“Intellectual ties” will play a more important role than family, geographical or career connections

Life expectancy is getting longer and our standard of living is getting higher. There are also older adults than before who want to have intellectual stimulation after retirement.

And competition is getting more intense these days both in the senior housing market and in colleges/universities. If a college/university and a residential community for older adults can cooperate, they could provide a new type of experience that will appeal to older adults.

We can expect to see an increase in intellectually connected retirement communities in the near future. “Intellectual ties” will play a more important role than family, geographical or career connections.

Lasell Village is a “college-linked” residential community for older adults in Newton, Massachusetts. The Village, which is located on the campus of Lasell College, has a built-in educational component.

Cooperation between the college and the community make it possible for the residents to study at the college. The older residents are allowed to use all the facilities of the college like the regular students and the faculty. The community also offers many chances for the older adults to communicate with young students of the college.

Learning is the best intellectual recreation for human kind

Learning is the best intellectual recreation for human kind. If you place it in the center of your living environment, you will have a number of advantages.

As soon as Lasell Village opened in the year 2000, all 210 rooms were filled, with more than 140 more people on the waiting list. The residents of Lasell Village are 84 years old on average. Everyone is enjoying the life there, while the young students of the college appreciate having access to the advice and experience of the residents. There are still more people who would like to live in the village based on its reputation.

The best example in Japan of the “intellectual tie” is “Long Stay Club”

The best example in Japan of the “intellectual tie” is an organization called “Long Stay Club” that has been spreading all across Japan as a sort of grass-roots movement.

It started as “Long Stay Shonan” in 1997, a club established by a group of men 50 years old or older who lived in and around of Fujisawa city, Kanagawa prefecture, the so-called Shonan area. The members were all interested in spending a long holiday overseas.

As they sent out the information about their activities through the Internet, people in other areas imitated them. One by one, similar clubs have been established in Sapporo, Nagoya and other cities.

Hobby circles have always been popular in Japan, but the Internet has made it easier for people to find information as well as connect with other people with the same interests.

As Confucius said, to learn and to practice is a joy of life. Using an intellectual tie is a key to differentiate a residential community for older adults. The following are the vital factors for this kind of housing product:

1) Allow residents to attend classes in cooperation with a college.

2) Give residents the same access to college facilities as the students or the faculty.

3) Offer as many opportunities as possible for the residents to meet with young students.