Seniors’ dreams can fade away

Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006 | 7:04 a.m.

Luana Rae Bello has packed her bags to move back to Sacramento.

Her paradise had been lost in the smog emanating from the diesel trucks working just 20 feet from her cute little porch adorned with an angel sculpture.

She said goodbye to North Las Vegas and goodbye to Destinations at Alexander, the retirement community where Bello, 68, had spent the past 18 months. But she wanted to stay forever.

"I moved here and I said, 'This is it. They'll take me out of here,' " Bello said. "At our age you get the feeling it's going to be your last move, that you're going to die here."

But, like many people across the Las Vegas Valley, she has found the sunny weather, non stop entertainment and relaxed culture sometimes comes with a steep price. Open land is often quickly developed and the cost of living can rise faster than the buildings.

Plus, it can be tough to meet people, and social services are at a premium.

In short, life wasn't as sunny as it appeared on the senior community brochures. Coupled with health care, prescription and utility costs, the financial result can be devastating for seniors.

Moving out of their newly adopted state becomes a solid option.

"If you're on a fixed income with Social Security and a bit of a pension it's getting harder and harder," said Deborah Moore, a spokeswoman for AARP Nevada.

More than 50,000 people older than 65 have moved to Nevada since 2000. Seniors make up about 11 percent of the population of both Nevada and Clark County. That number will almost certainly go up when Baby Boomers reach retirement age in 2011.

Yet the numbers do not show how many seniors are leaving Las Vegas - to escape the heat, return to family they missed more than they thought they would, or to save money. While 50,000 more seniors live in the region than five years ago, more have moved - and moved out - in the revolving door of Nevada.

"Nobody tracks who's moving out," said Claudia Collins, a professor for aging studies at UNR's Cooperative Extension in Las Vegas. "I see trends going on, but there's no numbers."

In addition to the senior struggles, many simply miss home - wherever that is - and choose to move closer to family and old friends.

"I miss my children and grandchildren, and I hate the summers," said Caroline Strauss, 63, who has lived in Green Valley for nearly four years.

But Strauss, who lives with her husband, has found it costs too much to move away. So for now, she will deal with the inconveniences and settle for trips to see her family in Southern California.

Bello, a widow, faced a 4.5-percent increase in her rent - up to $1,009 per month. That wasn't enough to force her out of the state. The true culprit has been the construction vehicles that start work at 6 a.m. every day on a new housing development.

It's so close sometimes, workers wave while she sips her morning coffee.

Cecil Rinker, operations manager for Leisure Care Retirement Communities, which runs Destinations at Alexander, said there's little that can be done since the noise comes from outside the complex.

"We took the complaint seriously," Rinker said. "But there's nothing we can do about it."

It's pretty loud, although life at Destinations at Alexander sounds pretty good.

The complex has a long schedule of activities and entertainment ranging from "Monday Night Football" parties to a bocce league to a book club. It also offers residents trips to Fremont Street and "Mama Mia" at Mandalay Bay. But it comes with a price.

Albert Johnson, 71, a retired bus driver from Los Angeles has seen his rent at the complex increase about $150 per month over the last three years.

He, too, deals with the diesel alarm clock each morning. It's a noise that will end only after construction has stripped him of his panoramic view of the mountains and the Strip.

"I chose this one because you can see all the city lights and all the fireworks," he said, looking out at a truck spreading water. "I like it here, but I can't handle this."

Those who work closely with senior citizens were not surprised at the tales. They said it's not unusual for seniors to find themselves in sticky housing squabbles or other tight financial corners.

Collins knows the high expectations for seniors moving to Nevada sometimes are not met. That rings especially true for renters who often don't have the same financial security as people who bought a home.

But the lesson may be buyer beware.

"I think they should be aware of the fact that as you become older there really are no advantages," said David Udy, president of eElders.org, a non profit focused on organizing elder care providers in the state. "The guys who are leasing agents aren't going to cut you any slack."

Bello, however, has been cut some slack. She won't have to pay a $1,000 fee to terminate her lease when she moves , Rinker said, after speaking to a reporter. Johnson said he will wait until the lease expires this summer before finding a new home. He is already busy looking for a quiet place.

He will not be alone in his apartment hunt. In coming years, the market for senior services will become more crowded.

"We've got this exploding industry that is just completely disorganized and disjointed," Udy said. "To navigate your way through it is incredibly difficult. People come here saying this is a great place and it might be.

"But then things change and the rent starts rising."

Bob McCune, former president of the Silver-Haired Forum, a congressional lobbying group for seniors, said housing problems will continue, making the outlook for seniors bleak.

"Most of it is just a bloody ripoff," he said. "Rent is high, apartments are scarce and it's not going to get any better."

That's in addition to concerns about health care, including the cost of prescriptions and the confusion about how to find the right services. "Seniors worry a lot about that," McCune said. "They need help and sometimes they just get abandoned."

Cost of living increases have been among the top priorities for AARP in recent years. Moore said common sense can be the most important thing for seniors picking out an apartment or home.

"A lot of people think they are going to retire to paradise," she said. "Make sure they have the resources and services there so you can age in peace."

Bello has been aging gracefully. Her health is good and she'll enjoy returning to California. And she'll finally be able to sleep in past sunrise without the beeping of construction vehicles in reverse.

"The attitude is, 'You're overreacting,' like it's just an old lady bitching," Bello said. "But when they're here I go nuts. They blow the black smoke. I just have to leave. I'm outta here."