Village Movement

There are currently close to 100 villages operating across the country in urban, suburban, and rural locations, serving older adults in their homes, apartments, condos and independent and assisted living settings with many more in the pipeline. Although the movement is relatively young—the first village was established in Beacon Hill in Boston in 2002— it is growing quickly and is becoming a viable option for supportive services, cultural and educational events and socialization for many older adults as our population continues to age.

Each village has its own distinct flavor and its own unique membership. But all share one thing in common: the desire to empower older adults to age successfully in their own homes.

Interested in learning more about other villages? Just click on any of the links below to get a bird’s-eye view of the village movement from coast to coast.

Beacon Hill Village in Boston and SAIL (Support for Independent Lives) in Madison, Wisconsin are the two oldest villages, but are otherwise very different. The first was started by a group of residents, the latter by four non-profits.
Capitol Hill Village in Washington, DC, Penn's Village in Philadelphia, Lincoln Park in Chicago, and Next Village in San Francisco are examples of urban villages.
Staying Put in New Canaan in Connecticut is a small, community-wide suburban example, while North Shore Village covers two Chicago suburbs.
Vineyard Village in Vineyard Haven, MA and SNaP (Support Network at Penn National) in Fayetteville, PA are examples of Villages in small communities.
Other nearby Villages include Cambridge at Home, Nauset Neighbors on the Cape, Carleton-Willard at Home in Boston's northwest suburbs, and Wellesley at Home.

NAH is a member of the national organization of Villages - The Village to Village Network - where we can learn from others, share experiences, and work cooperatively towards shared goals. Their website has a list of all the Villages nationwide.

We are pleased to see the national media is writing interesting stories about the Village movement. Here are some of the articles and reports that we've spotted discussing the progress and needs of individual Villages, the different types of Villages, and the progress of the National Village movement.

At the end of 2012, Rutgers University, School of Social Work published a National Overview of Villages. This survey of sixty-nine villages, all of which are open,showed the diversity and similarities in community setting, organization and governance, budget, membership, staff and volunteers, and service offerings. Here's their 8-page study.
The Newton Free Library, in conjunction with an exhibit featuring Newton at Home has put together an excellent Bibliography of books and internet resources called Seniors at Home: Resources for Independence for Elders
In May 2012, the Boston Globe ran an interesting article on Villages helping Seniors stay in their homes, focusing on Beacon Hill Village and Cambridge at Home and mentioning Newton at Home.
A March 2012 article in HealthyCal highlights the community and social aspects of villages.