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CWW House 1 |
Community Without Walls,
Inc. Princeton, NJ |
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| Without hammering a nail or meeting with a planning
board, some residents of
Princeton, N.J., have built a new community. Don't go looking
for the brick and mortar signs of something as obvious or visible as
a planned retirement community, however. This one calls itself a
Community Without Walls (C.W.W.), and exists mostly in the emotional
bonds between its members. Its specifics may be unusual, but its
goal — to allow people to stay at home while they age — is part of a
national trend. The Princeton C.W.W. began about 15 years ago, back when a longtime Princeton resident, Richard Bergman, and his wife, Victoria, found themselves caring for his elderly mother, helplessly watching the decline that preceded death. Back then he was in his late 50's, she was in her 40's and they often found themselves musing about getting old. At first the subject was their parents, but soon talk turned to the prospect of their own aging, and how to avoid putting their children in the same overwhelming position. They were not exactly sure what their ideal future would look like, but they agreed that it should include staying put, in a familiar house, and not being dependent on their kids. So back in 1992, the Bergmans and two friends invited a variety of friends and acquaintances to a chat in their modern Princeton living room. About 80 people came, ranging in age from 48 to 80-something, and the result was an agreement to purposefully and strategically become friends who will be there for one another as they age. Geriatric experts call this "aging in place," and there are many models with the same goal across the country. In Boston's Back Bay, for instance, a membership fee brings help — in the form of social workers, home health aides and even personal exercise trainers — to a resident's door. In Maui, where time has turned some high-rises into de facto retirement communities, government programs provide visiting medical support. Princeton's C.W.W. is designed to operate without outside financing and outside staff. It turns inward for its resources — building a community in anticipation of needing one, turning strangers into friends you can rely on when you can't rely completely on yourself. Those first 80 members became House One, meeting as often as monthly, as infrequently as quarterly, forming small groups that got together more often to read plays, write memoirs, try new ethnic restaurants, play bridge. In the years since, five more "houses" have been formed, and today 440 residents are part of the C.W.W. network. Members turn to other "house" mates (usually those younger or more able-bodied) when they need rides to the doctor or the shopping center when they can't drive, homecooking when they are ill, light bulbs changed when they can't reach and VCR's programmed when the print on the instructions is just too small. Being part of C.W.W. cannot solve all problems, says Richard Bergman, who is now 72. Over the years, some members have become so ill that they required nursing-home care, and death has begun to claim some of the most stalwart founders. But the prospect of assistance and friendship has attracted new members in their place. "We're renewing ourselves," Bergman says. "Younger members are stepping up to help older members on the understanding that help will come to them eventually. Keep in mind," he adds with a smile, "in this case, younger is a relative term." [?][?][?]Lisa Belkin |
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