Have you ever heard of a NORC, a “Naturally Occurring Retirement Community”? You may not know it yet, but a few local communities/neighborhoods are already trying to get more organized around this excellent idea. In fact, one group is already meeting in the Gainesville area and is applying for a grant through Elder Options to help get more organized. Contact me if you would like to be placed on their mailing list!

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities are self-help communities that started springing up in 1992 with the founding of “Community Without Walls,” in Princeton, N.J. They are not a formal community but occur naturally in neighborhoods in both small cities and urban areas and are not cohousing.  They offer a very popular alternative to moving into a senior living community as the aim of a NORC is to keep seniors in their own home.  According to Wikipedia, a NORC, “is a community that has a large proportion of residents over 60 but was not specifically planned or designed to meet the needs of seniors living independently in their homes.”

Often started by grass roots elder activists NORC’s link seniors with other seniors and leverage the numbers so they can collectively provide the typical services seniors need. If seniors need help with minor repairs, a ride to the doctor, groceries, meal drop off, the NORC can often coordinate these services and often for a reduced price.  Volunteers are a huge part of the success of these groups. Some “villages,” as they like to be called, include coordinating healthcare as well.  Larger NORC’s often have a central office that will coordinate home care, access to a 24 hour a day emergency hotline, transportation, and more.

Typically, they form alliances with home health agencies, and other healthcare providers and vendors.  Dues are associated with these communities and can vary from $25 a year to $750 a year for a couple depending on the level of services offered. There is now a national organization called Community Without Walls whose mission is to “enhance the ability of members to age well and to be able to make choices that will permit us to age in place.” Sometimes a NORC is not a physically connected location, but loosely organized around a church, synagogue, or fraternal organizations.

NORCs are geographically defined either by the boundaries of a neighborhood or it could be an entire apartment building. While NORCs were first identified in urban settings, they can be found in communities large and small, and can include a more rural setting over a large geographical area comprised of one- and two-family homes.

NORC programs are generally supported by a combination of public and private funding. It could be a combination of government agencies, corporations, and not-for-profit organizations. These core partners connect to many other stakeholders in a community—typically local businesses; civic, religious, and cultural institutions; public and private funders; and local police and other public safety agencies. The federal government has funded about 40   NORC’s as the elder population is increasing so rapidly all over the United States.

By harnessing these resources for a common interest, NORC programs help to transform a community into a great place to grow older. There are some very famous NORC’s like Boston’s Beacon Hill Village. Founded in 1999, it is recognized as one of the nation’s oldest and most successful NORC’s. I highly encourage you to visit their website, https://www.beaconhillvillage.org/   to get an idea of just how these communities can work. It reminds me of a top-notch Life Care community without a high entry fee or having to move! Larger communities often have group fitness classes, lectures, educational opportunities, social groups, travel groups, and group transportation to art and cultural events and more.

As Gainesville attracts more and more seniors, and our existing neighborhoods age up, what can we do to encourage NORC’s to flourish? NORC’ s allow our elders to age in place safely with the help they need.

With the national staff shortages in all healthcare settings, the effects of the pandemic on long term care, NORC’s are one of our best solutions to offering affordable coordinated care where the cost of services is shared or subsidized. Offering community-based services keeps our elders independent longer and out of expensive care facilities that many can’t afford. Doesn’t it make sense for state, federal, and local agencies, and businesses to do what they can to make this model work? While our city government is looking at affordable housing options, please let’s keep our elders in mind and do what we can to help them age successfully.