Abstract
A naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) with supportive service programs holds great promise for providing cost-effective services to enable seniors to age in place. This article describes program activities, services, partnerships, and indicators for a successful 3-mile suburban neighborhood NORC. Program evaluation of participation and exit data are powerful indicators of success: St. Louis NORC's nursing home placement rate is 2% compared to the national average of 4.5%, and its state average of 4.8%. A case study demonstrates the importance of resident awareness of availability of NORC services and home modifications.
Notes
aSubset of the 397 who moved to independent sites (out of NORC, senior housing, out of state, non-assisted housing).
bEligibility age for the NORC is 65 years.