Some retirement communities are planned, others just happen. Urban planners sometimes refer to the latter as NORC – “naturally occurring retirement communities.” They have become an attractive way for seniors to successfully age in place by taking advantage of community support services and volunteer programs.
It is estimated that there are thousands of these natural retirement communities in the United States, and that approximately 27 percent of our senior citizens live in them. So what are NORCs?
AGING IN PLACE
These are communities or neighborhoods where residents have lived and aged together long enough for a natural retirement community to evolve. Residents have aged in place living in their homes for several decades, or older adults have migrated to the same community where they intend to spend the rest of their lives.
NORC is a demographic term used to describe a community that was not originally designed for seniors, but has naturally grown to have 40-65% of its residents over the age of 60. These communities were originally built for young adults and were never intended to meet the particular health and social service needs of older people.
The term NORC was first coined in the 1980s by Michael Hunt, a professor of urban planning. NORCs were originally identified in urban settings, but are now found in all geographic locations. They are typically small by design, covering a few square miles with a base of 1,000 to 3,000 people. They can be as small as a city apartment building or as large as a suburban neighborhood with single-family homes.
NORCs can be classified into three types:
- Classic NORC: This is an integrated single-age apartment building, a multi-building complex under common management, or multiple clustered apartment buildings.
- Neighborhood-based NORC: It is a neighborhood composed by ages of single-family and two-family homes.
- rural NORC: This is a large geographic area with a low population density, typically made up of single-family and two-family homes.
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A NORC PROGRAM
NORCs are privately developed and managed and relatively new, so there is no centralized list of programs. The best place to find information about NORCs is online. Here are some good sources to help determine if there is a model that fits your community:
- The United Hospital Fund at www.norcblueprint.org
- www.norcs.org
- Agencies on aging in many states have information about NORCs
Each NORC is different and focuses on local needs and individual communities. Funding, staffing, and services must reflect a specific community, and staffing may consist of full-time and part-time employees and numerous volunteers. NORCs may be largely supported by members paying $500 or more per year or seniors may pay little or nothing, with most support coming from local foundations, charitable-supported agencies, and government funds. The key requirement is a healthy mix of public and private funds.
Older people must play a central role in the development of the NORC programme. They are clients with diverse needs and interests, and residents with a rich network of relationships, knowledge and experience. Effective programs will enable older people to take on new roles in their communities as leaders and developers of projects. There is a growing realization on the part of large numbers of older people that their participation in the construction of their later lives is required. Retirement can stretch from 25 to 30 years, and without a community support system, older people are at risk of poor health and isolation.
NATURAL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM
Some organizations and local governments have brought together social services, health care, transportation, and residents to develop a NORC Support Services Program (NORC-SSP). This program receives financing from contributions from the private sector; charitable donations; resident membership or activity fees; and federal, state, and local grant funding. NORC-SSPs directly serve seniors in Natural Retirement Communities and can provide:
- Social Work Case Management
- Transportation
- mental health services
- Social and cultural events
- home care
- grief support
- Foods
- Home repair and maintenance
- exercise classes
- Continuing Education Programs
NEIGHBORHOOD VILLAGES
There is another type of community that has evolved and can be confused with NORC; but based on the concentrated percentage of seniors that are required to be called NORC, these communities are called neighborhood villages. These communities are grassroots movements that provide services and programs for their aging population. Some villages provide services and programs only for members who pay annual membership fees, while others charge nothing for services. Some set a minimum age for membership. They all rely heavily on neighborhood volunteers. The services provided can be:
- Transportation
- Social and educational programs
- Friendly visits or phone calls
- Assistance with home repairs and maintenance.
Neighborhood towns face ongoing challenges with funding, and some charge annual membership fees. Others seek financing from other sources. The first neighborhood village was organized in Boston, Massachusetts in 2001 and is called Beacon Hill Village.
AN ALTERNATIVE IDEA
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities are the new alternative to aging in the neighborhood where you raised your family and made friends for life. The options for organizing this type of community may seem overwhelming and complex, but the underlying principle is simplicity: neighbors looking out for neighbors in a close-knit community.