The Springwell Blog

About a year ago, Stuart began the process of rebuilding his life. He moved into the Newton congregate housing site with the help of his Springwell care manager, after experiencing a series of difficult losses as well as a de-stabilized housing situation with a friend. The death of his beloved son to cancer at age 46 and a “TIA” or mini-stroke (which aggravated his stroke symptoms from twenty-five years ago) left him vulnerable, but Springwell services have provided a new foundation for moving forward.

As something of a hybrid between a traditional retirement or assisted living community and an independent senior housing building, congregate housing emphasizes communal living and on-site services while still providing some private living spaces for residents. The idea is to create a community where older adults can maintain or re-build independence while benefiting from shared resources and activities. Congregate housing fosters a close-knit community where residents can engage with one another. Regularly planned group activities, communal dining areas, and shared recreational spaces make it easy for residents to build meaningful connections. Stuart says it reminds him of living in the Brown University dorms back in the 1970s – the people are older and the personalities can be strong, but the sense of safety and community is what he needs right now.

Congregate housing provides shared living arrangements for older adults and people with disabilities in affordable housing locations. The Congregate Housing program includes coordinators who work with the housing providers to ensure a stable environment and foster a sense of community. Additionally, coordinators help residents to access community resources, manage issues that arise from shared living, and plan social activities.  In Congregate Housing, residents have their own private bedroom and may share the kitchen, dining, and bathroom areas with other residents.  There are currently over 40 Congregate Housing sites in Massachusetts that have the collective capacity to house approximately 500 residents.

Ultimately, Stuart would like to be living in his own one-bedroom apartment, but at this point in his life, he values his place in the Newton Congregate program. He has been unstoppable in his commitment to his recovery, completing physical therapy once after his stroke and again after a broken hip, but he still feels fragile. Recently, Stuart fell in the shower of the congregate housing’s shared bathroom facilities, and one of his housemates called 911, staying with him until the ambulance arrived. As Stuart says, “Right now I feel so vulnerable, it’s good to have people around. If I’m not making noise, I know that people will check on me.”

He also appreciates the on-site presence once a week of Springwell Care Coordinator, Lily, another key feature of the congregate program. Together, Stuart and Lily identify his current priorities and problem-solve challenges as they come up – and Lily helps Stuart compile what he is calling “Nate Notes,” memories and anecdotes of his son that he will one day share with his grandchildren.

Springwell partners with the Commonwealth of MA, which provides the Congregate Housing Program and maintains a list of all MA congregate housing programs and contact information for more information about applying. Springwell also maintains a list of resources related to housing.