Living in a Senior Cohousing Community: A Letter from Susan Burwen

The following is a letter from our dear friend, Susan Burwen, who is also a resident living in Mountain View Senior Cohousing with her husband—the amazing initiators of this beautiful community—and my related thoughts on the topic of co-care.

[Hi Chuck,] I think it’s important to set expectations for people going into senior cohousing communities about how the community is going to handle declining health issues of its members.

Our community has taken proactive steps to create a comprehensive database for each household, including information about care they might need, resources, and contacts, including information for heirs, so that community members know what to do in case of emergencies. Below is a partial list of categories that are covered.

  1. Members of the community who are willing to serve as Care Coordinators

  2. Information about who to contact in case of emergency

  3. Support Tasks You Anticipate Needing

  4. Support Tasks You Are Willing to Do

  5. Information and Paperwork about wills, trusts, assets, keys, passwords, etc.—and where to find this information

Resources: Geriatric Care Managers, Personal Alert Systems, etc.

I hope these ideas are useful for you.

Warm regards,

Susan

Sue Burwen, Mountain View Senior Cohousing

Dear Susan, thank you.

It’s great to get this feedback and to have an increasingly nuanced conversation about co-care in senior cohousing communities—it’s important.

While the book The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living does not describe official “co-caring” — it very much is a big part of the reality of senior cohousing—like it would be in any functioning village. See Chapter 7 in The Senior Cohousing Handbook for more on the topic of aging in place—including co-care and outside care.

From a practical point of view, no one is counting on co-care providing 100% of adequate care, especially without a spouse. One might think that it’s more than likely that those who receive co-care in their later years are those that have been giving some sort of care all along—in their more able years. A give and take so to speak—karma—whatever you want to call it. That said, the conversation and practical applications of co-care in all cohousing—senior cohousing and intergenerational cohousing alike—is absolutely ongoing and the care provided by the community is very organic and more or less almost never official.

The reality is that co-care, without a structured system of volunteering, is a bit like a village—that is more popular people get a little more than less popular people and one of the things that makes them popular is how much care that they have provided to others previously. That might sound harsh, but on some level it’s the case. The currency of consequence in cohousing is giving and is one good reason to keep track of the amount of care everyone gives and receives. For example, someone that moves in with Alzheimer’s is just not going to get as much co-care as others. But they most likely will receive much more care than they would in an institutional setting in the categories that are important i.e., emotional care, company, lunch, community gossip, cohousing stories and lore, new crutches or walkers as needed, care to their spouses and other co-care givers, and help at many other levels. Possibly the most impactful care they receive is emotional support of knowing that you and your caregiver are not alone. They would also most likely have to rely on paid care, if not institutional care, outside of the community for many things. In that case, it could be the choice of the community to have an organizational system that makes sure even the less popular get cared for as well, making the community intentionally more affordable and supportive to everyone, not just the most popular among us, which is what Susan was pointing to.

The currency of giving and contributing, as Charles Einstein argues in Sacred Economics, is “money in the bank”. But it shouldn’t feel like high school – when a pretty smile might carry the day. What Susan is saying is that this method works because if you officially volunteer to work for others, then others will officially volunteer to care for you. And that way everyone gets taken care of. It would be great to keep track—otherwise people feel like their anonymous contributions are lost. But I don’t expect this official co-caring to be adopted anytime soon in cohousing. Voluntary co-care will continue in more cohousing communities like it does in intact villages around the world—from the Amish to the Iroquois and other intact villages everywhere on all of the continents.

 Chuck

How Smart Tech and Cohousing Can Improve Seniors’ Lives

An article by guest blogger, Alexis Spence.

With longer life expectancies, there also comes the challenge of aged living. Assisted living prices rise each year, with different parts of the US facing varying degrees of inflation. For instance, in Hawaii and North Dakota, senior living costs increased by 28% and 25.3%, respectively, around a $2,200 monthly increase in Hawaii since 2019. Given how expensive living costs are for retirees, many older adults have to sacrifice some needs, like food or medicine, to avoid spending too much money.

To cut down on expenses, many older adults have chosen to live in a cohousing setup. As we visited in our previous post, this can be a great way to establish a high-functioning neighborhood. Not only are people provided with opportunities to connect, but they can care for each other and live healthier and more sustainable lives in the years to come.

In addition to this change, households are also adopting smart technology as part of their arsenal. From lighting systems to automatic pill dispensers and much more, this opens up opportunities to support better independent living— all of which can benefit seniors. In this article, we’ll visit what smart tech is and how it can improve the lives of older adults living in cohousing communities.

What is smart tech?

Smart tech uses artificial intelligence, internet connectivity, and other advanced roles to enhance or automate different tasks— all of which can be helpful for both younger and older generations. Devices like smart home technology have especially been game-changers for older adults. It isn’t just limited to communication over remote distances but includes various software and sensors to allow households to react more intuitively to the environment. Currently, some of the most common devices in smart homes are voice-controlled assistants. Smart hub devices like Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple can tap into your home wifi and connect to your devices, allowing you to control them remotely. This makes for easier independent living, especially for people living with disabilities that may otherwise make it difficult to accomplish a task.

Benefits of smart tech and cohousing for seniors

Safety purposes
Even as healthy, independent older adults, there may be times when they can get into accidents or need extra reminders to ensure their own safety. Having smart tech around their homes can be a good way to get help when needed. For instance, LifeCall is a system where seniors have a pendant or wristband on their person. If they have an accident, they can push the alert button to call for help. Similarly, having smart discs or smart knobs on a stove knob that will continuously alert people when left on can protect older adults from potential fires.

Improved convenience

Aside from cutting down on expenses, one of the best features of cohousing communities is convenience. When compounded with smart tech, certain actions and activities can be made more efficient while keeping costs spread out. For example, coliving older adults can program smart devices to perform actions at specific times of the day, such as turning off the porch light, turning on hallway lights in the evening, or having the sprinkler system turn on. The aforementioned smart hub devices can also serve as communal reminders for older adults, especially when taking medicine.

Smart tech and coliving can significantly improve seniors’ lives by providing safe and convenient spaces for older adults to complete day-to-day activities. It’s through these opportunities that older adults can live independently while enhancing their quality of life.

Written by Alexis Spence

For the exclusive use of cohousingco.com

What ecoconscious first-time homebuyers need to know

By Genevieve Marsh

Buying a home for the first time can be risky. How do you know that the neighborhood is safe or friendly? What materials went into building your home? What hidden costs are waiting for you? Some people try to gain visibility by building their own homes, but this is often too expensive in urban areas. First-time home buyers are looking for a reliable and affordable home in an active community, close to work and other important amenities. But did you know with cohousing you can have the best of both worlds? This makes cohousing communities the ideal opportunity for first-time buyers.

 

Cohousing communities offer individuals and families affordable and intentional neighborhoods that fit their needs and values. Finding a space to put down roots and grow a family in a community with shared values can be difficult to find. Many first-time home buyers aren’t simply looking for a house, they seek connections and social interactions that make their home their favorite place to be. This is at the heart of cohousing projects. Residents find a community of like-minded individuals that often share activities like meals, gardening, celebrations, or child care. Making decisions together fosters a strong sense of belonging and community pride.

 

What makes cohousing more affordable? Sharing expenses associated with common spaces, amenities, gardens, workshops, and recreation areas allows for high-quality and intentional design that is actually affordable for residents. The costs associated with these are divided among the residents, reducing the financial burden on each individual. And it isn’t just financial responsibility that is shared, but time as well. Instead of each house maintaining its own garden, for example, the work can be divided and shared among the entire community. Cohousing communities are also able to benefit from bulk purchasing of building materials, services, insurance, and other necessities, so residents are able to receive quality amenities at affordable rates.

 

Cohousing encourages mutual support and collaboration among residents. This can extend to sharing skills and services, such as childcare, pet care, or home repairs, which can reduce stress, and save individuals money that they might otherwise spend on outsourcing such services. First-time home buyers have a say in designing their living environment, and can actively participate in shaping their community and their home. Designing shared spaces for families and children to interact and play builds a sense of community that is safe for parents and children.

 

But cohousing isn’t only for families, isolation and loneliness are common challenges for individuals. Cohousing can offer regular social interaction and a sense of belonging that alleviates stress through social connection for individuals buying a home for the first time on their own.

 

By joining a cohousing community early, you have a hand in the decision-making and design. Emphasizing which resources are important to you and your future neighbors, like tools, appliances, or even cars, reduces the need for each household to own its own set of items. Cohousing communities prioritize energy-efficient design and construction, incorporating features like shared heating systems, solar panels, or high-performance insulation. These energy-saving measures can lower utility bills for residents, making housing more affordable in the long run. These projects can also incorporate shared transportation options, or have access to public transportation options. Sustainable and eco-friendly practices are at the heart of cohousing design, aligning with the values and lifestyles of first-time home buyers.

 

A new cohousing project has started in Vancouver and is being designed with Charles Durrett, their development consultant. Charles has designed more cohousing communities than anyone else and his projects are considered extremely successful. Through engagement and participation in the design process, residents design their own units as well as common areas and facilities. This meaningful experience empowers the community to summarize the desired activities, priorities, and design criteria agreed upon by the resident group. You can work together and make every individual’s life easier, more convenient, more practical, more economical, and more fun by identifying mutual interests, common concerns, and shared values.

 

To learn more about the current cohousing project in the Vancouver area, check out https://www.facebook.com/eastvancohousing.

Prioritizing Belonging when Buying My First Home

By Genevieve Marsh

Image: Katie McCamant

When I recently visited the Cohousing community in Nevada City, CA, I was impressed with the walkable location, the regional vibe of the architecture, and the friendliness of the people. From what I knew about Cohousing, I was expecting that. What I wasn’t expecting was to feel immediately connected to my community and my inner self.

In an age where many of us move away from home and keep on moving, it’s difficult to build a fulfilling life outside of work. While we try to make friends, it’s difficult to build or find a true community. When buying a house for the first time, it is difficult or even impossible to know what type of community you are joining. With the rise in remote working and digital communication, it is difficult to find and foster real relationships and community support. Most people in the suburbs never meet their neighbors. My attraction to authenticity, artisanal goods, and locally grown food are all desires to connect the everyday activities of my life to a community with the same values. But however nice buying produce at the farmers market may be, it’s only a small moment in my life – in my neighborhood, it only happens on Saturdays.

What I felt at the Cohousing visit was a larger sense of belonging, and it felt immediate, empowering, and grounding. A humble feeling of awakening to and living in one’s higher nature by being accountable to others came with the stability of knowing that those around me are committed to similar values. These values underpinned all our interactions.

These feelings are the components of belonging. As social creatures, in an age of social anxieties, this is a refreshing antidote. It makes one feel healthy and strong. This is preventative care at its most fundamental. Where we live affects our lifespan and health. Despite this being common knowledge, many of us do little to carefully consider the soil in which we plant our roots or the social and psychological dimensions that accompany a lack of connectedness. Cohousing members watch less TV, and they experience more in-person social interactions. In Chicago, people belonging to strong neighborhoods had a better chance of surviving devastating heat waves, independent of affluence, than those disconnected from their neighbors.

Having neighbors to garden with increases the chance of actually planting vegetables that make it to harvest and to your table. Having neighbors of different ages and backgrounds helps to show the roadmap of life. Not to mention how a Cohousing project creates a village to help support and raise children or take care of pets – a place where they can run and play safely with other neighborhood kids and pets. Being close to parks and recreational spaces makes cohousing projects perfect for entertaining children, socializing dogs, and getting exercise and fresh air.

In Cohousing projects, the location is carefully chosen to maximize the proximity to amenities and community resources. Located close to jobs and local businesses and in up-and-coming neighborhoods allows residents to achieve a holistic work-life balance for excellent value. Deepening relationships and strengthening the community are intentional goals in designing cohousing situations.

Being the change you want to see requires more than you can accomplish alone. The power of change comes when people support and amplify the actions of others. Cohousing offers this across the board, from a healthier lifestyle to a healthy sustainable home. For example, your per capita GHG emissions decrease by 2/3rds compared to if you lived in a single-family house. By utilizing eco-friendly building materials, and installing energy-efficient features, the overall cost of housing goes down dramatically, and you can feel good about your personal resource use. Doing the right thing usually comes at a higher cost, but in cohousing communities, designing spaces for sharing decreases the cost to each individual. The space you get in a cohousing project is often bigger and better. An individual unit may be 1,500 square feet but the common space is often double that. When you join a cohousing project at initiation, you can pick your unit size – simply put, your money goes further.

There is a new cohousing project coming to Vancouver. It is being designed with Charles Durrett, their development consultant. Charles has designed more cohousing communities than anyone else and his projects are considered extremely successful. To learn more about a current cohousing project in the Vancouver area, check out https://www.facebook.com/eastvancohousing.