I came across this article today on Yahoo!News. It talks about an alternate living environment for older adults, and some innovative communities in Boston that allow for people to stay at home or in a facility they can afford that allows them more dignity and independence than a nursing home. It is an interesting model and read.

What stands out particularly to me is the emphasis on community. A lack of community is a common theme I hear among my patients. Just the other day, a 92 year old I work with wants to move into a facility so she doesn’t have to care for her home anymore, but does not want to be around “those people I don’t know.” She also was lamenting a lack of reliable help from the local NORC and people she tries to hire in her current home. But a model as outlined in this article with a reliable and steady stream of volunteers and fellow aging neighbors to look out for each other would allow for people to feel independent and safe.

Now we just need to make sure their homes are safe enough to stay in as well!

Feel free to share your impressions of the article in the comment section!

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/living-and-dying-at-home/391871/