need for more affordable housing, especially for those on a fixed income, and the working public.

The Birches at Chambers, in the Town of Ulster, is a 62-unit senior affordable housing complex, and it’s the first multi-unit facility in the Hudson Valley to be given a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award for its green building technology.

Willie Janeway, regional DEC director, said as housing remains in demand for baby boomers and the workforce, this housing fits the bill.

“The state is encouraging and doing all it can to support housing such as the housing we are celebrating today that is affordable for seniors and is also built ;green’, Leadership in Energy and Environmental design (LEED), which is the gold standard for environmental green building,” he said. “It makes it more sustainable and in the long term it will save money.”

Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-Hurley) said the project could serve as a model around the nation.

Steve Aaron, founder and managing partner of Birchez Associates, thanked Hinchey and other local officials like Ulster County Executive Michael Hein for helping to create a climate that’s conducive to go green on a mass scale.

Hein praised Aaron’s efforts to combine some future pressing needs to build more affordable housing that will have less impact the environment.

“It’s an enormous undertaking that you’re meeting the highest standards of building (technology),” said Hein. “We have to make sure places like this exist, so people can live with dignity regardless of their financial means.”

The Birches at Chambers receives LEED Platinum certification

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

KINGSTON, N.Y. 07/11/2011– An affordable housing complex for seniors has received a big award for its leadership in energy. The Birches at Chambers has received the LEED platinum certification.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally-recognized green building certification system. The founder and managing partner of Birchez and Associates says he wants to make people aware of what the LEED program is all about.

“To celebrate LEED, but also give the important people that attended the event an opportunity to talk about the environment, health, health for seniors. How a healthy building is important for seniors, especially those aging in place,” said Steven Aaron, founder and managing partner of Birchez Associates.

The Birches at Chambers is just one of only two places of its kind on the East Coast.

To view the YNN broadcast, click here.

Centenarian William McDonough Honored

Sunday, May 8th, 2011

Chambers Court resident William McDonough’s 100th birthday won’t be until November 23, 2011, but the celebration has already begun. Bill was honored at the Ulster County Centenarian luncheon organized by the Office for the Aging on Friday, May 6th, 2011, held at the Hillside Manor, sponsored in part by Birchez Associates.

County Executive Mike Hein presented Bill and 16 other centenarians with a proclamation; each birthday “boy or girl” also received certificates from State Senator John Bonacic and Assemblyman Kevin Cahill. The photo to the left shows Mike Hein handing Bill his own proclamation.

Ann Cardinale, head of Ulster County’s Office for the Aging, remarked on the growing number of centenarians country wide and that this year’s recognition represented the largest class ever. The oldest recognized this year is 106 years young.

Ms. Cardinale also presented some of the qualities that lead to such longevity including a positive attitude. This certainly characterizes Bill McDonough, a gentleman who continues to live on his own with the assistance of his loyal caretaker Dorothea Schwenk (also a Chambers Court resident and pictured with Bill in the photo to the left). Bill still votes in person; although he said maybe this year he’d consider an absentee ballot he’d prefer to go to the polls.

Birchez Associates salutes Bill and looks forward to celebrating with him throughout his 100th year. Chambers Court, the first of Birchez Associates affordable senior communities, opened in the town of Ulster in 2004/. As with all of the company’s communities, it is designed to help seniors live successful, independent lives of quality as they age in place. Adjacent to the company’s latest community, The Birches at Chambers, Chambers Court residents now enjoy all the amenities of the latest community, including a fitness studio with trainer who specializes in senior exercise, a media room — a small state of the art theater, library/game room, crafts room and more, all at no cost to the residents.

Making sure home health aides are helping

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Senior Housing News reports that while home and community based service delivery is a critical component for the future of senior care, a new study finds that paid caregivers may not be up to the task. One more reason to work with licensed home health care agencies. Check into the training and screening that the agency provides. Our Senior Advocate, Alice Tipp, as well as Director of Community Affairs Paul Watzka can assist in providing information on local agencies, as can the property managers at The Birches senior communities. Here is info cited in the article:

A new study, titled “Inadequate Health Literacy among Paid Caregivers of Seniors”, by Northwestern University finds that more than one-third of caregivers had difficulty reading and understanding health-related information and directions. Sixty percent made errors when sorting medications into pillboxes. The study, which will be published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, surveyed non-family caregivers in the Chicago area and assesses their health literacy levels and caregiving tasks. The study is serving as a basis to work on establishing employment screening tasks as one of the long-term goals of the study.

“We found that nearly 86 percent of the caregivers perform health-related tasks,” said Lee Lindquist, MD, assistant professor of geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and lead author of the study. “Most of the caregivers are women, about 50 years old. Many are foreign born or have a limited education. The jobs typically pay just under $9 per hour, but nearly one-third of the caregivers earn less than minimum wage.”

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

Seniors and Alcohol

Monday, December 6th, 2010

12-6-2010 by K.J. McIntyre

I was giving a tour of The Birches at Chambers, our latest senior living community, to a professional who worked with seniors. As we looked at the community room and the adjacent patio with pergola creating a sweet seating area, my guest said, “What a perfect place to have afternoon cocktails.”

I paused for a moment and said, “You don’t mean for our residents do you?” She sited another senior residence where afternoon sherry is the norm. “Well,” I said, “that’s not something you’ll find here.”

Owners Steve and Judy Aaron are fierce about protecting their residents, and it shows in both the non-smoking campuses for their latest senior properties and that alcohol is discouraged for any function in the public areas. Their concern took on new significance when I heard Dave Lucas reporting on WAMC public radio regarding a new study of Baby Boomers and Alcoholism. As he reported it: “The Baby Boomers have become Senior Citizens – the generation that rocked and revolutionized the 1960s and 70s – then settled down in the 80s and 90s are now into THEIR sixties and early seventies – experiencing the change of going from a working life into retirement. Perhaps no coincidence, alcohol abuse is on the rise among their ranks.”

Lucas spoke with Crystal Dea Moore, an associate professor and the program director of the social work program at Skidmore College, who is conducting interviews of seniors in the Saratoga area. She has worked with Swedish researchers on quality of life issues as they relate to alcoholism. The forecast is startling: the number of adults over 50 with substance abuse problems will double from 2.5 million in 1999 to 5 million by 2020.

It’s easy to see the correlation; changing metabolism, isolation and depression are too often common in the senior population, and all can increase the use and/or impact of alcohol. It’s another reason we encourage an active life style at our communities and feature a senior advocate and others that can keep an eye out for our residents and recommend resources as appropriate. And it’s a reminder for all of us to stay in touch with loved ones who may not have the support system in place that they once had. Locally, Jewish Family Services offers non denominational, home-based, one-on-one counseling for seniors suffering from depression, grief and other symptoms (costs can be covered under Medicare and Medicare Part B). For more information, their website is http://www.jfsulster.org; they can be reached at 845-338-2980.

You can listen to the full interview (click here) on WAMC.

(K.J. McIntyre is Director of Marketing for Birchez Associates LLC. She can be reached at kjmcintyre@birchez.com)

Universal Design is Key to Easy Living

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Kingston, 11/10 by Gina Marinelli

No one can predict the future, but one can prepare for it by creating a safe home environment to “age in place.”

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), aging in place is the ability to live in one’s home regardless of age or ability. However, Active Adult Communities (AACs) throughout the Hudson Valley and tri-state area have made it possible to age in place in a community that is not only accessible, but beautiful as well.

Malcarne Contracting, under the ownership of Joseph Malcarne, is one of the key contractors responsible for the construction of The Birches at Chambers, an affordable senior housing community in Ulster. “The first thing that would be surprising is just how beautiful the place is,” Malcarne says of the landscaping and architecture. It was important to meet the full spectrum of needs of the seniors, Malcarne says, while still remaining user-friendly to those without special needs.

“If you are a fully independent and active senior today, you don’t really have to take advantage of the ADA (Americans with Disability Act) appliances and features,” says K.J. McIntyre, director of marketing of Birchez Associates, LLC, which represents The Birches at Chambers as well as many other AACs. “But let’s say you fall and break a hip, you don’t have to move to accommodate that.”

All units are either handicapped accessible or handicapped ready if a resident’s needs change, says McIntyre. With wider doorways and extra studs in the bathroom walls to accommodate grab bars, the units can be retrofitted in stages, she says. For instance, in the kitchen, the island can be adjusted to provide moving space, and the central drain can be switched to a side drain so that tenants in wheelchairs can have easy access. In the bathrooms, McIntyre continues, roll in showers are already in place and fold down shower seats can be installed and additional grab bars can be added, as necessary.”This is especially helpful if there is a couple living in the unit,” she says.

In the case of The Birches at Chambers, Malcarne wanted to “create senior living that is going to provide healthy and quality indoor air and be very energy efficient.” Slated for a LEED Platinum certification, The Birches at Chambers is a state-of-the-art building, says Malcarne, which features energy recovery ventilators and air exchangers that recovers heat and humidity in the air. In addition, the units are extremely airtight, the attic features cellulose insulation made of recycled newspapers, and there are solar panels on the roof, which will provide a large portion of the energy to supply heat, hot water, and electricity to the community.

“Finding affordable housing at this level of universal design with the aging-in-place concept is very unusual,” says McIntyre. The Birches senior living communities, which also have locations in Esopus and Saugerties, offers EMS quick responses, fitness centers and trainers, movie theatres, libraries, game rooms, fully equipped computer rooms, among other amenities for a complete and convenient living experience. Birchez Associates will soon break ground in Fishkill, giving residents access to the nursing services of the Elant campus on which the facility will be built. . .

Excerpted from the full article, Multi-Generational Design: Universal Design is Key to Easy Living, in the Boomer’s Guide to Living 2010 published by Schein Media (Kingston, NY)

The publication is currently available by clicking here.

Baby Boomers: How a Retiring Generation is Keeping Community and Wellness in Mind

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Kingston, 11/10 by Meghan Zanetich

Active Adult Communities (AAC) are continually changing and upgrading the concept of amenities, offering more to potential residents than ever before. These days, the 55-and-better community is taking notice, and choosing to retire in places where they can continue to live full and enriching lifestyles.

In these communities “active” is the operative word. It is active participation by the residents that is attracting attention. “There has been much more focus on personal control in your life,” says Barbara Devine, personal trainer at The Birches at Chambers, one of five Birchez Associates, LLC, communities. She says that people are looking to improve their quality of life, and physical activity is a huge part of that. “Workouts give people a chance to socialize, talk, and most importantly, gain confidence,” Devine says.

In addition to a fitness studio, The Birches at Chambers offers a community room, media room, computer lab, crafts room, and library, all with full accessibility to residents like 63-year-old Candace Belles. “All of the amenities are geared to keeping you active as possible – one of the reasons I wanted to be here,” Belles says. She was recently elected activities chair and says that people are taking interest in developing clubs and participating in many things. Bus trips to the Monticello Casino and Raceway and the Eastern States Exposition Fair in West Springfield , MA, are being planned, in addition to movie nights and dance lessons. “Dancing is very big around here – we’ve even had salsa dancers come to our community room,” Belles says.

While most activities are done on-site, a lot of residents’ hard work is sent off into the community. Groups will gather to weave and embroider lap blankets for local hospitals, or even to become foster grandparents in the community, like Belles does. The range of activities in most of these communities is based around your state of mobility, but many places offer buses for non-driving residents. . .

As the baby boomers redefine the “golden years,” this active generation will once again start a trend of what retirement can really mean. As they downsize their homes and downshift from corporate careers, they will continue to live a life full of socializing, educational, athletic and service-oriented activities, wellness, and fun. In addition to the lifestyle they will continue, or begin, in an AAC, the 55-and-better demographic will see longer days while keeping a sense of community in their life.

Photographs with captions: top left “At The Birches at Esopus, residents meet in the two-storied foyer as they wait for a ride into town, allowing them to spend time with the others in the community.”

middle right: “A fully-equipped fitness studio staffed by a skilled trainer at The Birches at Chambers allows residents to build strength and gain confidence, while improving their health and wellness.”

bottom left: “Residents at The Birches at Chambers gather in the media room to watch classic films and independent movies produced in the Hudson Valley.”

Excerpted from the full article, Baby Boomers: How a Retiring Generation is Keeping Community and Wellness in Mind, in the Boomer’s Guide to Living 2010 published by Schein Media (Kingston, NY)

The publication is currently available by clicking here.

Redefining Affordable

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Kingston, 11-10 by Kim Plummer

Over the past few years there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of affordable housing developments being built throughout New York State. For aging boomers seeking affordable housing, the key is to start looking early, do your homework, and reach out to local agencies, sources say.

Ken Harris, senior policy analyst for New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA) says the decline in this sort of housing can be attributed to increased costs and zoning issues. “A lot of housing that needs to go through zoning changes is finding opposition from neighbors in many cases,” Harris says. “It’s a recent trend that’s difficult.” . . .

When looking for affordable senior housing, one should keep in mind that affordable housing can still be very competitive with market-rate housing as far as amenities go. A lot of people believe the more you pay, the more services you get, but that’s not always the case, Harris says.

Housing is unique; amenities, transportation services, and communities vary quite a bit, even in the realm of affordable housing units. Harris suggests people do their homework when searching for affordable housing; one element he finds particularly important to seniors is an onsite service coordinator.

“The service coordinator is sort of like a linchpin between the resident and services in the community,” Harris says. “They can help the resident find resources in the community – everything from Medicare, Medicaid, help with information, and supportive health services.”

Currently, The Birches at Chambers in Ulster and the Birches at Esopus in Ulster Park are two ADA-compliant, affordable housing facilities resembling market-rate housing. Amenities in the average rental price of about $750 per month include fitness trainers in the onsite fitness studio, a movie theater, community rooms, a library, fully equipped computer labs with Internet access, and craft rooms. Additionally, The Birches at Chambers is anticipating LEED Platinum certification and has been certified as a NYUSERDA Energy $mart Building. “It’s not what people expect to see for affordable housing,” says K.J. McIntyre, director of marketing for Birchez Associates, LLC.

Most recently, Birchez Associates has received initial funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York to build affordable senior housing onto the Elant campus, a nursing home in Fishkill. This will be another ADA-compliant facility. “With the service of Elant close at hand, we can offer additional home health and nursing care as needed, while our residents continue to live in their homes, as opposed to the nursing home environment,” McIntyre says.

Birchez Associates also owns and manages two additional affordable senior housing communities. Chambers Court, completed in 2004, provides cottage-style one- and two-bedroom apartments adjacent to The Birches at Chambers in Ulster. The Birches at Saugerties is another affordable senior community completed in 2006 with 60 garden-style apartments. . . .

Seniors who need assistance finding affordable housing can contact their local Office for the Aging, where they can be provided with additional consultation about affordable housing as well as Active Adult Communities that specially reserve units for affordable housing.

Photo: The Birches at Esopus

Excerpted from the full article, Affordable Housing Trends: Redefining Affordable, in the Boomer’s Guide to Living 2010 published by Schein Media (Kingston, NY)

The publication is currently available by clicking here.

Scary Stories come to The Birches

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Ulster, NY 10.29.10 – Chambers School elementary students, all members of the Nature Club, accompanied by Club member Charlotte Adamis and parents walked over after school for a Halloween gathering at the community room of The Birches at Chambers, the senior housing community that adjoins the school property. Greeting the students were residents of both The Birches at Chambers and Chambers Court, many of whom in costume, ready with treats for the students. The students showed off their costumes,chatted with residents and entertained with a scary reading of Scaredy Cat, Splat! by Rob Scotton.

The new book, a recent acquisition to the library, was read without prior rehearsal by two of the students to much laughter and applause. In the picture to the right, club mentor and school librarian Adamis speaks to some of the audience. Even the parents got into the spirit of the event sporting costumes — some scarier than the children’s! The event was one of several intergenerational activities with the neighboring school’s Nature Club.

Hinchey Hosts Medicare Educational Forum

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Kingston, October 18, 2010: Congressman Maurice Hinchey (NY 22nd) lead a panel of experts to discuss Social Security, Medicare, the new Health Care Plan and proposed legislation before an audience of seniors at The Birches at Chambers. The site, an affordable senior housing community completed this year by Birchez Associates, drew readily from its residents and those of the adjoining Chambers Court and Seven Greens complexes. Some residents from other Birchez communities also came for the forum.

The Congressman addressed concerns over seniors affected by the donut – having to pay full price for medications before supplemental coverage kicked in. He said close to 8,000 of his constituents fell into this category. Hinchey continues to work on legislations that he has proposed which he hopes to see passed after election to further help seniors both those trapped in the donut and on issues related to COLA (cost of living adjustment) — or lack thereof — as seniors see a second year without any increase. For a summary of Hinchey’s support in standing up for Seniors, click here.

Hinchey, who has served in the Congress since 1993, brings a historical perspective to many of the issues discussed. He spoke of proposals in the past to privatize Social Security. “Had we done that, can you imagine what would have happened to Social Security during the stock market of recent years?”

Speakers brought the message home to seniors. Kathy Dunphy, director from National Government Services (the contractor that handles all Medicare issues) spoke about the new benefits that Medicare enrollees would gain from the new health care bill

Dunphy also warned that healthy, working seniors often wait too long to enroll in Medicare. Then when they need it they may have to wait months without coverage. Ways of simplifying enrollment through internet signup were stressed, although with the local Social Security office nearby (809 Grant Avenue, Lake Katrine, NY 12449), visiting the office is also an option. Especially after hearing from Ed Sarkies, a Field Representative from SSA in Lake Katrine. Sarkies has been with SSA since 1966 when Medicare started.

Sarkies provided practical information for the assembled seniors: when to sign up for Medicare, the Medicare Prescription Drug plan and the Extra Help feature for lower income people.

Ronnie Hauser from National Government Services and MaryJo DeForest of the Ulster County Office for the Aging were also on hand to help seniors with specific questions after the forum. Several attendees kept the forum participants “after school” for one-on-one sessions to answer individual questions.

For video coverage of the forum from YNN.com, click here

In the picture to the left, Congressman Hinchey listens to concerns over Veteran Benefits and how senior Vets are affected as expressed by Joe Vanacore, a World War II vet.

Pictured above right, Congressman Hinchey at the podium with a partial shot of the Community Room at The Birches at Chambers.