Unique Retirement Communities: Lasell Village College

With a listing of all the senior living options in North America, SeniorAdvisor.com’s in a good position to spot those doing something special. In our monthly Unique Retirement Communities series, we feature senior communities doing something that stands out from the pack. This time, we take a look at Lasell Village College!

Have you ever felt like your years in school moved too fast? There’s just so much to learn, and most of us spend much of our lives too busy to devote any time to studying or taking classes once we graduate from high school or college.

Luckily, retirement gives you back some of that time. After a life of hard work, you can switch back to homework and lectures, if you so choose. Our next entry in the series on unique retirement communities is focused on providing seniors access to just that.

Lasell Village (www.lasellvillage.org) is a retirement community in Newton, Massachusetts located on the Lasell College campus. Seniors can take courses at Lasell College in whatever subjects they’re most interested on. Options range from Crucial Court Cases in American History to The Healing Power of Mindfulness.

Residents are expected to participate in the courses, each with an individualized program that can combine courses (those from Lasell College or nearby institutions), fitness activities, mentoring younger students, independent studies, or a number of other options. To live in the community’s residences, you do have to commit to a number of hours each year. Much like being a typical undergrad student, you’re held to a standard of participation in order to remain a part of the community.

The village differs from the dorms of a typical undergrad though by offering more of the amenities appreciated by seniors. These include 24-hour emergency services, housekeeping services, and wellness and exercise programs.

While the retirement community is mostly made up of independent living housing, there are also some rooms for seniors who require assisted living or nursing home care. Those who hope to stay in the community for the rest of their remaining years can therefore remain confident that they’ll have the services they need if their health reaches the point where additional care is required.

In the meantime though, seniors can enjoy their independence and the opportunity to thrive intellectually while surrounded by a community of fellow lifelong learners. Think of it like experiencing college again (or for the first time, as the case may be), but without the same concerns around dating or worrying about what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. The pressure’s off, so you can simply focus on your classes and soaking up as much knowledge as possible.

Think You’re Interested?

Lasell Village isn’t for everyone – some people couldn’t wait to get out of school, and it’s the only retirement community associated with a college that treats coursework as a requirement. You can’t just dabble; you have to take your education seriously. If you’ve been wanting to spend your retirement days in an environment that’s intellectually stimulating and like the idea of having someone hold your feet to the fire to make sure you devote your time to productive pursuits, then it may be just right for you.

You can contact the retirement village for more information and set up a visit to check out the facilities. While your colleagues enjoy their retirement years on a golf course or the beach, you could be spending yours in discussion with professors and students about the big stuff like history, philosophy, and art.  

Kristen Hicks

Kristen Hicks is an Austin-based copywriter and lifelong student with an ongoing curiousity to learn and explore new things. She turns that interest to researching and exploring subjects helpful to seniors and their families for SeniorAdvisor.com.