Not My Father’s Retirement LIfestyle!
By Alex Mawhinney

Editor's note: Alex Mawhinney spent most of the past quarter century developing and managing the full range of conventional “retirement communities” — until it dawned on him that a retirement community, no matter how beautiful or well managed, was still an institution. His epiphany led him to work with Dr. Bill Thomas and others in the “new paradigm elder community” movement. Currently he is a consultant nationwide to developers interested in building “elder neighborhoods” in “human scale” — including cluster cottages, atrium houses, and the Green House. He can be reached by e-mail: jamlll@charter.net

Back in the 1970s, U.S. automaker Oldsmobile coined a commercial slogan: “It’s not your father’s Oldsmobile.” The goal was to convince the public that the product was a radical change from the previous generation of cars. Instead of rehashing the same tired old institutional models of retirement living, why not launch a radical new model more in sync with a new generation of elders?.

We are all familiar with the “older generation” of elder living options that were available to our parents:

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Age in place — in a home not designed for aging in place, and eventually aging alone  Move in with children or other relatives Move to an institution — and pay dearly for care delivered by strangers, under their rules and according to their schedules. The institution might be a nursing home, an assisted living facility, a rest home, a retirement hotel, or a continuing care retirement community with multiple levels of care.

The children who were being wooed to buy that radically changed Oldsmobile in the ‘70s are now older than their fathers were then. And they expect an entirely new model of retirement living from what their fathers accepted. I am one of them.

These “children” are members of the (in)famous post-WWII “Baby Boom” generation, and they have been radicals all their lives. They don’t intend to get old; they don’t intend to leave their homes; and they certainly don’t want to live under other people’s rules and schedules!

Boomers are less regimented than their parents, more independent, more social, and more extravagant. Moving to an institution is not a consideration for most. As boomers age, I believe nursing homes, assisted living, and even continuing care retirement communities will become passé and will struggle to reinvent themselves.

Boomers Paving the Way

Now is the time to consider a new lifestyle for the aging Baby Boomer: a new model that is radically different from the obsolete models where many of our fathers, mothers, aunts, and uncles spent their last years. This new model is a specific form of intentional community.

By “intentional community” I mean “a group of unrelated people who come together to share the deliberate pursuit of some noble aim.”¹ That noble aim usually includes some form of shared values and a disposition to be proactive and creative rather than wait for the aging process to preclude their making choices.

Though intentional communities typically are multi-generational, a new genre of elder-specific community, which we are calling “intentional elder neighborhoods,” is not. Though they are not usually designated as age-restricted, their design and their amenities appeal to mature prospects who want to choose the neighbors — almost like selecting a new family — with whom they intend to share the second half of life.

Principles of an intentional elder neighborhood

  "Relationship-based” community — As social animals, all humans seek personal meaning in their lives, recognition from others, and interpersonal interaction characterized by mutual respect, admiration, belonging, a sense of contributing, and even love. In a platonic relationship, we find the potential for those desires and basic human needs to be met. We can be more when we are together than when we are alone.

  Human Scale — Recognizing the natural limitations imposed by biology — i.e., most individuals can know no more than 10 people intimately and maintain casual friendships with a larger circle of 25 or so — the neighborhood is limited to 30-40 households. Thus, residents can develop relationships with all their neighbors. You know their stories, and they know yours. This requirement does not preclude there being multiple neighborhoods in a larger community.

  Resident Centered — Residents determine and manage their own schedules and decide what activities they participate in. If a resident needs assistance with daily activities, that help is managed without becoming the focus of the daily routine.

  Embrace Continual Learning — Residents recognize and embrace the joy of learning and sharing knowledge throughout their lives. There is usually an affiliation with a nearby college or university to enable residents to take or teach classes and mentor undergraduates. Intellectual stimulation is essential to continuing mental, physical, and spiritual health.

  Spirituality in Later Life — Residents recognize that the developmental task central to later life is essentially spiritual, that is, it is a search for meaning. They support each other in their journey and celebrate the diverse spiritual traditions and practices of their fellow residents.

  Part of Greater Community — Far from being an isolated “gated community,” the intentional elder neighborhood is integrated into a greater community of neighborhoods, town, or city. The residents remain active in and part of the greater community in which they live.

  “Giving Back” to the Greater Community — As the obligations of mid-life wane, those entering the next stage of life have greater choice in how to focus their lives and how to share their accumulated wisdom and experience. There are so many options for “giving back: child care, mentoring, volunteering in various settings, teaching, or just spending time with older residents who find themselves alone and lonely. Giving back is rewarding, and a system of recognizing volunteer service can be a part of the process. Lifestyle Rewards can track volunteer hours contributed and offer its members access to goods and services at increasing discounts every year.^"2

  Environmentally Conscious —The elder neighborhood is committed to good environmental stewardship out of both self-interest and altruism. Careful design can reduce expenses in a time when heating, cooling, water, and other infrastructure costs are rising. Thus, homes are designed and sited to maximize solar or geo-thermal potential; gray-water recycling systems are incorporated for watering the community garden and other secondary needs. Homes are constructed from sustainable, “healthy-built” materials and frequently have common walls and shared heating/cooling systems. Appliances are carefully selected to minimize electric consumption. Homes are designed to be elder-friendly and feature technology to help residents maintain their independence through their lives. The residents determine the extent of their involvement in active environmental consciousness, but the neighborhood is designed to passively meet as many needs as possible.

  Progressive Resident Attitude — The depth of friendships among residents of elder neighborhoods grows over time as residents recognize the many values and interests they share, including their celebration of diversity and their commitment to living life to its fullest. A willingness to help others — a commitment to mutual support that helps build “social capital” — is essential to the social fabric. A proactive approach to maintaining personal health and encouraging other to do the same is nearly always adopted. Though residents' healthcare needs are carefully planned for, unlike in institutional communities, healthcare is not the focus of life in an elder neighborhood. Rather, spiritual growth and development of both individual and the group is more frequently a commonly held value.

Editor’s note: In the Spring issue of Itineraries, Alex Mawhinney will examine the wide range of intentional elder neighborhoods and elder-friendly communities.