If I Could Just Go Back…
Back in undergrad, Rams Commons was THE place to be. For those who weren’t fortunate enough to attend Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), Rams Commons is a co-ed dorm with suites. There were four bedrooms per suite, with a full-sized bed, closet, and desk in each room. We shared a kitchen, a living room, and there was one bathroom for two people on each side. Along with having an amazing living arrangement such as Rams Commons, we would have water fights, sit on the breezeway talking and laughing, but knew that at any moment we could go back to our rooms for privacy. Living on a college campus was perfect. Then one day, it was all over.
Since this past weekend was WSSU‘s homecoming, I was able to relive some of the best parts about a college campus, which was chilling with the homies. Seeing college friends and linking with sorority sisters made me miss the deep connections made while being in undergrad. Homecoming allowed us to reminisce about the dreams and goals we had in undergrad, the challenges we overcame and how this experience took part in molding us into the amazing people we are today. *sigh Take me back to undergrad where the only care I had was if I was going to the Ram Shack or the cafe!
If you could, would you ever go back to undergrad and do the dorm life thing again? For those who have never experienced the dorm life, does living on a campus near close friends sound like something you’d be into? If so, you might be interested in something that will soon become more popular in the years to come, which is co-housing. Keep reading…
What the Heck is Co-housing?!
Co-housing isn’t necessarily like a college dorm, but it has some similarities such as sharing common rooms and having the chance to fellowship when one feels up to it. Co-housing was initiated in Denmark back in the 1970s but was not introduced to the U.S. until 1990. It is an intentional neighborhood of roughly 15 to 35 homes that have a common area/house, which includes a kitchen and a meeting room for people to gather, and other amenities that enhance the quality of life for the residents. Each community is unique in its own way and varies in price and acreage. The neighborhood can be made up of single-family homes, townhomes, or condominiums.
Here’s an example of a single-family home in a co-housing community known as Elderberry Village
Initially, co-housing communities were intended for families who wanted to be closer to each other and raise their children together, which meant the neighborhoods were multigenerational. However, today we are seeing more co-housing communities being developed specifically for individuals who are over the age of 50. Why is that? Well, many people in today’s society are not down for the whole preparing to live in a retirement home or giving in to the myth that one day they will end up in a nursing home. In previous posts, I have touched on loneliness AND aging in place with reference to getting older. Co-housing can be a solution for individuals who desire social interaction and wish to age in place. Since more people are starting to see this as a way of killing two birds with one stone (I do not support animal cruelty..lol), we can expect to see more of these neighborhoods continue to develop in the future.
Things to Expect
In a co-housing community, like anywhere else, you have to pay the bills, bills, bills.
1. Monthly rent/mortgage payments.
2. Utilities may be bundled and split amongst residents or separate.
3. Possible Membership fees.
4. Responsible for the upkeep of the common house and maintaining commonly owned grounds.
5. Other co-housing community rules
The residents of each co-housing community play a major role in its design and operation and this is not an overnight process. Take a look at the chart below to get a better understanding.
3 Reasons to Consider Co-housing
1. Social Engagement: Social connection + a sense of purpose + decreased loneliness = co-housing
Some people yearn for social connection. Co-housing allows everyone to connect with each other and have unique roles in the community, which gives them a sense of purpose. Residents come together to plan community events, meals, and develop relationships. It is definitely a place to go where everyboooody knows your naaame (*in my Cheers sitcom singing voice). This can be an advantage, especially if one of the residents becomes ill. There’s nothing like being sick and having a friend walk over to bring you Chic-fil-A soup. Having a support system as we continue to age is a must when it comes to enhancing the quality of life.
2. Aging in Place: Aging in place + universal design = co-housing
Earlier I mentioned aging in place and how co-housing communities could be a great way to accomplish that. Of course, that would mean we should all begin looking into something like this…TODAY, considering the planning process can be lengthy. Co-housing communities can be universally designed, which would accommodate us at any age and in the long run cost us less money.
3. Merging of Skills: Learning together + having new experiences = co-housing
The older I get, the more I focus on ways to keep my mind sharp and challenge myself mentally. Studies show that learning new skills is a great way to keep your brain sharp. When you live in a community with people who have different skill sets and experiences, imagine what type of learning will go on between you and all of the other residents.
Something to Think About..
Every day we learn something new. There are so many people who have never heard of co-housing communities. It is definitely something to think about as we continue to age. Living near my homies, or even family would definitely encourage me to participate in the development of a co-housing community. If you’ve never heard of co-housing and you believe this is a neighborhood that could potentially work for you, and your friends/family then find out more about co-housing communities right here!
*Originally published on GeroWhat?!
All the information you need is on the facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/Considering-Cohousing-2357455264501206.
Hello. I am a student in the AGNG 320 class at the Erickson School of Aging. I found your article very interesting, as it provides an alternative housing option for those who wish to age in place without risking the social isolation that can sometimes come with independence. Many of the points you discuss are ones that we have also discussed in class. For example, we have discussed how living independently can lead to social isolation and loneliness, which can be detrimental, because a strong support system can be so beneficial for one’s physical and mental well-being (Haber, 2016). Additionally, living in homes specifically designed for aging in place sounds like another huge benefit to co-housing. I could easily see how living in one of these co-housing communities could lead residents to be more involved in their community and to almost force residents (in a positive way) to maintain interpersonal relationships. Living in a community like this could be so beneficial, and I definitely think it is something that more people should look into as they age.
Citation
Haber, D. (2016). Health promotion and aging: Practical applications for health professionals. 7th edition. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
I thought the Olympus workshop on Photography: Get Off Auto would be a nice refresher course. However I think Aaron Harivel from Olympus has instead cemented the fact that my cameras are seriously outdated. I still have (and use) my Canon 350D, which is 13 years old! There are so many new features in today’s models. Maybe it’s time to upgrade the gear.
I maybe mistaken, but is it not against the law to make these kind of threats against the law on the President and his family? Why is not the FBI and Secret Service all over this all ready? It is a shame on this Country and a weakness on our national security for this kind of action to be allowed against our Commander in Chief. Other countries see America as a weak nation when weak nobodies are allowed to make threats of this nature and are allowed to go unchecked.ellicott city
I love the concept of co-housing- and would love to find a situation with like minded folks. I went to the 2010 co-housing conference. My takeaway was that it’s probably not in my future due to the buy-in cost. I could rent but those opportunities seem slim. I’m 62 and ready to make a move. I welcome any leads and/or insights that might help me become a co-housing resident. Thanks.
Altavista Costa Rica
Although I’ve used a number of cameras over the years and have become lazy about using them in recent times, I thought the Olympus workshop on Photography: Get Off Auto would be a nice refresher course. However I think Aaron Harivel from Olympus has instead cemented the fact that my cameras are seriously outdated. I still have (and use) my Canon 350D, which is 13 years old! There are so many new features in today’s models. Maybe it’s time to upgrade the gear.
For more information, please read the book The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living. Also see the Sage senior cohousing web page, and http://www.cohousingco.com.
If you are looking for a realistic account of Cohousing try http://www.facebook.com/Considering-Cohousing-2357455264501206.
Based on years of lived experience and research into many other communities.
“A perspective that potential cohousers should read. …providing the dark side of community living – it’s a lifestyle that isn’t for everybody.”
I am considering co-housing and would like to hear what u have to say about the negative side .
All the information you need is on the facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/Considering-Cohousing-2357455264501206.
Greetings Christina, I am a student of the Erickson school of Aging at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). I really enjoyed your post mainly because I recently completed a writing assignment of the medical ramifications of social isolation.
In my writing assignment and concepts I have learned in class I stated that social support on frequent levels also has benefits of improving an individuals physical and mental health of those whom engage in this type of lifestyle are improving physical dexterity and decreasing the possibility of chronic conditions (kidney & bladder issues, Arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma and dementia) which can engaged with from a familiar or unfamiliar source whether it being a family member, friend, paster, or community .
In summary, the reason I resonate with your proposal of co housing is because I see social isolation as a disease for all humans, no just the elderly, that has the most inexpensive and abundant cure, which is human social interaction and your proposal of co housing is just one of the many ways to cure this disease.
When people come together, they thrive, especially as they age.
I totally get the dorm thing, I loved it..I love the concept of co-housing- and would love to find a situation with like minded folks. I went to the 2010 co-housing conference. My takeaway was that it’s probably not in my future due to the buy-in cost. I could rent but those opportunities seem slim. I’m 62 and ready to make a move. I welcome any leads and/or insights that might help me become a co-housing resident. Thanks.
Kate Ben-Ami [email protected]
Emailing you now, Kate.
Here’s a not-quite up-to-date list of senior cohousing communities. More have moved in, and more are forming/building. https://cohousing.org/senior_community_list
Now under construction: Village Hearth Cohousing in Durham, NC!
Thank you, for this list Pat!
Glad to see this article pop up on my FB feed this morning because I’m a fan of co-housing even if I don’t (yet) live in one. For people who want more information about it, I’ve also written a blog post about them that others might find helpful… https://www.smartliving365.com/is-a-cohousing-community-in-your-future/#more-4666
I would LOVE to live in a Co-Housing community. I have been looking for at least 3 years and have not yet found any place that a single retired educator could afford. I am 77 years old, in excellent health, still work in schools a day or two a week, and currently live in a 55+ active community. Do you know of any communities that are affordable? Thank you. Dr. Ann Weiss, Pearland, Texas.
There are intentional communities that value you and need you. Look at Treehouse Communities that bring seniors together with families adopting children who have experienced foster care. The first community in East Hampton MA was built as affordable housing. They are building a couple more. The seniors there love it.
My organization, with Treehouse as a model, is trying to build an affordable housing neighborhood that is mutually beneficial to seniors and people with disabilities, with priorities for those with autistic features. As we will be working with agencies that help those with disabilities we expect to help seniors find the help they need to age in place as they need it. Volunteering in the community is essential and the skills of those with autistic features can be matched with the help some seniors will need. This is terrific for both people. We have a long way to go to get it built, but we are working on it. We expect to design for wandering risks and safety issues which would keep at least early stages of dementia safe in the community. We are excited.
Look into Stillwater cohousing
For more information about cohousing or to find a community near you, visit http://www.cohousing.org.
I have lived in a co-housing arrangement for the past 25 years, a brown stone with friends and co-housing is something I think about frequently, for friends, family members, and people I meet in my day to day life. Thank you so much for the blog that confirms my experiences with co-housing–friendship, creativity, never lonely, and for us, a shared little dog. I have found that our co-housing arrangement is much less determined by the physical space than by the efforts we all make to continuously work on building our living ensemble. It is a bit akin to a theatrical production and we are a cast of characters growing older together, creating our lives together, performing life together. Whatever rules, conventions, customs that are adopted evolve out of our ensemble building activity. For example five years ago when one of us, there are three separate living units, developed a serious health problem we decided to have a weekly meeting to support that person’s healing activity. When that person’s health was more stable we decided we liked sharing and working on our personal health concerns and continue to have a weekly meeting to talk about our health–new issues, how we are performing it, what help do people need, decisions we are making and any other related issues.
Again, thanks for bringing the co-housing issue into the conversation. It challenges our ways of thinking of personal space and from my perspective the challenge is worth it.
Susan
Susan,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with co-housing! I most definitely like the support you all showed one of the residents during his/her serious illness! Thank you so much for reading.
Christina – @gero-what
Thanks for the thought-provoking post Christina 🙂