Housing options forum . . . continued from page 1 house built for 30-somethings. “Look at your stairs, and make sure there are railings on both sides,” he said. His other suggestions: hand grips in the bathrooms, lever-style doorknobs, and doors that can accommodate walkers and wheelchairs. Prue Douglas: Stimulated at Terwilliger Plaza Douglas, who retired from the Center for English as a Second Language, first moved to the Oregon Coast before returning to Portland to live at Terwilliger Plaza, a continuing care retirement community near Duniway Park. “Living at Terwilliger Plaza has been an adventure for me,” Douglas said. She praised the intellectual stimulation, the maintenance staff, the chef, the library, and the van that takes residents to church, symphony, or “anywhere else we want to go.” But none of those features persuaded her to live at Terwilliger Plaza. “I choose it because I’ve developed the most wonderful friendships,” Douglas explained. “It’s the way we live everyday—I’m stimulated. People who live there are not playing bingo. I’m living with a group of intelligent people who have done the most intelligent things with their lives—and they’re fun to be with.” LaRay Barna: Reversing roles and loving it Barna lives in an apartment in her daughter’s house. “You have to be sure you’re very convivial,” explained Barna, who taught speech communication at Portland State. “That’s a basic requirement.” Another requirement is that the apartment must be your own, with a separate entrance, so you feel autonomous. “One of the real pluses is that there are young people close at hand,” Barna said. “My granddaughter is upstairs most of the time when she’s not at the University of Oregon, and her friends come over and there are things going on. It makes you feel that there is life out there—we’re not just these old folks stuck down here in the basement.” Role reversal is probably the biggest adjustment. “My husband and I were in charge all those years, and now, suddenly, we find them telling us what to do—‘Mom, you’re using the wrong product on those hardwood floors!’ But in many ways, it’s a good thing because many times I’m really glad to call up and ask for help.” Have the kids imposed a curfew? “If we’re not home by when they think we ought to be there, we hear about it,” she said, laughing. “And that’s a good feeling, to know that somebody’s worrying about you.” Charlene Levesque: An apartment ‘on the edge’ Levesque, who retired from Campus Events and Scheduling, told the audience that since she can’t afford a house or a condo, she has lived in apartments since her divorce 22 years ago. She’s been priced out of the University District; her old apartment in the Ione is now renting for $1,100 per month. “That’s the way rents are in the University District now—it’s just not affordable for the average person.” She now lives in Station Place Tower, which is, she is careful to explain, “on the edge of the Pearl.” (“I make that specific because I’m embarrassed to say I live in the Pearl. It’s so trendy!”) Station Place rents are fixed and increases are tied to Social Security increases. The building is only three years old, green, and features exercise, computer, and community rooms. Cooking classes are taught several times a year, and a van takes residents to Fred Meyer twice a month. “The van is really nice,” said Levesque, who noted that it’s easier to get to the store empty handed than it is to get back carrying a pile of packages. Station Place has its downsides. There are “lots and lots” of rules. “It’s like being in a dormitory,” she said. “But all in all, it’s great,” said Levesque. “I can call someone to change the light bulb. But having been married to a man who was always traveling, my motto is, ‘What does a woman do alone? Everything, honey.’”
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