When 83-year-old Ann Kelley fell and broke her ankle last year, she decided to put her River Forest condo up for sale. She had lived in the condo for nearly 15 years. Although she liked living there and had friendly neighbors, Kelley’s fall was the catalyst to making the move.
“That was the final decision,” said Kelley, who had already been mulling over moving to a senior citizens community. “I just felt it was time.”
Kelley put her place up for sale, choosing Roz Byrne of RE/MAX in the Village as her Realtor. Ten years ago, Byrne earned her seniors real estate specialist designation, and she has forged relationships with all of the local retirement communities and dozens of other businesses that cater to retirees.
“Often it takes a village to help retirees through this transition,” Byrne said.
That’s why Byrne, along with Meredith Morris of the Oak Park-based Caring Transitions (which helps people with the physical side of downsizing), will hold a “fun and informative,” free seniors seminar at 10:30 a.m. May 17 at Plymouth Place, 315 N La Grange Road in La Grange Park. Retirees who are thinking of downsizing and considering an eventual move should come, and adult children of seniors can come to help their parents along in the process, Byrne said.
The pair will give solid information based on their experience that will leave retirees feeling as though they have a plan to move forward with scaling down and moving in their own time frame, Byrne said. At times, the barrier to moving is feeling overwhelmed by stuff accumulated throughout the years, Morris said.
“I think it is often invaluable that somebody works with a third person, a co-worker or a friend, to bring a sense of objectivity to something highly emotional,” Morris said. “Someone to help you with what you want to keep and what can go, as opposed to making the decision on your own.
“We talk about a good space as having the things you love and need and a little of what you want,” Morris added. “But a great space has things you love and need.”
There are numerous reasons seniors think about moving, Byrne said. Once the kids are grown and leave the home, often the house becomes too big, and it doesn’t make sense to keep heating it, paying taxes on it and maintaining it. Homeowners also may want to free up the equity in their homes to invest it elsewhere.
Unfortunately, many seniors wait until there is a health crisis to make the move.
“We want to and should stay in our homes as long as it’s safe and comfortable to do so, but we never know when our health may take a turn for the worse,” Byrne said. “If a senior can make the transition to a retirement community while they are still healthy and active, then they will have the support of their friends and staff at the community to help them to be much more comfortable in their declining years. When they have to make that final move in a crisis situation, it makes an already difficult move 10 times more challenging for themselves and for their families.”
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For Kelley, her move was a good one. She used both Byrne and Morris and therefore found her transition to be “very easy.” At Brookdale Oak Park, where she now lives, Kelley’s life is full and active.
“I think in a condo, despite having good neighbors, you can be alone and feel lonely,” Kelley said. “Here there’s always something to do — and you can get help.”
Other upcoming Byrne seminars include at 3 p.m. May 14 at Dreschler Funeral Home, 203 S. Marion St., Oak Park, as part of an end of life panel discussion with funeral director Charlie Williams, Dr. Ken Blair (Physician), financial adviser Jim Flanagan, hospice specialist Michael Lindner and Byrne, for Celebrating Seniors Week; and at 10:15 a.m. June 1, for “Yesterday’s Youth” at Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park with Morris.
Felicia Dechter is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.