Just as “community” is a key definer of desirable modern senior living environments, “wellness” is the driving factor behind healthcare initiatives for Americans of all ages in this era of the ACA. And the two concepts go hand in hand: A successful community includes opportunities for active engagement and mentally stimulating pursuits, both of which contribute to healthy bodies and minds over the long run.
There’s plenty to suggest that strong communities lead to healthier citizens. As Senior Editor Anne DiNardo learned in her interview with Nick Buettner (who, with his brother Dan, traveled the world to uncover the secrets to some of the longest-lived populations), one major contributor to long life is finding the “right tribe.” According to the Buettners’ research, reported on their Blue Zones site: “The world’s longest-lived people chose—or were born into—social circles that supported healthy behaviors,” Dan Buettner writes. “Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness are contagious. So the social networks of long-lived people have favorably shaped their health behaviors.”
Today, the idea of community is expanding well beyond a building’s doors and engaging the neighborhood at large in a two-way street of educational opportunities, exercise classes, civic involvement, and strategically designed, welcoming environments that promote healthier living for all. On a grander scale, Healthcare Design’s Jennifer Kovacs Silvis reports this month on the emerging trend of “health villages”—and there’s an obvious place for senior living in this scenario.
“[These are] mixed-use communities anchored by a healthcare component,” Silvis writes in a blog post introducing the trend. “Villages traditionally include wellness-centered pieces, too, like fitness centers, walking trails, and healthy eating options, in addition to housing, hospitality, and retail services.” Ambitious, to be sure. But they’re becoming a reality.
Another growing trend is college campus-based retirement communities, where seniors can tap into amenities already in place for students and faculties—including, in many cases, top-notch medical care thanks to research-driven, university-affiliated hospitals—and even take classes for free. Lasell Village, run by Lasell College in Newton, Mass., actually requires residents to take 450 hours of classes per calendar year.
“As baby boomers retire in large numbers, these communities will experience significant upticks in popularity,” according to Andrew J. Carle, a senior-housing expert and assistant professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., in a recent article in the New York Times. “People want intellectually stimulating environments.” But that’s just part of the appeal for many residents. The article also quotes Arlene and Larry Dunn, who recently moved into Kendal at Oberlin (near Oberlin College in Ohio). “We love being around young people,” Arlene Dunn said, “and Oberlin is a very active community.”
Both of these trends have significant potential to enhance seniors’ lives within and outside their facility’s front door, while also enhancing each community itself through greater interaction with its most seasoned members. I’m curious to know if the architects and designers out there think this kind of trend has legs: Is this kind of work showing up on your boards? Even if it’s not a full health village or a college-specific retirement community, what examples are you seeing that support this two-way community building?
