SHERMAN OAKS, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 25: (L-R) David Dobrik, Tyler Cameron, Matt James, and Taylor Lautner play in the CELSIUS pickleball tournament at David Dobrik’s home on August 25, 2023 in Sherman Oaks, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Celsius)
Getty Images for Celsius
In my recent article, “Why Aging In Place May Not Be The Answer For Your Retirement,” I tackled one of the main dilemmas people face as they grow older – where are we going to live? During my research process, I discovered a trend of older adults who, rather than aging in place (in other words, living in their home for as long as possible), want to move to 55+ adult active communities. Most of these 55+ communities are referred to as senior living communities that do not include a continuum of care and health services.
Different By Design
What do you see when you picture an age-restricted community? In recent years the market has become more thoughtful. RetireBetterNow.com published a list of the 15 best 55+ communities in the United States. The number two on the list is Amblebrook at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which won the Gold award—“Best 55+ Detached Community of the Year” from The National Association of Homebuilders.
I interviewed Chris Naatz, the Director of Sales and Strategy for Crown Community Development, Amblebrook’s developer, to learn why this community has been so successful. When planning the Amblebrook community, Crown made informed, strategic decisions about the design and layout of Amblebrook’s wellness campus with the specific goal of stimulating social connections and promoting longevity. They went all-in on amenity offerings, building many of the facilities and amenities before many homes were even built. Having this “wellness campus” ready and available for residents to use much earlier than the industry norm helped Amblebrook’s residents to build and establish connections right from the beginning.
The first thing you see at Amblebrook’s Welcome Center is not a salesperson, but a Café and Coffee Shop where both visitors and residents meet and connect. It is just one of several hubs within the community. There is a demonstration kitchen called Nourish Interactive Kitchen, and an art room called Canvas Studio that even includes a kiln for ceramics. There is a theater space for watching TED talks, movies, and speakers. In collaboration with a local healthcare provider and other wellness experts, there is a state-of-the-art wellness facility offering spa programs, physical therapy, massages, and other wellness-related care options. For residents who want to be active, there are indoor and outdoor pools, a full gym, indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, a dog park, walking trails in nature, and more.
Residents can attend lectures and community events, participate in clubs and organizations, and socialize daily. In other words, Amblebrook’s design removes the most common obstacles that older adults hit when trying to make and maintain friendships, creating a variety of gathering places where people can gather with others who share their interests.
The Challenges To Aging In Place
To gain another perspective, I spoke with Rob Kretzinger who has been the President and CEO of WesleyLife for 30 years. Kretzinger said, “One of the biggest advantages of moving to a place like our communities is that it’s not a response to decline. It’s a choice to live well. People who move earlier tend to get the most out of community living because they arrive ready to engage, build relationships, and help shape the culture around them. That energy is what creates vibrancy, and it’s hard to replicate when a move happens only after something has gone wrong.”
Kretzinger believes that what differentiates communities like WesleyLife from staying in one’s own home is their focus on health and well-being as a daily experience. The emphasis is on staying active, curious, and connected. Physical movement, intellectual stimulation, social connection, and purpose are woven into everyday life.
Of course, it’s not impossible for people who age in place to do the same. However, when people stay in their own home for as long as they can, it requires them to manage everything on their own (or hire someone else to do it). In age-focused communities, there are structures and processes that do the heavy lifting.
Being a mission-driven not-for-profit allows them to take a long view, Kretzinger explains. They invest in people, environments, and experiences that support full lives, not just functional ones. The goal isn’t to plan for the loss of independence, but to extend independence by making healthier, more connected living easier.
WesleyLife has been recognized over the years for innovation, workplace culture, and resident experience. According to Kretzinger, “What matters most is how fully people live while they’re here. The earlier someone chooses a community like ours, the more opportunity they have to shape it and benefit from the opportunities, amenities, and connections.”
A Growing Trend
As RetireBetterNow.com shows, adult communities like Amblebrook and WesleyLife are growing, representing a genuine hunger to define a post-career life on your own terms. This type of community is not seen as a place to retire, but instead a place where someone can start a new stage of life and not feel constrained by what “retirement” meant for their parents.
Based on these interviews, I perceived the culture as an older version of the series “Friends” and “Seinfeld” because groups of friends have moved into the community as a group from their old neighborhoods. Naatz shared that some residents have taken vacations together. “There is so much wisdom in the community that is shared in a variety of ways,” he said. “We have a brain trust that we tap into for emotional, spiritual, and intellectual learning.” He explained how this community is a perfect example of life-long learning, but “it’s the relationships that keep people joyful and well.”
Connection Is Protection
According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, “evidence consistently shows that wider social networks and more frequent social engagements with friends and family are associated with better cognitive function and may protect against the risk of dementia.” At the same time, “Evidence across scientific disciplines converges on the conclusion that socially connected people live longer.”
My own extensive research about positive aging shows the same — it is important to stay relevant, engaged in life, and connected to others. As Robert Waldinger concludes in his book “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, “strong, positive relationships are a key predictor of happiness, well-being, and even longevity, more so than factors like wealth or success.”
In a recent article by Waldinger titled “What Keeps Us Happy As We Get Older,” he made this conclusion, “Simply being around other people appears to boost daily happiness, even in advanced age. This suggests that policies and programs that keep older adults socially connected aren’t just nice to have—they’re essential to well-being.”
