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A Sixty and Me personal account describes three women in their 70s who formed an informal support network while living in the same apartment building in Cuenca, Ecuador. They use check-ins, shared emergency information and spare keys, and one friend bought another’s apartment after its owner decided to sell. Plans for a shared fund and in-home care are still under discussion.
A personal account published by Sixty and Me describes how three women in their 70s built an informal support network in their apartment building in Cuenca, Ecuador, and how one friend bought another’s apartment after its owner decided to sell. Their arrangements include a three-day check-in rule, shared emergency contacts and spare keys, offering one example of how friends can plan practical support while trying to remain in their homes.
The women—identified by the account as Blake, Emma and the narrator—are widowed, divorced or single, and live in the same restored colonial building. They did not move there intending to become aging-in-place partners. The account says their friendship developed through conversations, dinners and mutual support, eventually extending beyond companionship to checking on one another.
The group first tried morning and evening check-ins, then found the routine too demanding. They now use a three-day rule: if they have not heard from one another for three days, they send a message to check in. Each woman also holds spare keys to the others’ apartments, and they have arranged an emergency group on their phones with several other trusted people nearby.
They have prepared laminated contact sheets listing local ambulance companies, hospitals, emergency services, doctors, medical proxies, lawyers and people with power of attorney. The account says they have discussed setting aside money in an interest-bearing account to pay for a nurse or caregiver if they need one later. That plan remains under consideration, with logistics still being worked out.
The account puts a practical question alongside the familiar focus on home modifications: who can respond when an older person needs help? Its examples show how a small group can agree on simple ways to notice when someone has gone quiet, reach emergency contacts and get into an apartment if necessary.
The arrangement is personal rather than a tested care model, and the account does not report formal medical or social services. Still, it illustrates how friendship and planning can support a person’s independence. The narrator says the three women want to continue living on their own terms, with help from one another when possible.
The apartment purchase also shows how housing stability can shape a support network. When Blake faced the possibility of leaving the building, Emma bought the apartment and told her she would have a home there. The source presents this as a personal decision that kept the trio together, not as a general solution for housing insecurity.
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The narrator begins with common aging-in-place concerns: stairs, elevators, bathroom adaptations, hallway access and proximity to medical care. The account then turns to a less physical part of the question: whether someone nearby will notice if help is needed.
The three women’s relationship grew gradually. They began with drinks and more regular dinners, then developed deeper conversations and a habit of supporting one another through successes and difficult moments. Their check-in system changed as they learned what felt manageable: the twice-daily messages ended, replaced by a three-day threshold.
The housing change came when the owner of Blake’s apartment decided to sell. According to the account, Emma had recently sold an investment property and bought the apartment, telling Blake that the group would stay together. The source provides no purchase price, transaction date or details about the property’s ownership arrangements.
Care Plans Still Take Shape
The account does not identify the narrator by name or state when the events took place. It also does not provide independent confirmation of the apartment purchase or details of its terms; those details are presented through the narrator’s account.
The proposed shared fund and possible in-home caregiver remain ideas under discussion. The women have not described how much they might contribute, how an account would be managed, what care would cost or how they would make decisions if their needs differed. The account also does not say whether other residents have joined the group or how the emergency arrangements have worked in an actual crisis.
The Group Is Weighing Care Options
According to the narrator, the three friends are still working through the logistics of a possible shared fund for in-home help. They think other people in the building may be interested, but the account does not report a decision to start the fund or a timeline for doing so.
For now, their described arrangements center on contact, emergency information and access to one another’s apartments. Whether they expand those plans, involve more neighbors or arrange paid care will depend on decisions they have not yet made.
Key Questions
Who formed the support network?
Three women in their 70s—Blake, Emma and the unnamed narrator—who live in the same apartment building in Cuenca, Ecuador, according to the Sixty and Me account.
How does their three-day check-in rule work?
If the women have not heard from one another for three days, they send a message to check in. They previously tried morning and evening messages but found that schedule too demanding.
What emergency arrangements have they made?
The account says they share spare keys, use a phone emergency group with other trusted people nearby and have prepared contact sheets listing local emergency services, hospitals and personal contacts.
Did the friends establish a shared care fund?
No fund is reported as established. They have discussed setting one up to help pay for in-home care later, but the narrator says they are still working out the logistics.
Source: rss
