Recent Blog Articles

Apps to accelerometers: Can technology improve mental health in older adults?

Opioid addiction and overdoses are increasingly harming Black communities

New Harvard tool helps fact-check cancer claims

Hand pain from arthritis? This may help

Polio: What parents need to know now

Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression: When and where is it safe?

Have lupus? What to know about birth control

Screening at home for memory loss: Should you try it?

Travel tummy troubles: Here’s how to prevent or soothe them

Easy, delicious summer veggie meals will help stretch your food budget
Staying Healthy
A new angle on aging in place: The virtual village
- By Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
The village model supports living at home and staying independent as we age.
For most of us, Plan A for long-term housing is pretty simple: live at home, independently, for as long as possible. Plan B gets more complicated. What will happen when we need assistance getting groceries, maintaining the house, going to the doctor, and staying socially connected? The answer for some people is a grassroots trend called a "virtual village."
The village model
A virtual village isn’t a place. It’s a group of people who live in their own homes, near each other, and agree to help each other. They form a self-governing nonprofit organization that offers membership to any household within its coverage area, which could include one or many neighborhoods.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
You might also be interested in…

Aging In Place
Aging in Place is the comprehensive planning guide for living safely and independently for as long as possible—wherever you choose to live. You’ll get guidance for modifying a home to meet your changing needs. You’ll read how to ensure comfort and increase convenience and security—without straining your budget. Plus, you’ll find valuable tips for keeping yourself healthy, for deciphering the options of Medicare, for smart financial and legal planning, for utilizing online services, for getting help at home, and so much more.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!