Hint: It’s more than a physical place!
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When speaking about community, it is beneficial to think of community as something beyond a physical place. Community can be thought of as a social network, support system or a fellowship or connected group in addition to the physical place. We can even begin to include online communities as well. Certainly these various aspects of community interact in complex ways.
It is important to consider that each unique individual prioritizes specific aspects of community differently. For example, one person may feel they need to be close to their friends (social network) while another person just wants to live near the beach (physical location). It is important to discuss priorities and balancing safety with quality of life.
Table of Contents
Physical Location
The physical location may include several components including a desire to live by a beach or have nice weather. Here are some of the practical components and specific questions to ask.
- Transportation
- Can someone safely and easily drive to the doctor, the pharmacy, their place of worship, fitness facility, park, a close friends house, the store?
- Is there alternative transportation nearby?
- Will a taxi, rideshare or accessible local bus come to this location?
- Community Mobility
- Are the sidewalks walkable (minimal cracks or uneven surfaces)?
- Does the area have safe cross walks?
- Are the buildings and parks accessible?
- Safety
- Does the person feel safe alone and at night?
- What is the crime level?
- Can the person get to a hospital or emergency room in a timely manner?
- Can an ambulance reach them in a timely manner?
- Is the area prone to natural disasters (flash flooding, hurricanes, wildfires) and is there a realistic evacuation plan?
Social Networks
The social aspects of community must be considered especially for older adults. Retirement, role losses and busy families may result in older adults becoming isolated. Friends and connections can be a source of fulfillment and purpose for older adults as they are for all of us. This social component is extremely important for older adults!
- Neighbors
- Will they lose connection with their long time neighbors if they move? Make a plan to stay connected if someone decides to move.
- Is the person receiving support from their neighbors such as meals, walking the dog, picking up items from the store, taking out the trash, etc.?
- Do neighbors regularly check in on the person and will they actually have less interaction and not have someone checking in if they move?
- Friends
- Will the person still be able to get to their friend’s house if they move? Or will the friend still come over to their house if they move? Think of ways to keep the connection if the person does move away from friends.
- Alternatively, could the person move closer to some friends? Consider if a person’s friend moves into a retirement center or lives closer to a hospital and in a lower crime area. Could suggesting moving closer to that friend motivate a loved one to live in a safer situation?
- Organizations (Places of worship, volunteer organizations, fraternities, interest groups)
- Will moving away from these places cause depression?
- If someone must move for safety, can they stay involved with the organizations? Can someone take them to events?
- Alternatively, if someone is not involved and would like to be more involved in the community, could they move to a place with more community involvement and be happier?
Support Systems
Support systems are necessary for everyone. It is especially important to determine if support systems and medical facilities are going to be accessible in case of an emergency.
- Family (especially POA)
- Can family quickly get to someone if they fall (and are not injured, injured people should call 911 immediately)?
- Can family quickly meet someone at the hospital in case of emergency?
- Can family quickly come over for tasks the person may not be able to safely complete (fire alarm battery needs changed, storm broke a window, large item fell, shower curtain fell down or other unexpected events)?
- Friends, neighbors, community members
- Will they lose their support systems if they move?
- Do they not have any support systems as they live in a rural area or have new neighbors? Would the person benefit from a more supportive community? The Village Model is a great concept where local neighborhood networks assist with supporting others in need with transportation, meals, etc. You can search or start a village with this website.
- Caregiver access
- If someone lives in a rural area, are there caregiving agencies or caregivers willing to go to that area?
- Can caregivers actually get to the area of the person in need? Consider parking in densely populated cities, inclement weather and snow, gravel roads and general road conditions.
- Medical facilities
- Is emergency medical care available close by?
- Are specialty doctors nearby (eye doctor, hearing aide doctor, heart doctor and any specialty doctors)? This is important as if the doctor is hard to get to, people may be more likely to cancel their appointments and miss necessary medical care.
- Community Resources and Businesses
- Will community resources such as meal delivery / meals on wheels deliver to that location?
- If using a laundry or dry cleaning service, will they pick up from that location?
Leisure Opportunities
If something is inconvenient, we are less likely to pursue it. Having leisure activities that are accessible and nearby make it easier to actually pursue that activity. Below are just a few ideas, but everyone is unique and has their own idea of fun!
- Nature
- Are there trails and parks nearby that are a safe level for the person to use? Are they accessible if need be?
- Is there a gardening area nearby?
- Interests (music, art, games)
- Are there groups of people with similar interest nearby?
- Is there a local music or theater venue?
- If living in a retirement community, do they have a group on of musicians, card players or artists?
- Traveling or outing groups
- Is there a local group that meets up to go explore a nearby town or travel otherwise? Sometimes this is offered through retirement communities too. Being with a group helps minimize some of the transportation and planning challenges.
- Pets
- Does the place (especially apartments) allow for pet ownership?
- Is there a veterinarian close?
- Is there a dog park in the neighborhood?
- Dining
- Can someone easily get to their favorite restaurants?
- Are there a variety of dining options nearby to explore new places?
- During times of a pandemic or immobility, will restaurants deliver to the location?
Online Communities
If someone moves away from friends, connecting online can be a great way to stay in contact with old friends. It can also be an underutilized way to make new friends and learn new things!
- Email and online chatting
- Could someone email instead of call a family or friend that lives in a different time zone? They could add entertaining links or pictures too! My grandpa use to email me new musicians he found!
- Could friends that may be hard of hearing chat online instead using Facebook, email or another platform?
- Video Chatting
- During the time of the pandemic, not being able to see someone is difficult. Video chatting on Zoom, Facebook, etc. can be a great way to stay connected. I have several clients in a retirement center get very excited about their family zoom calls! Some retirement and long term care centers even have a device the person can use for video chatting. My grandma has difficulty holding her phone and I couldn’t ever see her face, so I got her this cell phone holder for the Holidays and it’s worked great so far!
- Social Media
- While social media can be used for good or bad. Finding people with similar interest to discuss healthy topics can be engaging and mentally stimulating. Just make sure it doesn’t end up being stressful!
- Community boards
- Finding groups of people with similar interest or following topics of interest can keep people engaged with others while staying safely physically distant in pandemic times.
- Find Friends through Online Courses
- Taking an online course and staying connected with others from the online course can be a great way to continue learning your skill while making a friend with a common interest. See our blog about Life Long Learning for more details.
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