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Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs)

A naturally occurring retirement community, or NORC, is a community of a large concentration of older adults, be it a senior housing complex or neighborhood where older adults have chosen to remain as they have aged, for example. Some NORCs have simply evolved, complete with nearby grocery stores, pharmacies, recreation and social services. Other NORCs have benefited from a more planned approach that integrates older adult housing with transportation, medical services, shopping, recreation, and in-home services.

The major benefit of a NORC is the access it gives older persons to an integrated continuum of care that they need to age in place successfully in the neighborhood in which they live, however "neighborhood" is defined. While NORCs are not new, what is innovative is the trend toward public/private partnerships that is developing to build capacity for the kinds of communities that sustain quality of life, well being, dignity, and independence.

For more information on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities:

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