By Laurelle Walsh
The nine-person steering committee that’s working to get the valley’s “virtual retirement village” — Methow at Home — off the ground, would like people to complete a survey to help them determine whether the “Village” concept will work in the Methow Valley.
“This is not something that we’ve invented,” said committee member Val Sukovaty, who spoke at Friday’s Community Roundtable along with colleague Kate Wallace Johnson. Methow At Home will be modeled after the 140 Villages currently in operation around the United States, with another 125 in the planning stages, Sukovaty said.
Virtual retirement villages are member-owned organizations that coordinate access to support services to allow senior citizens to live as long as possible in their own homes.
“People would like to stay in the valley longer,” but obstacles such as transportation to doctor appointments and maintaining a home have forced some valley residents to move to larger communities, Sukovaty said. There are currently no assisted living facilities in the Methow, and the 12 beds at Jamie’s Place/Mountain View adult family homes are for people with higher care needs, Sukovaty said.
A typical Methow At Home member would be 50 years old or older, live independently in their own home, and have a desire to be actively engaged in the community’s civic and cultural life, according to the organization’s brochure. Many members would also volunteer to help other members. “Volunteering — neighboring — is the heart of a village,” the brochure states.
“The array of programs and services offered through Methow At Home will be based on member needs and preferences,” the two-page survey states. Questions gauge the respondent’s interest in becoming a member and/or volunteering, propose a membership fee structure, and ask which services potential members are most interested in: transportation, home maintenance, technology support, and organized educational and social events, to name a few.
The steering committee is hoping to hear from 200 interested valley residents before entering into the next phase of development: raising funds to hire a part-time executive director who will get the program rolling.
Planning ahead
Membership in a virtual retirement village like Methow At Home can be compared to any kind of insurance: you pay for it before you need it, Johnson told the Roundtable.
“Our motto is ‘So what’s your plan?’” said Johnson who, at age 51, figures she’s the youngest member of the steering committee. “I see this as a powerful way to make a widespread impact in the community,” Johnson said, adding that she’s volunteering to build this organization in part “so that when I need it, it will be there.”
People from outside the valley are excited about Methow At Home too, Johnson said. “It’s not just a benefit to the aged,” but children with elderly parents in the valley will rest easier knowing that their parents are part of a community network that will help them live more safely in their homes, she said.
The survey is available at www.methowathome/documents, as is the two-page brochure. Steering committee members are happy to visit community clubs, church groups and other organizations to distribute surveys and talk to potential members, according to committee chair Ellen Lamimen.
For more information or to arrange a visit by a steering committee member, call 996-5844 or email info@methowathome.org.
