Senior cohousing: "what is all this extra life for?"
The fate of older people in British society is rising up the political agenda. This week, Gordon Brown launched New Labour's call for a 'fairer care system'. The government predicts that a quarter of the UK will be over 65 in twenty years, and the number of people over 85 will double.
A recent opinion piece by Julia Neuberger in the Daily Mail laments the way our society treats its older people, and notes that cohousing is one possible answer to the question, 'what is all this extra life *for*?' Gordon Brown seems to have taken on board that people don't want to pour their equity into the pockets of a nursing home. Cohousing is clearly a way for older people to invest in their own continued independence. The mutual support inherent to cohousing could also save the state a huge amount of money. Has senior cohousing's time come?
Comments
Senior cohousing
Whilst I agree that cohousing would be ideal for retired people, I myself would prefer to live in a mixed group. I am finding that I would like to be of use and in return have the affection and company of others whatever their age, particularly now that my own young adults have flown the nest and are far away. I imagine that keeping in touch with the world as it is is more beneficial to our bodies than only being with people of our own age, surely this is adding to their isolation in one way. I firmly believe that it would benefit everyone if the skills and experience of older people were valued and used, this will not happen if as we get older we isolate ourselves from younger people. Even an elderly person with little mobility can offer listening to children for instance thus enhancing both adult and child in a world where parents are hard pressed to give quality listening time.
Hermione