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Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) are neighborhoods, apartment buildings, or areas where a significant proportion of residents are older adults, even though the community wasn’t originally designed for that purpose. These communities evolve organically as people age in place.
Key Features:
- Age-in-Place: Residents have lived in the area for many years and aged together.
- Informal Support Networks: Strong social connections and mutual assistance among residents.
- Community-Based Services: Programs and services are often brought into the community to support older residents.
- Diverse Housing Types: NORCs can exist in various housing settings, from single-family homes to apartment buildings.
- Evolving Demographics: The community’s demographic shifts over time as residents age.
- Potential for Isolation: Without support, older residents may face challenges like isolation and limited access to services.
- Resource Efficiency: Leveraging existing community infrastructure and social networks.
Who Benefits from NORCs?
- Older adults who want to remain in their familiar neighborhoods.
- Individuals who value strong social connections and community support.
- People who want to age in place in diverse and vibrant settings.
- Communities seeking to support their aging residents.
The Misconception: NORCs are Just “Old People Living in the Same Place” and “Don’t Need Any Special Attention.”
The Interesting Angle: NORCs are Like “Hidden Villages of Shared History and Mutual Support” – It’s About Recognizing the Power of Organic Community and Providing Targeted Support to Enhance Existing Networks, Not Just Ignoring Aging Populations, and It’s About Fostering Interdependence and Resilience, Not Just Individual Independence!
- The Common Misunderstanding:
- People often overlook NORCs, assuming they are simply regular neighborhoods where older people happen to live, and that they do not require special attention.
- The Real Story: Hidden Villages of Shared History and Mutual Support
- Think of NORCs as a way to:
- Recognize existing community strengths: Leveraging established social bonds.
- Provide targeted support: Offering services to enhance, not replace, existing networks.
- Foster interdependence: Encouraging residents to support each other.
- Maintain a sense of belonging: Allowing residents to age in their familiar environment.
- It is about enhancing a pre-existing community: Not creating a new one.
- It’s about empowering a community, not just providing individual services.
- It’s about fostering resilience, and not just independence.
- Think of NORCs as a way to:
- Why This is Powerful:
- It shifts the perception from “passive aging” to “active community.”
- It emphasizes the value of existing social networks and community strengths.
- It highlights the importance of targeted support to enhance these communities.
- The “Get it Wrong” Factor:
- People think it’s just old people living together, but it’s a community with shared history and support.
- They think they don’t need attention, but they benefit from targeted services to enhance their network.
- They think it is only about individual independence, and not about community interdependence.
Why Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) are Important:
NORCs play a vital role in supporting older adults and promoting successful aging in place. They help to:
- Maintain social connections: Reducing isolation and loneliness.
- Provide access to services: Bringing needed resources into the community.
- Promote healthy aging: Supporting physical and mental well-being.
- Leverage existing community resources: Maximizing the efficiency of support services.
- Enhance community resilience: Strengthening the fabric of the neighborhood.
- Support aging in place: Allowing residents to remain in their homes and communities.
How to Find NORC Programs:
- Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs): AAAs may have information on NORC programs in your area.
- Use the Eldercare Locator to find your local AAA.
- Link: https://eldercare.acl.gov/
- Local Senior Centers: Senior centers may be involved in or have information on NORC programs.
- Community Development Organizations: These organizations may work on initiatives to support aging in place.
- State Units on Aging (SUAs): SUAs can provide information on state-level initiatives related to NORCs.
- Universities and Research Centers: Some universities conduct research on NORCs and may have information on programs.
Resources for Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) and Related Information:
- Eldercare Locator:
- Helps find local services and resources for older adults, including information related to NORCs.
- Link: https://eldercare.acl.gov/
- National Council on Aging (NCOA):
- Offers resources and programs to support healthy aging and community living.
- Link: https://www.ncoa.org/
- AARP (American Association of Retired Persons):
- Provides information on aging in place and community support.
- Link: https://www.aarp.org/
- The SCAN Foundation:
- Supports initiatives to improve the lives of older adults, including those related to NORCs.
- Link: https://www.thescanfoundation.org/
- Your Local Area Agency on Aging (AAA):
- They can provide local resources, and information regarding local programs.
- Use the Eldercare Locator to find your local AAA.
- Link: https://eldercare.acl.gov/