cohousing Archives — SMART Living 365

Living Rightsized in A 55+ Community

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Rightsized, Sustainable

Getting together with just a few of our friends at RCW.

My husband Thom and I never planned to live in a 55-or-older community. When a person is younger, those neighborhoods seem like a step away from entering a nursing home. Who wants to be surrounded by old people? Then when we hit our 60s we began seeing some of the benefits. Plus, when combined with our decision to “rightsize” our life nearly 15 years ago, we discovered it was a way to combine the two lifestyles—and suddenly it became the perfect solution for our current wants and needs. And no, we have discovered they are much more than just a place for old people!

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Is Cohousing The Best Solution To Aging Well?

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized, Sustainable

Touring the community garden at a cohousing community in Salt Lake City.

Cohousing isn’t a new concept. In fact, humans have been coming together in community for thousands of years to survive and thrive. What is new is that these days many of us have grown so independent and disconnected that we’ve forgotten why community is important in the first place. Maybe when we are young, busy, and focused on the needs of one’s immediate family, that isn’t so important. But eventually, if people begin to value experiences, relationships, and good health more than the stuff they accumulate and the accolades they obtain as they age, things start changing. That’s when being a part of a strong and vibrant community starts sounding more and more appealing. It’s also when the idea of cohousing may pop up as a solution. Is it a key to helping people age better? Those who have embraced it say, “Yes!” [Read more…]

Adventures In Cohousing — It Is About Community And Shared Values

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Rightsized, Sustainable

Last weekend my husband Thom and I drove to Tucson, AZ to visit three thriving cohousing communities. As I wrote about in January, even though the concept of cohousing is still relatively young, it’s appeal is growing as others discover the benefits. Ever since I first heard about them, I recognized how many ways they mimic the advantages I find from rightsizing. After touring all three facilities, it is also evident that they embrace the core values of SMART*. Is cohousing a wave of the future? It likely depends on whether you value community, and if you see them as a path to living your values. [Read more…]

Growing Whole Instead Of Old

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Rightsized, Sustainable

Since turning 60, I’ve been increasingly interested in what it means to grow older in a vibrant and purposeful way. Much like my work with rightsizing, I see aging not as an inevitable loss or sacrifice, but instead as an opportunity to get to the heart of what really matters to each of us as living, breathing beings on this planet—and then sharing that with our community and the world. Plus, with so many of us nearing retirement age, and yet living many years after, isn’t is SMART to recognize that making the most of those years seldom happens by chance? So instead of merely growing old and waiting for the unavoidable, learning what makes us whole and happy is worthy of our attention. [Read more…]

Is A Cohousing Community In Your Future?

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized, Sustainable

Enjoying the cohousing experience

Have you spent much time thinking about where you’ll be living in 10 or 15 years? Probably not. While many of us say we want to live long, active and happy lives, it’s easy to avoid thinking about what that will mean. Few of us want to consider where we will live, who we will live with, and how our days will unfold when we, for whatever reason, can no longer do what we do now. Even with our aversion to following the example of our deteriorating parents as they languish in nursing homes or assisted care facilities, we tend to avoid the conversation. Fortunately, there is an alternative. Co-housing or intentional communities offer baby boomers another option to rightsize their home, increase the quality of their lives, and age-in-place. And a good time to start talking about it is today. [Read more…]