With the Wildflower Court wing of Windemere slated to close, Islanders expressed concern for current residents and the Island's elderly in general.
Sarah Isenberg’s room at the Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has all the charms of home: a few choice artworks on the walls, a deck with a sliding door, a big couch and TV, the daily paper, photos of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
On a blindingly bright afternoon this week, Mrs. Isenberg walked over to her flower-print couch, brought from home, carefully took a seat, and picked up a mug of black coffee from a folding table. At 99 years old, Mrs. Isenberg is still going strong, recalling her days as director of Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, a job she took in her 70s, and a life lived to the fullest.
“I did it the hard way,” she said, ticking off her bachelor’s degree in nursing and masters in gerontology, and noting the advanced degrees of her four children.
“And a PhD in living,” she added. “I awarded that to myself.”
Mrs. Isenberg moved into Wildflower Court, Windemere’s independent living unit at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, a little over a year ago, after living at home with a certified nursing assistant for several years. The arrangement has allowed her a high degree of independence at a much lower cost, and the benefits of living in a small community. But with an announcement last week that the hospital would begin the process of closing Wildflower Court, life has taken another turn.
It’s likely that Mrs. Isenberg will move upstairs to the hospital’s nursing home, although she’s not enthusiastic about the idea. “I’m not giving up my independence yet,” she said.
Sarah Isenberg, 99, has lived at Wildflower Court for just over a year.
Sarah Isenberg, 99, has lived at Wildflower Court for just over a year.
The 13-bed independent living facility has been something of a halfway point for elders not quite ready for assisted living or nursing care, but who for whatever reason can no longer live at home. Residency at the unit has dwindled in recent years, with several of the rooms now serving as temporary offices.
Following an outcry from the community over the planned closing, hospital president and CEO Joe Woodin said this week that the hospital will weigh its options, and that while it’s possible the unit could remain open, it’s not likely. The key issues have been financing and lack of volume, he said: “I don’t expect that either one of those will change dramatically.”
It was unclear what would happen to current staff members at the unit, although Mr. Woodin said the hospital would work to retain them.
“These are difficult, painful decisions,” he said. “However, there is also the issue of making sure there is a vibrant program and that the finances are sufficient to carry that program. We are losing on average up to a million dollars a year in Windemere.”
Over the weekend, Islanders expressed deep concern for the current Wildflower Court residents, and for future residents who may have one less option for elder living on the Island. Some mistakenly believed the entire nursing and rehabilitation center would close, while others were surprised to learn that Wildflower Court even exists.
Georgia Morris, whose brother Steven moved into the unit two summers ago, said her immediate response following the announcement was to ask whether the unit could somehow remain open, and what would happen to her brother. But all she could say after talking with Mr. Woodin this week was that it was too soon to know.
“There’s a lot in play,” she said.
“I’m kind of surprised at the reaction,” she added, pointing to the low residency in the unit in recent years. “What it says to me is that we really need independent or affordable assisted living in our community. And people are coming out of the woodwork saying they need it.” But at the same time, she wondered why residency was so low.
“I don’t think half the community knows about it,” said Mrs Isenberg’s oldest daughter, Sally Cohn, who was making a regular visit to see her mother. She acknowledged that the hospital has advertised the unit in both Island papers, but she said that an open letter to the community may have been more effective.
Not everyone was surprised by the announcement. Dr. Nancy Langman, who has worked in all three units at Windemere (including the assisted living and nursing facilities), had learned some time earlier that Wildflower Court was no longer admitting residents.
“I think people have been aware that something is going on,” she said, adding that Mr. Woodin has been up front with staff members about the financial challenges facing the hospital. “I certainly understand [the hospital’s] decision, from both a fiscal standpoint and from a standpoint of what the world really is going to want going forward,” she said. “It makes sense, but it’s hard on the people who are there.”
Mr. Woodin listed a number of other senior-living options on the Island, including the assisted living facilities at Long Hill in Edgartown and The Henrietta Brewer House in Vineyard Haven, and the elder apartments at Hillside Village and Havenside, both in Vineyard Haven, and at Woodside Village in Oak Bluffs.
“I think anytime you look at independent living, people usually have choices,” he said, although he acknowledged that many Islanders cannot afford to live at home in old age.
Ms. Langman noted a trend among Baby Boomers to live at home with professional or family-provided care. “They don’t want to go to facilities,” she said. “So how do we begin to think about housing options that allow them to stay at home?” She added that many elders end up leaving the Island when they can’t find the services they need.
Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard, which has been looking into new types of elder service on the Island, conducted a wide-ranging survey of Island seniors in 2015 in which 13 per cent of respondents said they could not afford renovations that would allow them to stay in their homes.
“We don’t have the final solutions by any means,” healthy aging chairman Paddy Moore told the Gazette this week. “As elders age and become more totally dependent, the economics are just scary.” She cited round-the-clock wages of $25 or $30 an hour for professional live-in care. She saw Windemere as “a desperately needed facility.”
“At some point in time, nursing home care is totally appropriate,” she said, noting the range of financial need on the Island, and the importance of both public and private coverage. “What one ideally would want in a nursing home is a payer mix. I think that’s the only way that you could make this kind of stuff work.”
Upstairs from Wildflower Court early this week, the late afternoon light streamed into the hospital’s 61-bed nursing facility, which is almost full. A few patients in wheelchairs chatted with nurses and visitors in the halls, while others relaxed in their bedrooms, composed letters or worked on projects.
One concern for Mrs. Cohn is that all the bedrooms in the nursing unit are double-occupancy and her mother has never had a roommate. She also worries about over-burdening the nursing home staff, and how the changes will affect the Wildflower Court community. “The residents, the families and the staff were a big family,” she said.
Looking ahead, Ms. Langman drew attention to the Island’s rapidly growing elder population. “What are we all going to do when we no longer want to live in our homes and can’t manage our homes?” she said. “Where are we going to get the care that we need?”
“As an Island, we need to work really hard on figuring out what the future should look like, and we can’t look back,” she added. “I think we have to look forward and say, where are we headed and what do we need.”
Comments
Its important to take care
deshandra brown mvIts important to take care of our seniors with affordable housing options. It certainly should be a priority over the affordable housing proposals for those able bodied people who decide to come here, want to stay, and expect the rest of us to subsidize them.
There are about 200
Carol Lashnits Vineyard HavenThere are about 200 independent apts. at IEH, Havenside and Greenough House. That's good but not enough. I would say that all of the residents have incomes low enough to make them eligible for Elder Services' services which allow them to remain independent in their own homes or apts. They can receive meals prepared or through meals on wheels, personal care services like showers, hair washing, weekly pick up and delivery of laundry, lifeline buttons, weekly shopping, errands, house cleaning, case management. It's a fantastic program subsidized by the state of MA through the Dept. of Elder Affairs so that a person making say $20,000/yr. in social security would pay less than $100/month for all of this. Lots of IEH tenants get these services and it means they can remain there while they age. There is also a program for low income elders through USDA for home renovations - grants and loans - and a $30,000 zero interest loan program through Mass. Rehab for things like ramps, accessible bedrooms and baths so that disabled people can stay in their homes and eligibility is not dependent on income. And then there's TRI here on the Island which gives grants for home renovations. I would also strongly encourage anyone who is 50 or less to buy a Long Term Care insurance policy. It covers everything from Assisted Living up....It's expensive but some companies waive the annual premium once you file a claim and are taking advantage of their coverage. They would cover all costs of Windemere,, Long Hill and The Henrietta Brewer House. So we have some options.....but we do definitely need to continue to build subsidized housing units like those at IEH. And continue to find ways to fund affordable assisted living units like Windemere.
Yes, Elder Services does
Noreen Mavro Flanders TisburyYes, Elder Services does provide all the above-noted wonderful services that allow elders to stay in their homes, but only if they can train and retain caregivers. The turnover of help is disruptive as schedules are constantly changing. It is hard for elders to have some one in their home, but to have it be a revolving door of people is really difficult. All of the solutions require money. More pay for caregivers, more co-pays from elders with limited incomes, and Medicare continues to reduce what it pays. A downward spiral for our elders who only want to stay independent.
Yes, I agree. Clients need to
Carol Lashnits VHYes, I agree. Clients need to insist on continuity of caregivers. It's not impossible. Certainly they need to be paid a living wage!! It's a crime - even a sin - not to pay them more. This is an issue for the VNA and other providers not Elder Services. The other advantage of staying at home though is that you can have your pets with you. That's major for a lot of elders. IEH allows pets but Havenside doesn't - and ('m sure Windemere doesn't. The other big need for people staying in their homes is the need for a handyman who is affordable or a volunteer or subsidized somehow. Easy things like mowing the lawn in the summer or shoveling the steps when it snows in the winter....well, we're getting there.
Beyond the split infinitives
Fish CrowBeyond the split infinitives in the story. how much of the hospital debt with regard to Wildflower Court redounds to free care at the other end of the hospital; may we see a breakdown of costs across the whole spectrum? Those who have been here for years contributing to the Island deserve respect and care. There is a lovely roof garden, but the ham-handed handling (apparently not letting families know until publication of the paper) of this situation is appalling.
Talk about a vicious cycle:
Dean Rosenthal EdgartownTalk about a vicious cycle: "Healthy aging chairman Paddy Moore told the Gazette....“As elders age and become more totally dependent, the economics are just scary.” She cited round-the-clock wages of $25 or $30 an hour for professional live-in care." These wages are necessary for the workers to be able to afford the high rents and cost of living and/or high monthly mortgage, utilities, gas, and insurance payments. The same bills the Island elders may face! The retiree community that is now settling in their 60s and 70s should expect some difficulties into the future because of these costs. Higher wages are part of a healthy, growing economy to support the Island, for it to function as a community that thankfully includes everyone. On a national level, wages stagnated and now we are somewhere we've never been yet. But for Island seniors, this upcoming problem will not be an easy fix and will require all hands on deck working together fairly. Housing security will be first and foremost in securing home healthcare workers and other medical personnel.
Those wages cited are quite
deshandra brown mvThose wages cited are quite high. Its a lot easier to ship the employees in from New Bedford or the Cape on a boat schedule that accommodates workers. Lots of people commute hours to work in the 'real world'. Not everybody gets a 10 minute commute. With average wages stagnant on the mainland, with $10 per hour being the norm for cashiers, and other unskilled workers, its a lot easier to hire commuters and pay their ferry tickets.
Thank you Alex for writing a
Sally EdgartownThank you Alex for writing a very sensitive article.
I do want to clarify something.
Windemere has an incredible activities program for residents in the nursing home and rest home.
I don't think that the two private rest homes have such programs
Also Brewer House and Longhill cost $7000 a month.
There is no support from the state.
If you can't pay 7000$ a month you can't live there.
At Windemere after you run out of money you can apply for state assistance from EAEDC and they give you assistance to help pay
For your room. The amount is much less and more affordable for people who are living there now.
The island definitely needs a place for people who can't live at home, who need a more suppportive environment, one that has state support.
I hope in the near future a group of us can work toward setting up such a home.
There are many of us who will need this.
Thank you to all those who care about the elderly on this island.
I had similar experiences w/
gina Menemsha/nycI had similar experiences w/ my 92 yr old mother in Suburban NJ.. I was appalled @ how expensive the monthly rents were for an Independent living apartment in a Senior complex.. It's outrageous how the elderly gets ripped off.. In her instance this was a private for profit complex.. All new , but all she was getting was a modest size 1.5 bedroom layout.. Access to an optional dining room paid for w/ a pre paid meal card..
Access to the gym & fitness classes & 1 parking space ( not needed).. It's almost criminal IMO how the rates are established.. One can rent a decent apartment in a decent neighbor hood in either Boston or NYC for $3500 a month & pay for a housekeeper & an aid.. Unfortunately MVY has limited Independent living space.. Perhaps if the monthly rates were lowered somewhat this facility would be running @ 100% capacity ..
I never figured out what cost $7,000.. Maybe the owners of the Brewer House could explain their costing structure.. It might shed some light on this problem..
I am one who did not know
Pat EdgartownI am one who did not know about the independent living option at Windemere. Such a wonderful resource. Perhaps with this new publicity there will surface an option for it to remain open.And thanks to Dr. Nancy Langman for her ongoing care and committment.
I think we all need to be
Nathalie Woodruff Oak BluffsI think we all need to be aware that Charlie Baker is cutting services for the elderly, along with other needed social programs. And the current political climate in Washington is certainly poised to further impoverish the elderly. I'm wondering if we could create a program similar to the Land Bank that would receive funds from real estate purchases (or other sources)to be used for elderly housing. Protection of our vulnerable citizens is as important as protecting our environment. It can't be either/or.
I have worked since 2000 on
zelda gamson ChilmarkI have worked since 2000 on increasing affordable housing for families and working people. I served on boards and co-founded the Chilmark Housing Committee. Recently I started working with Healthy Aging, especially on housing. I have literally spent hundreds of hours on meetings about housing on the Vineyard! Then I found myself caught up in the problems I was working on. I am now 80 and my husband is 82 and are in reasonably good health. We are moderate-income retired professors. With encouragement from our family who live off-island, we sold our beloved property in Chilmark. It was too much work to take care of anymore and we needed the money sunk into a mortgage and maintenance to live on. We decided the best thing for us was to move to Vineyard Haven near our synagogue and closer to services than Chilmark. With the help of real estate brokers, word of mouth, and scouring neighborhoods, we looked and looked first at modest houses for sale and then at year round rentals. We discovered that prices were high and availability was low. Secure year-round rentals are practically non-existent for moderate income seniors. I realized that there is nothing here for us and we are leaving for Boston the end of March after 15 years of summers and 35 years living here year-round.
Z sorry to hear that you are
Pat Hughes Oak BluffsZ sorry to hear that you are leaving the Vineyard. Year round rentals are impossible to find and most modest homes need some work...so you are doing what is best for you...you will be fine. I wish you well.
My father has lived on the
Heidi Schule South Berwick, MaineMy father has lived on the Vineyard since I was 13 years old. I am in my fifties now and am grateful to the outpouring of friends who are like family that have helped to care for my dad when we children have not been able to be there as much as we would like due to the expense of just getting to the vineyard. My dad still at home, lives each day waiting to welcome in the sound of another spring with new opportunities and the chance for prayer in the chapel at the other side of the meadow. My dad was a caregiver for his wife Elyse, my stepmom who now resides in Windemere. We are grateful for the care she receives and appreciate the need for elderly services both in the home and within Windemere.
Zelda, thank you for your
Truth Speaks Volumes Martha's VineyardZelda, thank you for your honest and difficult words to read. You have managed to synopsis so much in your online reply that many have been saying quietly for years with fear of reprisals. Although you most likely didn't intend for it to come out the way I interpreted it, many of us have stated that " living here isn't a god given right, it's a privilege and honor". Don't take that statement at you, it's a criticism at the younger generation that moves here for a summer job, falls in love as it's so easy to do with this place, they stay and then demand services like more affordable housing all while going on Facebook bemoaning the hardships they've faced while couch surfing for 2 summer seasons. Truth is, these 20 to 40 year olds are taking away available housing stock, dollars and good will that should or could be designated for our elders I'm not talking about children of people who live here either, I'm talking about those that can't survive in the real world and come to the island to "find themselves". We focus so much on them , meeting after meeting about affordable housing, planning and fundraising and not enough time on our elders, then the reality comes and bites us in the rear end before we know it. You've realized the harsh fact that you can't afford to live here anymore (and I am sincerely sad to hear that) but the younger generation (the gimme gimme generation) hasn't understood that economic difficulty and they don't move on. They find another couch, another free internet location to sign on to Islanders talk to moan about how tough it is here in the winter months because their favorite coffee shop isn't open and they'll be thrown out of their current living situation in 4 months when their horrible landlord says they have to leave for the summer rental season.
I sincerely thank you for your insight and wish I could snap my fingers and change zoning by laws to build an in law apartment for you.
If I read the article
Frank Pellegrino EdgartownIf I read the article correctly, Windermere is losing about $1million dollars a year. I believe there are 13 rooms in the independent living facility (which requires less intensive assistance). I believe the monthly cost for a room in independent living is about $6,000 per month or $72,000 a year. With only 3 residents, it is easy to see why they are losing money. With ten more residents, they would have $720,000 more in yearly income. As a business, they have done little to nothing about advertising the availability of this facility. It would seem that rather than try to correct the underuse, they prefer to "rent" the space to the hospital. Is the hospital really going to pay over $1 million in rent to take over 13 rooms. To me it would seem that the best use of the space is for independent living as originally intended. I suspect there may be more going on here than meets the eye.
I wish we could get more
Carol Lashnits VHI wish we could get more clarification on just what "independent living" at the hospital means? We have been building independent living apts. in this community since Hillside Village opened in 1982. The new construction stopped about10 years ago. There could still be funding for either independent apts. of assisted living like services. HUD used to have this funding available to what they call non-metro areas like MV>
shouldn't we be talking about
sally edgartownshouldn't we be talking about the immediate problem which does affect some for their future...Some of the positive features of the rest home .The rest home at Windemere has a very active Activities Program. There are several activities scheduled each day of the week for residents of the rest home and the nursing home. Not only are the activities in house, but are at the bowling alley, linda jeans, farm neck, a sailing venue and horseback riding venue, and others. Mary offered to take my mother riding on a tricycle on her old bike path which she rode daily in west tisbury. there are ice-cream socials, musical events, yoga, exercise, and more at windemere and residents are taken to the concerts and plays on island. what a sensational program. Betsy, the Director of the Program received an award for her work from the vineyard...and Mary works closely with Betsy to provide all of these services for seniors. .Where on the vineyard can you live and have such a program on the premises and be given your meals and medicines and housekeeping services and have the hospital close by for appointments. and where can you have 24 hour CNA's watching over you and a nurse from the nursing home available to you. if you need more services and you are living in an apartment or home or affordable housing, you will be able to have some of these services or maybe all of them but the environment at Windemere is one where I feel my mother is safer and is a more supportive environment. She was living at home with many of these services but it was expensive, wearing on her family member living on the island and she was more isolated.and if someone would do a study, they would find that it is less expensive to live in a rest home with state aide than to live in your home or affordable housing and having services brought in.
i know there are many issues about housing and the cost of housing for people as they grow older. but i for one would appreciate more support in dealing with this present issue...and for those of you who are supporting what is happening to the rest home at Windemere, thank you . I am so grateful to you. Let's work on the issue at hand and identify the problems that are not being talked about and find solutions such as an active advertising program and an active "help finance an elder at windemere" program and a program on how to improve the daily problems that may or may not exist on the unit. Give us a chance to try--- save 6 of the rooms for the residents here now and give a group of us a year to try to show how we can make a difference. thank you
Having a roommate after
Christine Powers Waltham, MAHaving a roommate after living independently would be hellish for any senior like Mrs. Isenberg, for example.
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