A Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community: Views From Providers and Residents

Abstract

Maximizing quality of life for older adults poses challenges for formal service providers. One strategy to identify and address factors influencing health/mental health and promoting autonomy of community-dwelling older people is through a Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NNORC), a community development model of formal and informal home and community-based support. This article uses qualitative methods to report on critical themes generated from an initial evaluation of an NNORC using individual interviews with community partners that developed the program and Resident Council members living in the NNORC community. Findings reveal the need to support older adults aging in place, the importance of informal systems of care, access to trustworthy concrete service providers, and improved models of collaboration.