| • |
An Elder is a person
who is still growing, still a learner, still with potential.
An Elder's life continues to have within it promise for, and
connection to, the future. |
| • |
An Elder is still in pursuit of
happiness, joy, and pleasure. His/her birthright to these
remains intact. |
| • |
An Elder is a person who deserves
respect and honor. |
| • |
The work of an Elder is to synthesize
wisom from long life experiences and to formulate this into
a legacy for future generations. |
| |
From The Live Oak Project
- Barry Barkan - which helps to provide the programmatic infrastructure
for the continued renewal of culture in elder care facilities. |
| |
Our society needs an engaged
and engaging elderhood because such a life stage offers
the best possible refutation of the doctrine of youth's
perfection. Before we voluntarily surrender our adulthood,
most of us will need to see with our own eyes that a valued
and valuable elderhood truly exists.
Perhaps more than any people who have ever lived, our society
needs elders. We need a renewed elderhood that can help
older adults become the elders they were meant to be. We
need a place where we can learn how to make this happen. |
| |
Eldershire is a new concept in housing and community
building that draws on the lessons of history and the creativity
of our times. It involves the creation of an elder-rich living
experience that allows residents to continue to grow, learn,
contribute, and age with grace and spirit.
An Eldershire Community revolves around the beneficial
contributions elders bring to our society. Rather than repeating
the gated or continuing-care retirement community model,
an Eldershire Community embraces the idea of intentional
community. It takes advantage of the wisdom and experience
of its residents and functions as an integral part of the
surrounding neighborhood, not a separate, segregated enclave
of the out-dated retirement model.
|
| What is an Eldershire Community like? |
| |
An Eldershire Community design
involves grouping private homes in a manner that promotes
interaction among the residents. Residents share indoor
and outside spaces, as well as facilities such as gardens,
gathering areas, trails, and play spaces. A common house
is used for shared meals, meetings, workshops, offices,
mail, and activities. A vehicle-free central campus and
other shared spaces foster the connection among residents,
neighbors, and guests.
Residents enjoy living spaces that allow
a full range of social contact, from complete privacy to
full engagement with friends and neighbors. Involvement
with local educational and other institutions also is another
essential element of the community. In order to create a
barrier-free living environment, universal design is built
in to each home and other facilities.
An Eldershire Community prizes an active,
healthy, and engaged lifestyle that contributes to and supports
the overall well-being of each resident. Being well known
and knowing others in the neighborhood is a keystone to
this living concept. Residents commit to sharing their time
and talents with each other, including helping in times
of need. |
| Are more Eldershire Communities planned? |
| |
Yes. A developing network of diverse Eldershire
Communities throughout the country will encourage sharing,
learning, teaching, and visiting among the campuses. As each
individual Eldershire Community is self-managed, decisions
that affect its residents are based on the desires, needs,
experience, and judgment of the members of the particular
community. This process enables each community to evolve with
its own distinct characteristics and strengths, while still
reflecting the core Eldershire Community concepts. |
