Five Questions to Ask .... When Looking at a Health and Wellness Community

Bay Club, MA
The Bay Club offers wellness facilities.

A new concept in living and aging is emerging across the American landscape-- health and wellness communities. These neighborhoods are designed so residents can not only get from place to place without dependence on automobiles, but can also enjoy a broad program supporting healthy living and the ability to age in the community.

By 2025, more than half of America’s man-made environment will not have existed in 2000, giving planners an unprecedented opportunity to reshape the landscape. Furthermore, nearly 30 percent of households will include just one person. The household design realities of the 21st century will have to be different than in the past.

Neighborhood Design Affects Health
The health of your neighbors (and yourself) can in part be attributable to the design of your environment. Scientists have shown that people who live in walkable neighborhoods tend to weigh less than people who live in more isolated and car-dependent areas. Obesity is increasingly viewed by health professionals as a major factor in heart disease and diabetes.

A 2006 report entitled “Understanding the Relationship between Public Health and the Built Environment” (Ewing and Kreutzer) adds to a growing recognition of the importance of, and the links between, good health and good community design.

Areas covered in the study include respiratory and cardiovascular health; fatal and non-fatal injuries; physical fitness; social capital; mental health; and special populations. Developers are taking notice: good design can be a powerful influencer on quality of life.

Elder Care at Home
Another important health and lifestyle element is elder care which may soon surpass child care in importance to the American family. According to a recent study undertaken by Pew Research, 24 million Americans are caring for elder relatives in their homes while also caring for their children. The financial and psychological burden of this situation is just now being felt.

Living preferences and finances are key reasons for the growing movement away from nursing homes in favor of independent living. The latest U. S. Census data indicate about 7.4 percent of Americans age 75 and older lived in nursing homes in 2006 compared with 8.1 percent in 2000 and 10.2 per cent in 1990.

“They’re moving to assisted living, or their well-off baby boomer children are taking care of them in other ways.” (Frey-Brookings Institution) At-home care and assisted-living facilities have been a fast-growing segment of elder care in the past decade.

“Given the high cost of nursing home care coupled with older adults’ desire to age at home, communities will need to ramp up the availability of home and community-based service options.

“The average nursing home patient runs out of money within six months and must go on Medicaid, which will not only bankrupt individuals but also the Medicaid system.” (Markwood-National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.)

Elder care and stay-in-home aging, therefore, are other major issues that are shaping the look and feel of today’s and tomorrow’s homes and communities.

Five Questions to Ask
Taking into account the trends noted above, buyers should now be asking the following questions when deciding whether or not a community is a “health and wellness community” and if it is right for them. Builders and developers are now asking themselves the same questions as they create the communities and neighborhoods of the future.

1. Transit Connections. Is there a connection to amenities in the surrounding larger community via walking, biking and public transit?

2. Lifestyle Facilities. Did the developer facilitate lifestyle and socialization via physical facilities and staff?

3. Onsite Wellness Facilities. Is there broad, proactive health and wellness in evidence including fitness/wellness centers, on-site healthcare providers, proactive nutrition promotion, organic gardening, alternative wellness therapies and home-based care options?

4. Aging in Place. Do the home and community designs facilitate aging-in-place or aging-in-community with varied housing stock and universal design features?

5. Sense of Place. Did the developer create a sense of place by tapping into the area’s history, culture and active outdoor lifestyle or by a focus on environmental sustainability?

Written by Rick Duke, CEcD, EDFP
Principal Research Associate
Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute
Designs and Technologies for Healthy Aging
Email: rick.dukeatinnovate.gatech.edu
Phone: 404-894-0050.

Sample Health and Wellness Communities
(For a complete list go to www.HealthandWellnessCommunities.net)

The Cliffs at Keowee Springs, Six Mile, South Carolina

Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, Florida

River Strand, Bradenton, Florida

The Bay Club, Mattapoissett, Massachusetts

Rio Grande Club, South Fork, Colorado

Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin, Texas

Suncadia, Roslyn, Washington<

The Cliffs at Mountain Park, Travelers Rest, South Carolina

Running Y Ranch, Klamath Falls, Oregon

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