Alice, a 56-year-old woman who asked to go by an alternate name so she could speak candidly about her living situation, says her grandmother appeared to her in a dream one night and told her to “Get a newspaper.” Heeding the wisdom from beyond the grave, she got one, opened it up, and turned to a random page. It was for homes for sale in age 55+ active adult communities.
At the time, Alice was living with her soon-to-be ex in a single-family home in Mercerville. After 28 years of marriage, with her home neglected with overgrown grass and repairs that were needed, she says she was open to a change in her lifestyle. She began taking the possibility of a move to an adult community more seriously.
Some benefits were obvious.
She says, “[In active adult communities] there is very little maintenance and upkeep, no grass cutting, no snow shoveling. There’s a clubhouse with many activities, parties, clubs, a fitness center, a game room, a library, and an outdoor pool overlooking a manmade lake.”
She was also interested in the opportunities for volunteering on boards or committees and was enticed by the walking paths, pickleball court and bocci.
“[Those are] all pluses if that’s the kind of lifestyle you prefer,” she says.
On the other hand, she adds, “Arguably, some elderly people prefer to keep to themselves and prefer not to be bothered by every neighbor in the community every time they [step] outside to get their mail.”
Alice wasn’t sure where she fell on the spectrum and continued to weigh her options. There were other compromises to consider.
She says, “The properties are much smaller..and landscaping is somewhat cookie-cutter with personalization only with approval of the HOA.”
Indeed, the costs associated with the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) gave her pause as did her overall privacy. She wondered, “What if I get a nosey neighbor?”
Alice is far from alone in trying to decide whether or not to move to a 55+ community.
Sheri Schwartz, a senior living in Cherry Hill, NJ with her husband Barry, who is 74, decided against it.
She says, “There are definitely two distinct lifestyles. Not everyone needs to be surrounded by older people in a 55+ community to have a quality of life.”
Schwartz, who works full-time as a preschool teacher adds, “I like my home with Barry.”
On the weekends they either visit their daughter and grandchildren in Bethlehem, PA or their son in Delaware.
“We keep busy and keep up with the kids snowboarding and skateboarding, attending recitals and sports competitions,” Schwartz says, adding, “Most older people today aren’t like our parents’ generation. That generation was different. They weren’t as physically involved.”
Indeed, research suggests that older adults are more engaged and active than those of previous generations.
Dr. Bianca Saunet lead author of the article “Loneliness Declines Across Birth Cohorts: The Impact of Mastery and Self-Efficacy,” from the journal Psychology and Aging gathered a vast amount of data on aging from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a long-term study of 4,880 people born between 1908 and 1957. Her team found that “older adults who felt more in control and therefore managed certain aspects of their lives well, such as maintaining a positive attitude, and set[ting] goals, such as going to the gym, were less lonely,”
Dr. Saunet concluded, “People must manage their social lives better today than ever before because traditional communities, which provided social outlets, such as neighborhoods, churches and extended families, have lost strength in recent decades.”
For some people, like Sheri and Bob Schwartz, active 55+ communities don’t hold a strong appeal. For others, they may be serving as substitutes for the institutions of the past. Moreover, they offer autonomy as they provide creative outlets for seniors.
Dr. Gene Cohen, neuro-psychologist and author of The Creative Age, Awakening the Human Potential in the Second Half of Life is among a growing group of researchers advocating for seniors to participate in social and creative activities.
He states that “Creative aging is like chocolate for the brain,” and continues “Engaging in visual art related activities or attending performing arts venues have been shown to impact brain longevity.”
In the end, Alice did decide to move to Traditions at Hamilton Crossing. Her concerns about the HOA fees and nosey neighbors are gone. She has expanded her social network and begun participating in a wide range of creative activities.
She says, “I love my community. It feels like a family! Best decision I ever made!”
This article was produced as part of MCCC’s Community Reporting “J Lab” certificate program made possible by grant funding from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and The New School: Journalism + Design. To learn more about the J Lab program, contact Prof. Holly Johnson at johnsonh@mccc.edu.
