Staying in the home we’ve lived in for decades is likely ideal for most of us, but it isn’t always financially or logistically feasible. Happily, there are a wide range of alternatives between staying in your house and heading to the nursing home. More established arrangements like the village model, for example, offer a neighborhood setting that provides basic services and community living. Beyond that, there are more experimental retirement living options being explored by individuals and organizations across the country. In her 2014 book, “With a Little Help from Our Friends: Creating Community as We Grow Older,” Beth Baker travels the US exploring several, including senior artists’ colonies, niche communities for retirees with a shared identity (like sexual orientation or religious faith, for example), and shared individual housing – the so-called “Golden Girls model.”
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