I am 84 and my wife of 59 years is 81. We are in good health, but since I gave up driving it is difficult to remain in our house. Can we afford a place in Manhattan which also offers assisted living if and when we need it?

RAV:

You know the saying: "If you have to ask how much, you probably can't afford it." I was born in Manhattan and lived there for years (E. 5th St., E. 11 St., E. 122nd). Everything kept going up except my salary. So I moved to Parkchester in The Bronx. Fairly safe, quiet, with easy access to supermarkets, shopping, medical care and public transportation. There are many other places just like my neighborhood throughout the City, with Manhattan just a few minutes away by subway -- a little longer if you take a bus.

I suggest expanding your search, as affordable housing for seniors in Manhattan is in short supply and quite expensive. Check out Briarwood and Kew Gardens in Queens. They're steps away from the thriving Asian communities of Flushing (e.g. Korea Town, etc.); complete with produce markets, cheap restaurants, and clubs were you can take your wife for a spin ... and fall in love all over again.

Good luck my friend, and keep us posted.

-- ED

ooops...that should read "3,000 - 5,000/mo."

As a rule, assisted living costs apx 3,000 - 5,000/yr. The amount varies according to which individual services you will need. The nice thing about living in Manhattan is the access to both medical services and excellent ground transportation. The down side, I imagine, is the cost.
As deb said above, it is great that you are thinking of all these things now, before you need them. If you read many of the posts here, it isn't always wise to leave things up to the family to sort out. If you make plans now, you will feel more relaxed knowing that you have plan.
You may want to consider choosing someone who will have your POA - someone who can follow through with your wishes in case you are incapacitated. Having a living trust or will is a good idea too. Talk with your doctors about an "advance directives."
Once your plans are in place, take lots of vacations and just have fun...you deserve to live your life in the way you choose!

It is difficult to answer that question without more information. But as a rule I think many elders postpone these decisions because they do not want to make the necessary financial committment. It is great you are looking to your future now. I would suggest researching facilities that have a "continuing care" model. Independent living, assisted, skilled. Assisted living in not cheap anywhere, I can only imagine the costs in Manhatten. Call and find out the requirements. You should also have an attorney to be sure everything is in order. Hats off to forward thinking!

Correction: 59 YEARS - probably more than 1 tear/year, but thousands more smiles.