Naturally occurring retirement communities: An expanding opportunity for health promotion and disease prevention

Although mental illness may be the major threat to the independence of seniors, health-promoting environments found in some naturally occurring retirement communities may be a low-cost community-based means of sustaining both the health and well being of older Americans. Efforts to link biomedical and psychosocial services within naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) have been promoted to help seniors age in their homes, with optimal health and independence. House and Senate versions of reauthorization legislation for the Older Americans Acts address these goals. However, to achieve them, municipal policies addressing transportation, zoning, signage, traffic, and the environment will need modification. Furthermore, methods to achieve outcomes both relevant to and mutually desired by health and social service providers will need to be identified.