Finding friends, and good health, in a 55-plus community
By WP BrandStudio
With growing awareness around the health benefits of social connections among seniors, active-adult communities are filling a niche stress
After three decades in her Centreville, Va., townhouse, Judy Anderson wanted a change.
Her longtime home—once a perfect fit, thanks to its proximity to her workplace—lacked the sense of community that she yearned for as she aged. While Anderson, now 72, cared for her mother and volunteered as a Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman over the past several years, she learned about the importance of having friends later in life “who you need and who need you,” as she put it.
On top of that, she was tired of hauling her vacuum cleaner up and down the stairs. “This is funny, but one of my goals was to get rid of steps,” she said.
Now, four months after moving into an elevator-equipped Van Metre home in the Birchwood at Brambleton community for people 55 and older, Anderson’s social life is thriving. She starts her day with a morning walk around the pond with one of her new friends, and she spends her evenings attending happy hours, game nights and dinner parties with neighbors who have come to feel “like family.”
More and more, the over-55 set is seeking out this kind of environment. They “want to be out and about and hang out with their neighbors just as much as you would imagine a younger generation might,” said Karen Emmons, general sales manager for Van Metre at Crest of Alexandria, another active adult community. All they need is an opportunity to do so.
The rise of active-adult communities—and how they can help people thrive as they age
More than ever before, people are living longer, healthier lives; according to the National Institute on Aging, advances in medicine and lifestyle shifts are allowing many people to remain “socially and emotionally vital” later in life. As such, the way they live as they age is changing.
A recent survey revealed that three out of four adults age 50 and older want to age in their current homes and communities. That desire, as well as shrinking Medicare reimbursement rates, are contributing to a spate of nursing home closures. And a growing number of seniors are demanding alternative forms of long-term housing, according to the National Association of Home Builders; they want communities that prioritize active amenities like gyms, tennis courts and organized day trips, and de-prioritize features that aren’t necessary for self-sufficient residents, like prepared meals and on-site health care.
Van Metre, one of the largest homebuilders in the D.C. region, heard this demand from its customers; many longtime residents of other developments were requesting housing designed for independence, according to Emmons.
In response, Van Metre dedicated much of its resources to building homes for a new kind of 55-plus community—one that makes it easier for residents to stay physically and socially active. Places like Birchwood and the Crest of Alexandria offer a mix of luxury condomimiums, two-level homes, elevator townhomes and single-family homes with up to four bedrooms, all within close proximity to shopping and airports, which allows residents to maintain their sense of freedom. The communities also feature walking trails, indoor and outdoor pools, and a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse with a movie room and golf simulator, giving residents a place to gather.
But just providing spaces for people to come together is not necessarily enough, said Dr. Caitlin Coyle, a research fellow at the University of Massachusetts Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging. Particularly in smaller communities, the same handful of people may show up repeatedly and develop strong relationships—and that can intimidate first-time visitors, who might be going through other life transitions, such as being widowed. The staff at active-adult communities can make it easier on newcomers by creating welcoming committees, for example, and putting in effort to maintain an accepting atmosphere.
The new friendships that result may ultimately make residents healthier, whether they find a walking partner or people who will notice if their behavior shifts.
“As you age, your social networks change for a variety of reasons. And having a place where you can connect socially with your peers can really help compensate for that,” Coyle said.
Creating opportunities for older adults to feel “part of something bigger”
Anderson, who retired from her job as a government contractor for an information technology company in Herndon, Va., seven years ago, is an unmarried extrovert who loves meeting new people.
At Birchwood, she’s already become part of a community of friends that gathers for game nights and themed dinner parties, and while most new residents are eager to meet each other, Anderson said, it helps that Birchwood owners organize casual group breakfasts and happy hours and lets residents use model homes to hold events. Recently, Birchwood opened a professional-grade demonstration kitchen in its clubhouse; Anderson wants to use it for the first time to teach her new friends how to make her signature apple strudel.
“I’ll have them help me with it, because really, it’s nice to have a group effort to make the dough,” she said.
And that feeling of being “part of something bigger” can be crucial to older adults’ well-being, according to Coyle. Whether taking an art class, participating in a volunteer program, or attending movie night, residents benefit from doing something together that feels meaningful, rather than “just showing up and sitting in a chair next to someone,” Coyle said. While they’re at it, they might discover common ground, whether that’s dealing with the loss of a spouse or partner, caring for an aging parent, or transitioning into the latter stages of their career.
Emmons acknowledged that while the community’s homes offer aging-in-place features like elevators, wider doorways and roll-in showers, “the community is really what’s going to keep them there.”
When communities care for older adults, everyone benefits
While providing housing and transportation for seniors is important, Coyle emphasized that communities should also be creating opportunities for older adults to continue growing. When that happens, everyone benefits.
“Through volunteering and social engagement, [older adults] can actually be a real asset to the community,” Coyle said.
And in turn, when localities add green spaces or accessible public transportation for older adults, that can have a ripple effect. “When we make improvements for older people, we’re also making improvements for families, and people with wheelchairs, and people with strollers.”
By not just thoughtfully designing homes and amenities but also nurturing residents’ social lives, Van Metre and their partners seem poised to set an example for active-adult communities—or any community looking to support its aging population.
“You’ll be welcomed immediately by your neighbors,” said Anderson of Birchwood. “Everyone is friendly here, there are many different types of activities, and if you’re interested, you can start one yourself.
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Images supplied by Van Metre Homes
