This article come to use from The Guardian, a UK-based news source.

Let me just say, when I read this tag line, my first thought was “of course developers of retirement villages would say that, their business is developing villages and care homes are their competition.” So, I read this article with a skeptical mind, expecting to find some bias to support my initial opinion.

I think this exemplifies one aspect of the booming elder market and the dementia industry. Smart business people have realized that there is an increasing number of older adults and many of these will need some type of care as they continue to age. It really is a booming market and there are people who are profiting – it IS business, after all – but many of these people new to this market don’t have the compassion or the knowledge to understand what housing and care is and means to people. I get a little queasy when I realize that businesses see these wonderful elders in society as revenue and not as individuals with wants and needs and personalities. My best hope for these types of care homes and villages that are started by people new to the market and looking at the growing profit, is that they hire and continue to educate compassionate, knowledgeable staff who will make the place somewhere that is not only financially sustainable but also a good place to live. Continue reading →