Cohousing - What is it? Where is it?

Boredom and isolation are hardships for seniors who want to age at home. Especially for those living in rural and remote areas, staying at home can mean going days without interacting with another person. Fortunately, there is a growing movement known as cohousing that offers seniors the opportunity to age in a tight-knit community of individuals who all contribute to the greater good of the neighborhood.

Cohousing is a community that is designed and organized by its residents. Residents get to decide what they want the community to be and then manage it themselves. Each member has a role within the community and feels a sense of accomplishment. Residents are required to participate in meetings to reach community-wide agreements, make plans and listen to each other. When new residents join the community, they receive training about what it takes to be a part of a cohousing community.

Cohousing communities are not designed to replace assisted living or nursing homes. Generally, people move into these communities in their 50s and 60s, planning for the future, rather than when living at home is no longer a viable option. In fact, cohousing as a concept was not created specifically with seniors in mind and most of these communities are multigenerational. However, Silver Sage in Boulder, Colo.; Glacier Circle in Davis, Calif.; ElderSpirit in Abingdon, Va. and Wolf Creek Lodge in Grass Valley, Calif. are some of the cohousing communities now prospering which were specifically designed for senior residents. These living arrangements allow seniors to maintain their independence by living in a house, condominium or apartment of their own while also remaining social and connected through planned social activities and communal areas. In addition, the residents make decisions about community policies, building projects and community organization.

Cohousing communities include libraries, guest rooms, community gardens, laundry faculties, dining rooms where the entire community gathers for a potluck dinner twice a week and community kitchens. They also include a variety of housing options for a diverse population. In fact, ElderSpirit has 42 residents, all aged between 60 and 86 years. Some of these residents own a two-bedroom house for which they paid roughly $165,000 while others rent and pay anywhere between $315 and $500 a month. Not only does cohousing provide these tangible benefits, but it also offers friendship, community and support. Many members of a cohousing community opt to return to their homes after a hospital visit rather than going to rehab facilities. They are able to do this because their community members help them to complete household tasks while they are physically unable.

This movement began in Denmark in 1985 and that country now has 250 of these innovative housing communities. The architect Charles Durrett introduced this concept to the American market with his book The Senior Cohousing Handbook. Durrett maintains that helping seniors live independently lessens the wear on social services and that by living together, they can not only live longer, but also happier and healthier lives.

These communities offer seniors security and fulfill their social needs. They also allow seniors to feel empowered and provide a sense of accomplishment for what they each bring to the community as a whole. In addition, many communities focus on sustainability and economic diversity. Seniors from all walks of life are provided various housing options to meet their needs, all of which are designed to be as green as possible. Many communities also grow their own food, which helps to make the community more environmentally sustainable while also providing a social activity to perform together.

To read more about cohousing and to find cohousing communities in your area, please visit:

http://www.midatlanticcohousing.org/?p=841

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Source: Taken from an article from Kevin Knapp