Do you remember sharing a house when you were in your 20’s? The built in camaraderie, shared expenses, meals and chores?  It’s an idea that is gaining momentum with seniors in communities around the country.

With the high cost of retirement homes or the fear of living out their years alone, seniors are gravitating to the tradition of ‘roomies’.

Converting homes into private bedroom and bathroom spaces with shared living and cooking spaces is becoming a viable option to costly facilities.

The key is to find a group of like-minded roommates. Shared dinners and social activities can help keep the mind active and engaged and can offer comfort in knowing you are not alone if something should happen.

Doug Tindal and his wife have been exploring the option with a group of friends after realizing they weren’t satisfied with the current options available for retirement living. In this article on CBC, “It’s kind of like dating,” laughed Doug Tindal — and not speed dating. The Tindals plan to meet every few weeks for dinner with their potential roommates to see if they’d be compatible enough to share a home.”

It may not be a solution for everyone, but for many seniors who worry about being alone in their retirement years, this could be a great option. As long as everyone sticks to their scheduled garbage night and dishes duty, this trend could take off!