43-year-old writer will stay at DC-area retirement living home

Steve Gurney hasn't reached the typical age of most who consider retirement living communities, but he writes guides to various options for prospective residents and felt the need to experience what his readers do.


For a week, he'll be living in a continuing careretirement community in Washington DC, along with his 6-year-old son, and he says he's hopeful that he'll gain more perspective than he has touring more than 500 facilities in the U.S.


But Gurney is hopeful that both the residents and the staff will learn something from his stay and intergrating the needs of a younger person into daily activities.


"By separating older individuals into their own communities, we're saying that these residents are different than the rest of us," he said.

"Ultimately, my hope is to break the stigma about retirement communities and to provoke discussion about intergenerational living."


The location of the residence may help that goal, since the writer says that it provides easier access to amenities like bookstores and can promote independence among residents.


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