The balance of the residents pay a rather low fee as compared to other such homes in the market. Golden Age gets an occasional grant from foundations for its support and conducts an annual fund raising campaign, neither producing much additional income. The Society's experience at other similar residences indicates that 14 residents is the base minimum needed and that 16 to 18 provides a slightly more manageable cash flow. The nature of the residents of Golden Age homes varies. There are always two or three in various stages of Alzheimers and perhaps several more.
Many residents have serious or at least substantial mobility problems.
Experience has shown that a fair percentage of those paying no fees are retarded although not to the extent of serious incapacity. No residents are bed-ridden on admittance but this occurs not infrequently for a number of the residents for relatively short periods of time. Residents that become permanently bed-ridden are transferred to a higher care facility as soon as a satisfactory one can be arranged. This may take as long as four to five months when the resident does not have financial resources. The building department has some questions about the feasibility of bringing this older home up to all the codes and requirements for a group home, but it believes this can be done although at considerably more cost than Golden Age has budgeted.