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Abstract
Naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) are neighborhoods or buildings in which a significant portion of the population is composed of older persons. Unlike traditional retirement communities, NORCs were not designed specifically for the needs of older persons; they simply evolved, often as a result of older people aging in places where they have lived for many years. Many self-identified or designated NORCs are high-rise apartment buildings (vertical NORCs) or small neighborhoods that are defined geographically (horizontal NORCs). To maintain individuals as they age in place in NORCs, formal programs that provide supportive services are often developed. The Los Angeles metropolitan area presents a unique situation—two NORCs exist within 1 mile of each other but their contexts, population, and needs are very different. One is a vertical, closed NORC, whereas the other is a horizontal, open NORC. A qualitative case study comparing these horizontal and vertical NORCs examines the implementation of a supportive service program, highlighting its challenges and facilitators in the two different types of communities. The findings of this case study show that the challenges and facilitators were largely dependent on and exclusive to the type of community.