Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities on the Rise

​Naturally occurring retirement communities are taking form across the United States as people are choosing to stay in their homes rather than relocating to official retirement communities, causing researchers to rethink the standard approach to healthcare for older adults, as reported in Politico. The U.S. Census Bureau expects the number of adults older than age 65 to double by 2050—almost one-quarter of the projected total population. This drastic increase has many worried about the current services and programs available to older adults who do not reside in independent or continuing care facilities, which sparked the creation of supportive services programs that cater to specific geographic areas of dense older adult populations. These programs offer services such as transportation, social events, home health assistance and housekeeping, and mental health and bereavement counseling. Although these services are much more feasible in urban areas, providing them in rural areas, where such services are less accessible, has proven more challenging.