Seniors want and need to live in a
housing community where they have friends and a support group.
Seniors certainly want a home, not a hospital.
A baby boomer nearing retirement age in Dallas, TX, writes, "I grew up in a medium-sized town in the south. Every night that I can remember, I played outside with my friends, even huddling under trees and porches in the rain. Many nights our parents sat outside, too, watching us, but primarily visiting with each other.
"I never felt anything but safe even though we often stayed out long after dark playing Murder in the Dark, a kids' form of hide-and-seek.
"I never lacked for friends, either. I could always knock on doors in the neighborhood and round up someone to accompany me on a bike ride or an exploration of the nearest creek or wooded area.
"I lived my adult life in two different suburban neighborhoods. Each day my husband and I returned from work, exited our automobile, and entered our home, occasionally waving to a neighbor. If we went outside again before driving to work the next morning, it was to grill dinner in our fenced and very private back yard.
"We did know and visit with some of our neighbors on the week-end--primarily those who had children who were friends of our children. Occasionally we saw our neighbors briefly at the grocery store or a nearby restaurant.
"Any community in our suburban neighborhoods centered around churches and possibly a few non-profit groups.
"As a widow with grown children, I moved to an apartment. I like the freedom of apartment living but I live in almost complete isolation from my neighbors. After two years here, I don't really know a neighbor well enough to ask them to follow me to an automobile repair center.
"I see elder or senior cohousing as somewhat of a return to the neighborhoods of my childhood. Certainly I don't want to spend my retirement years in a typical urban/suburban apartment, condo, or retirement home."
Janet Kornblum of USA TODAY opines about seniors, "The idea is to move into a place where they will spend the rest of their lives, though illnesses such as advanced-stage Alzheimer's could still force them out if a time comes when they can no longer live independently with the help of a caregiver."
Senior Cohousing
Hidden Lake Ecovillage
Dallas-Fort Worth
Senior Cohousing Directory
Hidden-Lake
in DFW
Senior Cohousing
in Dallas
Active Lifestyle of Elder
Cohousing
Aging Gracefully in Elder Cohousing
Benefits of Senior Cohousing
Cars, Who Needs Them?
Common Areas in Senior
Cohousing
Costs of Elder Cohousing
Do Rentals Make Sense for Senior
Cohousing?
Ecohousing: Why
Build Green?
Features of Senior Cohousing
Finding a Senior Cohousing
Community
Good Neighbor Information
Hot Spots in Community Decisions
Individual Privacy in Senior Cohousing
Is Senior Cohousing Right for You?
Locate a Senior Cohousing
Community
Make Good Use of Your Common House
Meanwhile, Back at the
Common House
Outdoor Common Areas for Senior Cohousing
Therapeutic Community Gardens for
Seniors
What Kind of Housing Do Seniors Want?
Why Elder Housing?
Seniors and Loneliness
Where
Do Pre-Retirees Want to Live?
Younger Faces
in Senior Cohousing
Senior &
Intergenerational Cohousers Fit
Few Lonely Seniors
in Elder Cohousing
Deciding Where to Live