NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A lot of us are responsible for older adults in our lives, and the cost of senior living communities is a big concern.
Right now, people 65 and older are the fastest-growing age group in Nashville. Unexpected rate hikes and closures are putting more and more older people and their families in a tight spot.
When we heard about the rising costs at one facility and the closure of another, we wanted to give families a voice.
The Pavilion Senior Living in Smryna is imposing a roughly 20% increase. I talked to directors who said raising rates was a tough decision. After doing a market analysis, they found their rates were 40% less than most other communities in the area. The new rates make them more competitive, and able to attract better workers.
Families learned about the November 1 increase in a letter on September 6. The letter explained rates had not gone up in at least 15 months, and the increasing cost of labor and materials, and inflation overall gave them no other choice.
We heard from the son of a 92-year-old at Pavilion who said the changes make his mother anxious about finances.
"Like, how am I going to afford toiletries, or additional things like medications, or even go out to have lunch once in a while," he said. "A 20% increase has put us into a lot of financial hardship and chaos here."
In Nashville, Morningside of Belmont is closing altogether. A spokesperson for the senior living community shared it is not financially sustainable anymore "due to the high cost of operating and maintaining the community in accordance with our high standards."
Both facilities say they're helping residents find a new place to live if that's necessary.
To give you an idea, Brookdale, the largest operator of senior living in the country, reports a range of $1,650 to $16,165 a month for independent living rents, according to the National Council on Aging.
The son of the senior in Smyrna says it's so hard when you don't see changes coming. He didn't have any plans to move his mother again and now he's shopping around.
"It's close to family members and we were comfortable with the price range — even anticipating somewhat of an increase on a yearly basis — so it was a long-term plan but we didn't expect for it to be shortened by this notification," he said.
A.W.A.K.E. Nashville is a non-profit that advocates for seniors with limited resources. One way can help A.W.A.K.E. Nashville support seniors is by donating.
Are you in a similar situation? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com or leave me a voicemail at 615-248-5251.
For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.
-Lelan Statom
