206. Village For Elderly At Saratoga

Blog Post Number 206.  

Village For Elderly At Saratoga 

N-Gaz., May, 31, 1975.

  There is an idea conceived by a woman in Randolph county for creating a village for the elderly. For five years this registered nurse has worked with the elderly, especially in the Saratoga area, and thinks Saratoga would make the ideal location.

  Mrs. Robert Curtner said she is becoming disheartened in her work, however, because when she turns for help in creating the elderly community there is very little.

  Last year she took her proposal to the county commissioners and because "they can't take action on everything," her proposal was turned down. She has mentioned the project to the Randolph County Community Council on Aging, which is still in the process of organizing.

  She asked LaDon Mong, a Union City contractor, about the possibility of building apartments in the Saratoga area and he agreed to build six to begin with if people promised to rent them. But that, besides the plans she's made, is where everything remains today.

  As a nurse for the critically ill, Mrs. Curtner said the elderly are much like her patients; "They expect a person in charge to anticipate their needs and to control the situation...to do it instinctively."

  That's what the community she's designed would do, she says.

  The Retirement Community would be restricted to people past 55 years of age. She says apartment dwellings would be most suitable since as a person gets older he is less able to provide upkeep. The project would begin on a small level, she said, and develop to the place where it would contain bicycle paths for walking and riding because "exercise is a vitally important factor."

  Companionship on a daily basis would be an asset to the program, she said. And other elderly people would be within distance to care and watch over one another, whereas now in this rural county some people become isolated from society on a farm when they grow older and their spouse dies.

  Within time, Mrs. Curtner can see the community offering gardening, mending and repair work, hobby and craft shops and a general store. A restaurant as well as churches could be included. She has specified that a post office, bank and school also be in the area. The intent of including a school would be so younger people and the elderly were not totally out of touch and so that there would be some activities which the elderly could attend.

  Programs for the elderly in the community would include fishing, musical hobbies, such as choir, and taking trips. Diets would be controlled for the diabetic and adequate meals provided. Medical attention would also be provided. There would be some means of transportation. 

  She said diseases of the elderly taken care of by doctors would include arthritis and rheumatism, hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, cancer, loss of sight, hearing and smell, strokes, mental illness, dementia, loss of memory, under nourishment or poor nourishment and heart malfunctions.

  In the area of housing, Mrs. Curtner said small houses in Saratoga could be could be brought into  fixed up and larger homes made into apartments. Also house trailers could be brought into Saratoga for the elderly.

  Already a restaurant, church, post office and bank are established in the area.

  She once thought of applying for a grant for the project, but was at a loss as to where to apply. She said the project could be financed by low income housing federal funds, grants and civic groups.

  She said the basis of the community would be "fun and friendship."

  Mrs. Curtner has talked to residents who own property in Saratoga and said they offered no strong objections to her plan. She said many people are "stuck out on big farms away from everything" and would like the idea. In surveying attitudes she has found that about a fourth of the elderly would want to stay in their own homes and a fourth want to stay with their children, but the other half would want to participate in her Retirement Community.

  The elderly would also be free from worry about safety and security in this community, she maintains. The streets would be quiet and the air, clean.

  Friendship Village In Dayton, Ohio is one such apartment living situation for the elderly that exists.

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