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A Sixty and Me report describes how three women in their 70s living in the same Cuenca, Ecuador, apartment building developed a voluntary support network for aging in place. They share emergency plans and check-ins, and one friend bought another’s apartment after its owner decided to sell; plans for shared caregiving remain under discussion.
Three women in their 70s who live in the same apartment building in Cuenca, Ecuador, have built an informal support network aimed at helping them age in place, according to a personal report published by Sixty and Me. Their arrangements include emergency contacts, spare keys and a check-in rule; one friend also bought another’s apartment after its owner decided to sell, helping her remain in the building.
The women, identified in the report as Blake, Emma and the author, came together through ordinary socializing rather than a formal plan to become aging-in-place partners. Blake is widowed and has an adult child; Emma is divorced and lives alone; the author describes herself as single. Blake rents her apartment, while Emma and the author own theirs. The report says their conversations and friendship grew over time into a way of looking out for one another.
Their first system of morning and evening check-ins proved more demanding than they wanted, the author wrote. They replaced it with a three-day rule: if they have not heard from one another for three days, someone checks in, usually by text or group chat. Each woman also has a spare key to the others’ apartments, and the friends have hidden backup keys in locations known to the group.
The report describes additional preparations. The women created a phone-based emergency group with other trusted people nearby and assembled laminated contact sheets listing ambulance services, hospitals, emergency numbers, doctors, legal representatives and people holding medical proxy or power-of-attorney roles. They also maintain private contact lists for reaching family and other friends. The author said the group has discussed pooling money in an interest-bearing account to help pay for in-home care in the future, but that idea is still at the planning stage.
Friendship Becomes Practical Support
The account offers a concrete example of how social relationships can complement home-based aging plans. A suitable apartment and nearby medical services are only part of the picture: these friends have also discussed who might notice if something is wrong, how to contact help and where to find essential information in an emergency. Their arrangements are personal choices described in one report, not evidence that the model will work for everyone.
The apartment purchase illustrates how the group’s relationship reached beyond routine companionship. When Blake’s landlord decided to sell, Emma bought the apartment, the author reported. Emma told Blake she would still have a home with them. The account does not specify the sale price or the purchase’s legal arrangements, but the decision helped address the immediate prospect that Blake might have to leave the building.
For readers who live alone or have limited family nearby, the report raises practical questions about reliable contacts, shared expectations and emergency planning. It also shows a limit: an informal circle may be able to check in and coordinate, but the article does not claim that friends can replace professional care or guarantee safety as needs change.
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How Their Arrangement Took Shape
The women did not meet through an organized aging-in-place program. They encountered one another in their apartment building, a restored colonial property, and began with drinks and dinners. According to the author, deeper conversations and mutual support gradually turned the friendship into a small community. She calls the other two women her “thinking friends,” describing people who listen, offer advice when asked and show up during difficult moments.
Their approach developed through trial and adjustment. The initial twice-daily messages were abandoned because the women felt safe and did not want another obligatory task. In its place, they adopted the three-day check-in rule. They also put emergency information in their homes and phones, and involved trusted people beyond the trio. The account presents these steps as arrangements the women made for themselves, rather than recommendations from a public agency or care provider.
The report’s central development came when the building owner decided to sell Blake’s rental apartment. The author says Emma had recently sold an investment property and used the proceeds to buy Blake’s apartment. The article frames that decision as an effort to keep the friends together, while also noting that the three women have discussed—but have not finalized—a shared fund for possible future caregiving.
“I call them my “thinking friends” because our conversations are substantive and deep.”
— The author of the Sixty and Me report
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Care Plans Still Take Shape
The report does not provide the women’s full names, the date of publication, or independent confirmation of the apartment purchase. It also gives no details about the sale price, financing or legal terms. The account is a personal narrative from one member of the group, not an assessment of the arrangement by health, housing or social-care professionals.
The proposed shared care fund remains an idea rather than a settled plan. The women have not specified how much they might contribute, how an account would be managed, or whether they would hire a nurse, caregiver or both. The report also does not say what would happen if one friend’s care needs became substantially greater than the others’, or how the group would handle costs and responsibilities in that situation.
It is also unclear whether other residents will join the effort. The author says the women think some neighbors may be interested, but no wider building program or formal organization is described. The friends’ check-in routine, emergency contacts and access arrangements are specific to them and their circumstances.
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From Informal Circle to Care Planning
The next step described in the report is further discussion of whether to create a shared fund and how they might arrange future in-home support. The women are still working out the logistics, and no start date or funding commitment is given. They may also explore whether other residents want to take part, though the account does not report a decision or a planned meeting.
For now, the group’s system relies on the measures already in place: a three-day check-in rule, shared emergency contacts, spare keys and written information about medical and personal contacts. The report does not say whether they have reviewed those plans with professionals or set a schedule for updating them. Their next developments will depend on the friends’ needs and on whether they turn the caregiving idea into a practical arrangement.
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Key Questions
What is the news about the three women in Cuenca?
A Sixty and Me personal report describes three friends in their 70s creating an informal network to support aging in place, including check-ins, emergency planning and shared access to spare keys.
How does their check-in system work?
They initially checked in twice a day, but replaced that routine with a three-day rule: if they have not heard from one another for three days, someone sends a message or checks in.
Why did Emma buy Blake’s apartment?
The author reports that Blake’s landlord decided to sell the apartment. Emma bought it after selling an investment property, telling Blake she would continue to have a home in the building. The report does not give the sale’s financial or legal details.
Have the women set up a shared fund for caregivers?
No. The women have discussed creating a fund that could help pay for in-home support, but the report says they are still working out the logistics. It does not describe a completed fund or a caregiver arrangement.
Is this a formal aging-in-place program?
The report describes a personal, informal arrangement among friends, not a program run by a public agency or care provider. It does not claim that the same approach will suit other households.
Source: rss
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