Senior housing keeps homey touch

"I'm living the easy life," she said. "I don't have any responsibilities. Problems are taken care of. All you have to do is eat and pay the rent. When the snow comes down, you don't have to worry and you don't have to mow the lawn."

Sanderson Court Senior Apartments is one of ten senior apartment complexes managed by the Albany Diocese through De Paul Housing Management.

Growing need

"People want to stay independent," she said. "At times, family want them to move in, but they want their own place. Often, widows don't want to take care of a house, but they want to be on their own."

As residents develop needs for assistance, many services can be arranged for them by De Paul, according to Byrl Moore, support specialist for the agency. "We bring in as many services as they need whether it's Meals on Wheels or housekeeping," she said.

Located in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Delaware counties, the De Paul complexes provide seniors with one-bedroom apartments with such amenities as on-site laundry facilities, an emergency pull cord system and a live-in resident assistant for emergencies, a community room, and social activities. Daily newspaper delivery, visits from hairdressers, monthly blood pressure clinics, hearing clinics, vision screenings, and visits from podiatrists and chiropractors are also available.

Spiritual needs

Those who live at St. Vincent's can also use the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a replica of the site in France where the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Bernadette. Weekly Mass and communion services are held there for the residents.

The apartment complexes also provide the residents with many opportunities to socialize, such as shopping trips to supermarkets and malls, birthday parties, and bus trips to restaurants and local theaters.

Residents pleased

Neighbor Peggy Keyser said, "I like the security, the cleanliness and all of the activities. Everybody looks out for everyone else."

The common areas of the buildings -- hallways, laundry facilities and community rooms -- are tastefully decorated and have a homey feel rather than an institutional one. At St. Vincent's, for example, muted tan and blue floral wallpaper decorate the halls.

At Sanderson, country style wallpaper borders are used in common areas. The community room is decorated in shades of teal while the community kitchen is decorated in peach.

Personal touch

Mrs. Moore said residents often book the common rooms to host family parties. "There are showers for granddaughters and Thanksgiving turkeys being cooked," she said.

It is important that the Church reach out to meet the needs of seniors, Mrs. O'Brien said. "The mission of the Church is to serve the people of God," she said. "We're providing safe, affordable housing. We bring our belief in the dignity of each person to senior housing."

Affordable housing

The apartments are available to persons of low income who are elderly or mobility-impaired. The income requirements range between $17,400 and $31,800. Rent is based on 30 percent of an adjusted income.

The agency is beginning to investigate providing other types of housing, Mrs. O'Brien said. "Parishes are telling the Diocese that there is a need for middle-income housing for seniors," she said. As the agency investigates that possibility, it is continuing to meet the needs of its current population. De Paul's newest building Fontbonne Manor in Latham is scheduled to open in March.

Mrs. O'Brien would like seniors to know that the Diocese can help meet their housing needs. "It's a nicely kept secret," Mrs. O'Brien said of De Paul. "I'm not sure the whole Diocese knows there is wonderful housing for low-income seniors, sponsored by the Diocese, available."

(De Paul Housing Management will host an open house at the new Fontbonne Manor in Latham on Feb. 13, noon-3 p.m. For information, call 459-0183.)

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