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Showing posts with label livable communities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label livable communities. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Families face different challenges when taking care of Mom and Dad

Give a listen to this series. So many decisions, so few options. At Caregiver Access we are getting ready to help in a big way. We are creating a profession that is family focused and will create support programs for these wonderful families to know they are not alone.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

"Pocket Neighborhoods" emerging

I received this article from my friend Ken.

People need people, and a more simplified social-centered lifestyle. That's the key motivation for a major trend in today's housing market. Increasing numbers of homebuyers tend to shy away from large, maintenance-heavy homes with spacious yards in favor of small basic homes in intimate neighborhoods. They want to live close, but not too close, to neighbors. Thus, architects and developers are responding by planning small groups of single-family homes - perhaps 6 to 12 small homes - in a setting of neighbor-friendliness. These mini-communities are sometimes referred to as pocket neighborhoods.

Typically, these are clustered groups of neighboring houses gathered around some sort of shared open space - a garden courtyard, a pedestrian street, a series of joined backyards, or a reclaimed alley - all of which have a clear sense of territory and shared stewardship. They can be in urban, suburban or rural areas, it was noted by architect Ross Chapin, author of the new book, "Pocket Neighborhoods," published by Taunton Press.

These are settings where nearby neighbors can easily know one another, where empty nesters and single householders with far-flung families can find friendship or a helping hand nearby, and where children can have shirttail aunties and uncles just beyond their front gate, Chapin said.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Daffodils in the mud

Imagine waiting an entire year to bloom and then a rain storm weighs down your petals. Instead of announcing spring, the daffodils' lovely yellow petals are stuck in the mud.
Often couples have waited a lifetime to retire. When an illness comes along,instead of walking on a sandy beach or taking an art course at the local museum, a newly recruited Family Caregiver is now sitting by a loved one's bedside or in a doctor's waiting room. Just like the daffodil, Caregivers need a nice "gardner" to come along and shake off the heavy weight of some of their burdens.
Helping their loved one stay at home is one of the most helpful things a community can do for a Family Caregiver. Here's a great program that's been a model for the rest of the country.