Came across this article in U.S. News on a novel but not new form of senior housing, sort of communal living where everyone in the community takes care of the other.

Actually we have friends who are talking about this very concept. Who can we bring together to live with as we grow older that will complement our life and make us all better as a result of being together. So boomers are already talking about co-housing without needing someone formally to build a community for them.

What I found interesting were the comments. Some were uneducated like older folks are living off the public dole so implementing these communities might be less expensive and therefore lower taxes. Don’t people realize that our elders contributed to the very systems that are aiding them when they age? They paid into social security and Medicare. And besides neither have anything to do with the discussion.

Another person wished that more Americans were like Asians who bring their families together and take care of their elderly. Sadly that is changing in the Asian culture as there are more and more two earners in the family with no one home to give their parents the attention they need. So that is changing as well. Yes it’s great that the Obama’s took in Michelle’s mother but frankly that was probably more to do with the grandkids than her own need for care.

The fact is we need to take better care of ourselves and avoid institutionalized care in the first place. And then we need to face the facts that most of the healthcare burden in our lives is eventually going to fall at our feet.

I think this co-housing idea has merit.