Wanted: Housing & Community for Aging Americans
Part Three: It Takes a Village - Neighbors Caring for Neighbors
I have discussed housing and community options for Americans as they age in this series of articles. In Part One, I explored two housing options for older Americans: aging in place (the #1 preference in polls) and sharing housing with family.
Part Two examines four options: shared housing with friends or strangers, co-housing, age-restricted senior communities, and the open-road lifestyle.
In Part Three, I explore the village concept. I think it’s my favorite.
One of my neighbors is a fiercely independent couple in their 80s. They continue to live on their five acres and drive thirty minutes to town down the mountain road in all seasons. For the first ten years, I didn’t know them well; they preferred their solitude. Our first encounter happened shortly after I moved in when one of my dogs broke their short wire fence. It's not the best way to meet your neighbors.
When the pandemic exploded, I called them and offered to do their grocery shopping so they could reduce their exposure to COVID-19. She seemed a bit shocked at my offer but quickly said yes. She provided her list, her debit card, and her PIN. I shopped a few more times for them until they felt comfortable on their own. Over the last few years, I have repeatedly offered our help: When her husband was taken by ambulance to the hospital, she asked me to water her tomato plants and tend to their Scottish terriers. My partner fixed her KitchenAid mixer, and two weeks ago, she asked if we could help them reinstall their TV antenna. Both use canes to walk, and there was no way they could have erected it on their own, much less climbed onto the roof to secure it. Last month, I noticed their mailbox post was leaning, propped up with a collection of rocks and wood. Another neighbor joined us on a sunny Saturday morning, using her tractor to remove the rotted post and install a new post. I don’t think neighborly acts of kindness are rare, but I worry that the escalating divisiveness in our country will increase mistrust and isolation among those we live closest to. I firmly believe that as individuals, we have to actively fight for the kind of country we want to live in.
We are better together.
By 2026, nearly 60 million people will be over age 65, and this generation will live longer than previous generations. My research indicates there are insufficient affordable assisted care housing and care centers to accommodate this increasing number of aging adults. Most Americans prefer to stay in their homes as they age, maintaining their independence. But there is a period in our aging journey when we can no longer physically do some things, may not have family members to assist us, and often become isolated from our communities. The American myth of self-sufficiency is harmful; we hesitate to ask for help. However, we will need help to age gracefully at home and, at some point, embrace the concept of living interdependently.
One of my readers suggested I look at the non-profit organization Village to Village Network. The Village Movement started in 1999, initially to develop social activities to avoid the isolation that often happens as we age. The Village model expanded to include functional and non-medical assistance, recognizing the need for different kinds of support. This community model is ideal for older people who want to remain independent as long as possible but need help from their neighbors.
From the Village to Village Network website:
What is a Village?
Neighbors Caring for Neighbors! Villages are community-based, nonprofit, grassroots organizations formed through a cadre of caring neighbors who want to change the paradigm of aging.
Mission: To support and advocate for the Village Movement that empowers older adults to age in community.
Vision: Communities are stronger with a Village.
Community:
VtVN builds a national community of Villages that work cooperatively and share best practices to support local Villages.
Engagement:
VtVN provides local Villages with resources and training to build thriving Villages that engage and support older adults aging in community.
Partnership:
VtVN collaborates with allied businesses, national organizations, regional Village consortiums, and government agencies to raise awareness of the benefits of aging in community, expand the number of Villages, and access funding to support Villages.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
VtVN celebrates diversity and believes our members, volunteers, staff, and all involved in our organization should feel welcomed, respected, heard, and valued regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability, or any other characteristic. We endeavor to work with our member Villages to create safe, supportive, intentional, equitable, and inclusive communities where older adults are welcomed and encouraged to participate and thrive.
Local Villages connect members to a wide array of practical support services and social connections that enable older adults to enjoy a rich, independent, and healthy quality of life when they choose to age in their homes and communities. Villages build a sense of community and offer resources, services, programs, and activities, including social and educational programs, health and wellness activities, and volunteer assistance with transportation, light home maintenance, and technology coaching. The Village Movement originated in Boston with Beacon Hill Village, leading the way for a more economically efficient model for aging.
Village Characteristics: While each Village is different and reflects the needs of its members and community, Villages share many common characteristics:
Provide a strong, inclusive community that offers members new opportunities to age successfully
Are membership-driven, self-governing, grassroots, nonprofit organizations
Are run by volunteers and may have paid staff
Coordinate access to affordable services, including transportation, health and wellness programs, technology support, home repairs, and social and educational activities
Offer access to vetted service providers (e.g., plumbers, electricians, painters)
Positively impact isolation, interdependence, health, and purpose, reducing their members' overall cost of care
Serve as a one-stop shop for the services members need to age safely and successfully in their own homes
Form linkages with community partners to help address the challenges of aging
The website has a map with a search function to see if your community has a Village organization. The current 300 US villages are primarily in cities and small towns scattered throughout numerous states. They are neighborhood-oriented, so some larger cities may have multiple Villages. If you are fortunate to have an established Village in your community, check it out. Volunteers are the heart of this community model.
The challenge for those of us who do not have access to an existing Village is to start one. The Village to Village Network has a toolkit for beginning the process (membership is required). Look around your community for leaders and supporters interested in starting a discussion. A technology company called Helpful Village has designed software to manage a Village membership and its needs efficiently. Talk to your local government agencies about available funding to help with the start-up. Write your legislators and ask for their support for this community model.
The more I read about this Village concept, the more I like it. In addition to helping older people age in their homes, this community model can provide social connection and purpose. The recent pandemic experience highlighted how much we need connection to others and how important community is to our overall wellness. The phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” has been associated with African villages, but scholars don’t have any specific evidence to support that belief. The origin doesn’t matter; the message of collective responsibility and a shared undertaking make communities successful.
UC Berkeley Professor Scharlach, a researcher in social welfare, analyzed the Village model and concluded that “Villages represent a promising new model, with the potential for positively affecting seniors in ways that may reduce social isolation, expand access to services, increase well-being, and increase seniors’ confidence in their ability to age in their homes.”
This is a special note to folks in the southeast who have been horribly affected by Hurricane Helene. The devastation is overwhelming. We have you in our prayers. This essay had me in tears this morning.
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Share your thoughts on this village community model for aging in place. Anyone who is participating in it?
The VtVN concept sounds lovely in theory. I wonder about how it would work in a rural area like where I live with literal miles between "neighbors." And being brutally honest with myself, things like organizational meetings and committees are mostly just frustrating to me. BUT I recognize that it's important to acquire new skills that are necessary for different stages of life. Since 2020 (or maybe 2016 actually), I have put more effort into building bridges and nurturing neighborly relationships, participating in community clubs, and finding points of connection and shared interests or values. Informally, that is a type of village concept. I think I should explore the website and see what else I can glean to help that spark grow.
The towns I have lived in have always had Councils on Aging / Senior Centers. My mother-in-law used to drive elders to their doctor appointments (in the own I grew up). The center where I lived most of my adult life organized activities, subsidized food, exercise classes, bus rides, excursions and more. This town I moved to has the same plus meals on wheels, donated pastries and coffee, lending libraries, a group of older people (my age and older) that make bears for women and family shelters. It’s all wonderful. When the director was giving me a tour she said the meals on wheels program allowed people to stay in their homes by providing both a meal service and a daily check in. I love this villages concept!