Our Northwest

Assisted Living: One Story

(photo: residents of Bishop Place in Pullman, WA)

 May McLean has mastered the art of transition. She has moved 14 times. Her first big move was from Scotland to the United States.  She raised two kids in 3 states and every province of Canada except Newfoundland, while her husband worked as a mining engineer.   After his death in 1989 she stayed in Louisiana. 

For health reasons Mrs. McLean decided it was time to live closer to her son, David, who is an engineering professor at WSU. So she moved into an assisted living community in Pullman, Washington. The move from Louisiana to the Palouse sent shivers up her spine.

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A Quiet Crisis: Housing for the Elderly

Affordable housing is tough enough to find when you're young and healthy. But for older Americans, it's even harder. Retirement homes are nice, but not everyone can afford it. They're often built in areas far from urban centers where most senior services are located. In the final story of our aging boom series, KUOW's Ruby de Luna profiles the ID Village Square in Seattle's International District. The housing and mixed service development is an example of a senior-friendly community in an urban setting.