HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT
We’re here to spark alternatives for aging “all over the place,” and to care for caregivers as much as elders.
In 2002, friends in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston met to design their own aging experience. Beacon Hill Village was born with a core goal of helping its members age at home.
The village was a success and word spread.
There are now hundreds of “aging in place” villages operating or developing in the U.S. Generally, villages work by connecting their members to each other and to non-medical services and programs. Many limit their membership to people 55 and over.
A 2016 study found that 96% of U.S. village members were white.
Of that group, most were women, homeowners and college-educated.
We celebrate all kinds of villages while seeking to foster ones that are…
1. For & by diverse members, in terms of age, race, education level and more.
2. Vertical, or villages housed in multifamily buildings.
3. Focused on connecting people to medical care, at or close to home.
4. Focused on helping caregivers to retain work outside the home.
5. Concerned with curbing aging “all over the” place.
Our thinking?
Not all older adults are homeowners or can feasibly live in their houses over time.
Or afford a senior community or live far from family. Singly or collectively, these can translate into elders needing to move multiple times, even across state lines.
Our vision is that widespread vertical villages could reduce elders’ need to move by inspiring “neighbor family” and more physically and financially accessible living options.
And mixing diverse people benefits all.
Vertical villages could be a boon for long-distance and next-door caregivers alike.
Engaged neighbors might save long-distance caregivers some trips to check on carees. Similarly, they might help caregivers to avoid quitting their jobs to care full-time.
Easy access to medical care can produce big returns.
Medical care at or close to home benefits everyone, but especially people wanting or needing extra support, like some older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers.
For caregivers, home or nearby medical care can…
- Save them lost work and wages to drive a caree to the doctor.
- Offer help for things like wound care and other nursing services provided by families.
- Rein in medical costs, potentially, which are a leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S.
Together, these can have far-reaching and beneficial ripple effects:
Caregivers fuel our families, health care systems and economy.
AARP estimates that caregivers provided $600 billion in unpaid labor in 2021 alone.
Are vertical villages a perfect solution?
No. For starters, multifamily buildings aren’t generally designed with older adults or people with disabilities in mind. (Though neither are most houses.)
And not all housing developments have community spaces or are managed well.
Despite these limitations, and others, vertical villages can immediately serve people who feel lonely and / or are facing caregiver strain. And they might inspire intentionally-designed villages in the U.S. like this “vertical kampung” for all ages in Singapore.
Interested in helping us design vertical villages?
If so, join the Vertical Village Alliance for our kickoff in 2025. Besides caring neighbors, we particularly want to join forces with in-home care providers, owners / operators of multifamily buildings and local public officials. Click here to learn more.