Pod Particulars: How To Make Shared Living Work In Retirement
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In a recent article published in Forbes, I wrote about forming a Pod in retirement. What’s a Pod? It’s the idea of creating a shared life in retirement with friends and family. I’m not talking about individual apartments in 55+ communities in South Florida or an assisted living facility in some city up North. I’m talking more about WeWork-like living adapted for mature adults; think about The Golden Girls for today’s senior. That means the benefits of communal socialization – and the advantage of sharing costs like rent, heating/cooling, electric, food, and other bills, but with private bedrooms and bathrooms and plenty of opportunity for “alone time” personal space when needed.
After all, isolation has been linked to some health risks including heart attack, depression, obesity and dementia – and the expense that modern life increasingly demands is taxing on us all. Denmark, for instance, already known for its social progressiveness, estimates that about 8 percent of its population, 456,000 people, live in housing like the Pod.
But before you leap head, heart – and wallet – first into these novel living arrangements, several additional variables must be factored into the decision-making process. Only then can older Americans make the shared living choice that’s right for them.
How Big is Your Pod?
Size matters – especially when it comes to determining how many peas (people) you'll have in your Pod. Size will undoubtedly play a significant role in what you decide. Sharing expenses is great, but you have to be comfortable, and practical.
If you have a one-bedroom condo that you're comfortable in, you're probably not thinking about sharing it with anyone. It will be better for you to consider upgrading or moving into someone else's Pod. Tight quarters will inevitably lead to trouble. I'm not advocating reverting to living like a college student. It may have been fun back then, but I'm sure that life has long since lost its appeal – if it ever actually had any. And, let's face it, bunk beds are only fun when you're eight years old.
">Shutterstock
In a recent article published in Forbes, I wrote about forming a Pod in retirement. What’s a Pod? It’s the idea of creating a shared life in retirement with friends and family. I’m not talking about individual apartments in 55+ communities in South Florida or an assisted living facility in some city up North. I’m talking more about WeWork-like living adapted for mature adults; think about The Golden Girls for today’s senior. That means the benefits of communal socialization – and the advantage of sharing costs like rent, heating/cooling, electric, food, and other bills, but with private bedrooms and bathrooms and plenty of opportunity for “alone time” personal space when needed.
After all, isolation has been linked to some health risks including heart attack, depression, obesity and dementia – and the expense that modern life increasingly demands is taxing on us all. Denmark, for instance, already known for its social progressiveness, estimates that about 8 percent of its population, 456,000 people, live in housing like the Pod.
But before you leap head, heart – and wallet – first into these novel living arrangements, several additional variables must be factored into the decision-making process. Only then can older Americans make the shared living choice that’s right for them.
How Big is Your Pod?
Size matters – especially when it comes to determining how many peas (people) you'll have in your Pod. Size will undoubtedly play a significant role in what you decide. Sharing expenses is great, but you have to be comfortable, and practical.
If you have a one-bedroom condo that you're comfortable in, you're probably not thinking about sharing it with anyone. It will be better for you to consider upgrading or moving into someone else's Pod. Tight quarters will inevitably lead to trouble. I'm not advocating reverting to living like a college student. It may have been fun back then, but I'm sure that life has long since lost its appeal – if it ever actually had any. And, let's face it, bunk beds are only fun when you're eight years old.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nealegodfrey/2017/11/19/shared-living-in-retirement/
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