Seniors Reinvent Aging Through Cohousing & Senior Villages
What a great article about cohousing on Sharable.net
They’re supposed to be the golden years; a time of happiness and prosperity. But for many seniors, the post-retirement years are not so golden. Many live in isolation, watching their abilities, well-being and independence slowly dwindle away to the point where, after a lifetime of self-determination, they’re in the dreaded position of being a burden. It’s an image that fuels many a sleepless night.
In a time of sweeping funding cuts to senior services—the recent federal budget belt-tightening cut 23.5 percent from the Community Development Block Grants program which funds many senior programs—the message is becoming clear that we need to take aging into our own hands. And we’d better hurry because the number of seniors is about to skyrocket. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1990 there were 31 million Americans over 65. In 2009 there were 39 million. By 2050, the senior population is expected to double to 79 million, which raises the question: if we can’t afford to support seniors now, what will we do then?
This what makes me feel so good: that we are taking things in our own hands and setting an example for others in a very positive way. By downsizing, taking up less space, walking more, driving less. We are using our own energy, which naturally is declining as we age, for doing the things we enjoy, in the company of friends.