The Naturally Occurring Neighborhood

Both of my parents are in their 70s and I hope that when I get to be their age, that I am as active as they are.

Terry, who last week rejoined up with the BrandVenture team, and I spent the better part of the last several years branding what is termed a “CCRC” – a Continual Care Retirement Center.

A CCRC is a community of single homes, cottages and villas for individuals and couples age 62+ and a place that supports an individual as they age.

In addition to some very cool housing, there’s a retail center, clubhouse, sports center, restaurants, coffee house and wine bar. There’s also an on-site physician and assisted living quarters if needed.

When I first toured the place, I thought why aren’t there places like this for creative people to dwell. Lord only knows that we could benefit from some assisted living at 2am when most of the best ideas finally gel!

I got to know the perception of our client's CCRC first hand.

My parents have a friend who turned 68 last year and was thinking about moving into a planned housing community. So I set-up an appointment for the three of them to tour our client’s place and have lunch at one of their restaurants.

We had a nice tour and a wonderful meal. But I knew the concept was not going to fit with my parents and their friend.

I had no sooner bid them good-bye when my mother called me on her cell phone. While they thought the place was nice, my mother couldn’t even think of living in a place of nothing but “old people” in a spa-setting. It was “just not real.”

For some people our client is offering a great choice…but for the aging Boomers (one turns 60 every 6 seconds in 2008!) there has to be something different and cooler.

Terry and I were having lunch about a week ago when he told me about a new concept called “NORCs” – Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities.

I love the sound of the phrase…”Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities” ... it sounds more positive than “Continual Care Retirement Communities.”

It’s an idea where individuals age 62+ do not have to move out of their homes or neighborhoods, but instead join up with like-thinkers in their neighborhoods, towns and communities.

There is a center where individuals gather for meals, events, classes and services. There is a transit service that takes individuals back and forth from their homes and cleaning, yard-work and home-care service. There is a 24/7 physician that also goes out house-to-house.

One of our trends in the 2006 BrandVenture Trendcast was coined “The Emerging Main Street of Authenticity” that highlighted the renewed importance of a place where we have roots and call home.

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities is a hot idea. And with just as many folks age 55+ on MySpace as those age 12-24, I bet the idea is going to spread like wild fire.