During various types of health or climate crisis situations, we have come to see how much we rely on neighbours, community members, or friends to help us out.

Healthy and successful aging involves both accepting the help of others, and offering help to others.  This two-way help can be created with trusted people (of all ages) who live near you, within a building, block, neighborhood or town.   Some options you can explore with neighbours include:

  • Create a small group of neighbours who you can count upon (and they you) for “safety checks and support” in an emergency (e.g. a power outage, flood or a storm) 
  • Set up an online channel to communicate and organize logistical help with things like grocery pick-ups, drives, dog walks, etc.
  • Hire a caterer and plan some shared meals or events
  • Create a “common space” in your building (or one nearby) that can be used on a regular basis for meals, social activity, or a library, or coffee meeting place
  • Organize a group exercise class or yoga in your building or block
  • Collaborate with a community agency or service provider to co-arrange services such as meal catering, home help, or “hands on care” (e.g. a Personal Support Worker/PSW)

As your community explores what you want and need, you can also involve others to help enable your efforts. You can collaborate with a variety of players including: your landlord, condo board, or property manager, home care organizations, local retailers/businesses and community agencies.   

An emerging model of co-organizing services in a building or location is called the “Naturally Occurring Retirement Community”.  This is where approximately 30% of the residents in a building or block are over the age of 65, and they take the lead on planning and organizing social activities, support services or other types of beneficial activities. If you are interested in getting started with this type of model in your building, check out the resources for NORC Ambassadors: Home | NORC (norcambassadors.ca)

Collaborative Aging helped shape the latest Policy Report on NORC Model in Canada: Check it out at: It’s Time to Unleash the Power of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in Canada — National Institute on Ageing (niageing.ca)

The OASIS Project:  In Canada, one of the first groups to create a NORC-based model was group of seniors living in Kingston Ontario, within a commercial l rental building they loved.  They wanted to stay safe there, so they created their own social support network (called “OASIS”). They collaborated with their private landlord to adapt a common space within the building.  They also set up partnerships with different providers (e.g. a caterer, or a shopping helper, or a social agency) to bring in the types of services they needed.  They made full use of the newly renovated common spaces of their building. This group of older adults “co-designed and created” what’s called a “Naturally Occurring Retirement Community” or a “NORC”.    For more info on the OASIS model of NORCs, visit OASIS Model

Another example of a community-led model that offers holistic supports for people with life-limiting illnesses, or towards the end of their lives and enabling them to remain in the community is: Compassionate Communities. Compassionate Communities – Pallium Canada