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Life on the Inside: Are ElderDorms Homes or Prisons for Old People?

"Sure, I'd rather have my own place. Who wouldn't?" said Linda Rodman, age 82, a three-year resident at the Wood Lake dorm. "But this is better than living on the street or in a shelter with young people. A lot of those kids are really violent."

Kevin Peterson, age 78, who moved to Wood Lake 18 months ago after being evicted from his apartment, agreed with Rodman. "It's noisy and the food is lousy, and people steal your stuff," he said. "But I'm too old to live outdoors."

The Wood Lake dorm consists of two large barracks, one for men and one for women. Each barrack has beds for 60 elderly people. Though older women outnumber older men, men are more likely to end up in the dorms because they are less likely to be taken in by family members, according to dorm manager, Tory Hoffman. The dorms are segregated by sex. Three private rooms are available for married couples on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each dorm resident has a bed, a small bedside table, and a locker for personal possessions. Residents are required to do chores such as laundry, making beds, cleaning, washing dishes and cooking, with those with physical ailments assigned to lighter duties. Hoffman defends the work requirement by saying it is good for morale, reduces resident misbehavior and saves money. "It isn't punitive," he said. "It's the only way we can afford to keep these places going."

Meals are heavy on carbohydrates. Breakfast is invariably oatmeal and toast, and meat is served only on Sundays and holidays. Hoffman defended the diet. "Many of our residents ate too much meat and other fatty foods when they were on the outside," he said. "The diet they get in here is really better for them."

Wood Lake provides no recreational activities. Some residents take the bus to the library or go for walks, and local churches provide transportation to services. Recreation for most appears to be watching television. Fights over what program to watch on the single screen in the dining hall are the major disciplinary problem at the dorm.

To prevent old people from begging on the street and at shopping malls, some neighbors say dorm residents should not be allowed to leave the facility.

"It's really irritating when they hang around and beg," said Minnie Halbbach, age 26, assistant manager of a nearby convenience store. "You know they just use the money to buy booze. And there's a lot of shoplifting, too."

Despite the feelings of people like Halbbach, the federal ElderDorm authorizing legislation specifies that residents are free to come and go as they wish.

"The dorm is a home, not a prison," said Hoffman. (Trends: aging, rising dependency ratio)

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