Sun News -The rapidly growing senior population along the Grand Strand is driving the need for housing and developments that cater to the group that wants to live independently for as long as possible. Housing, especially affordable housing, is one of the most important needs for the area’s aging population, said Ray Fontaine, director of the Horry County Council on Aging. “I don’t mean the stereotypical housing project but a decent, clean respectable community that is aesthetically pleasing,” he said. The early retiree population in Horry County – those between 55 and 64 – grew about 73.5 percent during the past 10 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The number of residents above the age of 65 grew 56 percent between 2000 and 2010, compared to the roughly 35 percent growth of 18 to 64 year old residents, according to the Census. The aging population has created a demand for more accessible houses with specialized features to accommodate aging bodies, more age-restricted communities and developments that offer some assistance.
The growing demand has meant rapid growth for communities catering to seniors, including Seasons at Prince Creek West, a 55-plus active adult neighborhood and Brightwater, which is a continuing care living community that provides independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing. “The market is huge,” said Rainbow Russell, the marketing director for Seasons. “How many millions of people are in this age group right now, and they’re looking for this sort of lifestyle and this sort of home.” Dutch and Emily Lichtmann were looking for a home where they would have to do less maintenance and could have a good sense of community, which is what led them to Brightwater a little more than a year ago. The upkeep and maintenance on the house they’d lived in since they moved to the area was getting to be too much and they wanted to live somewhere where they could do less and be more secure, Emily Lichtmann said. “We thought the more we’re aging, having a few health problems, it would be good to feel more secure and also relieve the children of any worries,” she said, adding “and it gives you more of a social outlet.”
Security, accessibility and a sense of community are key factors that many seniors are looking for as they try to stay independent for as long as possible, several senior housing experts and seniors said. In the past seniors would move to Myrtle Beach to retire but when they got older they would move back north or to wherever their families were, said Harry Dill, the president of the Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association. “Now more are staying here, which creates a demand for aging in place,” he said. The association’s training classes to become a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, a designation offered by the National Home Builders Association, have been full as more builders look to hone their understanding and skills of what the aging population will need. Wide doorways and hallways that allow for a walker or wheelchair are important, as are accessible bathrooms, or bathrooms that can be made accessible. In his company Sterling Homes, Dill has redesigned plans to make wider doorways standard and often does a standalone shower that wouldn’t require the resident to step into a bathtub, which can be difficult for older residents. He also builds homes so that it’s easier to add safety and accessibility features, such as grab bars in the shower or a lower sink that can accommodate a wheelchair.
“I would say anybody that doesn’t go study this aging in place is missing the boat,” Dill said. “We’re going to see it in almost all new construction in an area like us where we’re a destination area and there’s a lot of retirees.” The design changes aren’t difficult and new products that are easy to install continue to be released, he said. Combining those accessibility features with community activities has been a good business strategy for Seasons, which sold 98 houses last year and already about 40 this year, Russell said. “That’s kind of the general trend, people are looking to change their lives, do something different and retire,” she said. The residents have created an active community with regular events, card games and golf outings scheduled throughout the week. Many of the residents are from the Northeast and bought here because of lower taxes, more affordable properties and the location being about a day’s drive from their previous home, Russell said. About 200 of the 460 homes - which range in size from 1,600 to 2,500 square feet and cost between $219,900 and $304,900 - have been sold, she said. “We’ve got a ways to go, two or three years, before we sell out, build out and of course we’d be looking to do another 55-plus here,” Russell said.
The Horry County Council on Aging, which primarily provides services and operates senior centers in the county, has also decided to build affordable senior apartments, to help meet the large need, Fontaine said. Last year the council won a federal housing grant to fund affordable senior apartments off Heritage Road outside of Loris. The planned complex will have 28 apartments and a senior center on about 15 acres. Seniors with low or fixed incomes will be eligible to live in the apartments and the average cost per person will be about $350 a month. There have been some delays on the project because the federal approvals have moved slowly, but after dealing with problems with groundwater runoff and sewage, construction should start in the next month, Fontaine said. Brightwater, which is for residents 62 years old and up, has also been growing and opened an additional 32 skilled nursing beds and the secure 24-bed Alzheimer’s and memory care unit last week. The concept at Brightwater is a bit different – the development has an independent living section, an assisted living section, a skilled nursing section and an Alzheimer’s and memory care unit. The idea being that as residents age and need more care, they can stay in the community but move to a different area. “We’re covering the entire spectrum,” said executive director Jimmy Justice. “They switch over back and forth all the time and that’s kind of the whole plan here, to keep you in the same area as long as possible.”
Horry County is popular with seniors and there is definitely a strong demand for housing that is tailored for them, he said. “This is the start. It’s kind of a new industry. We’re going to need more and more of these as the tsunami of baby boomers ages,” said Barbara Gans, the lifestyle adviser at Brightwater. In the independent living section, residents can have an apartment or a house, but have all their repairs done for them, can eat in the dining room, have a weekly cleaning service and an emergency alert system, which calls onsite security and medical staff. Brightwater also puts an emphasis on activities – anything from ping pong tournaments to water aerobics – to keep the residents active and engaged, Gans said. “As you age just having good socialization around you has proven to extend your life,” she said. The community is part of what drew Vivian Gilmer to Brightwater about a year and a half ago. “I was sort of isolated before,” she said. “[Now] I have a lot of new friends.” Having fewer bills, not having to cook and the safety of the community are also big benefits, Gilmer said. Gilmer didn’t want to have to move closer to family in Virginia because she likes Myrtle Beach and this way, with her apartment, she can stay and her family doesn’t have to worry, she said. “There’s just so many advantages of just common, ordinary conveniences,” she said. “I have more time to do the things I really want to do.”
