David Hewitt is redefining what it means to retire

Sharon Gunther

Although not a Quaker himself, Diffey sees a great deal of harmony between Quaker values and his own leadership ethic. Quakerism, which was founded in seventeenth-century England as an alternative to the complex, institutional Christian churches of the time, values inclusion to the extent that all decisions must be arrived at through consensus—which might sound daunting to most CEOs, but does not faze Diffey. "Leadership is more about inspiration and inclusion than it is about telling people what to do," Diffey says. "What Kendal does and how we operate and how Quakers think about resolving conflict is remarkably similar to best practices I was taught in my M.B.A. program."

Diffey's leadership has helped guide Kendal from a small nonprofit organization just starting to outgrow its base in southeast Pennsylvania into a nationally recognized star in its field. "Kendal is one of the forerunners of consciously setting out to create ULRCs," says Ronald Manheimer, director of the University of North Carolina's Center for Creative Retirement, adding that the field has begun to blossom and diversify in recent years. Manheimer says the current popularity of ULRCs derives from the lifelong-learning movement that flourished as the many college-educated members of the G.I. generation retired.

Pace agrees. "The collegiate atmosphere is one of the strongest selling points people who are marketing [ULRCs] use. Because, typically, if you're moving into independent living, you're not moving there for the medical part of the facility, you're moving for the social aspect."

Today, experts say there are anywhere from thirty to 100 ULRCs, depending on how the term is defined. Duke is connected to two retirement communities: The Forest at Duke, situated a few miles from campus, and Galloway Ridge, located at Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, North Carolina, south of Chapel Hill, and affiliated with Duke University Health System.

On an unseasonably warm winter day, Bartlett, Hewitt, and Elizabeth Mather, another resident, are gathered around a table in the coffee shop just outside the community dining hall. Other residents pass through on their way to lunch, and the din of animated conversation resounds around the small room. Residents usually eat one meal each day in the dining hall and prepare the rest in their apartments.

Bartlett is a dynamo, darting from topic to topic; Mather punctuates her points with wit and precision; and Hewitt, the most reserved of the three, exhibits an almost scholarly manner. But as they talk about themselves, the similarities in their personal histories emerge. All are retired, white-collar professionals. All have traveled extensively. And, it gradually emerges, all are Quakers.

But not everyone at Kendal is Quaker, they immediately rush to say. For a moment, they strain to think of the residents who would seem to be most at odds with pacifist Quakerism.

"We now have three ex-admirals!" Mather exclaims.

"And a retired three-star general!" Bartlett adds excitedly.

Nevertheless, Quakerism, a non-hierarchical religion that Diffey describes as "seeking, rather than doctrinal," informs life at Kendal.

"The most important Quaker value is the importance of everybody having the opportunity to express their opinions—everybody is listened to," Bartlett says.

"In the effort to seek some diversity, to value the notion of diversity," Mather adds. This emphasis on diversity is manifested in Kendal's pricing plans, which are weighted so that the high costs for larger units help subsidize the lowest-cost units. Comprehensive fee structures serve two purposes: They eliminate the à la carte approach to retirement living that can tack on unanticipated medical and living expenses as residents age, and they generate subsidies that can serve as supplements or cover a resident's insolvency.

This notion of inclusion spills over to the medical care provided. Unlike most modern nursing facilities that segregate cognitively impaired residents from the general population, Kendal places residents who require nursing care in the same facility, regardless of their level of mental and physical ability. Geriatric studies consistently show that cognitively impaired older people decline more rapidly if surrounded only by other cognitively impaired people.