Lois Porter and her husband, George, both in their 80s, researched and visited retirement homes for months -- but then "just couldn't do it," Porter said.

They wanted to remain in their house on Capitol Hill, where they have lived for 33 years. Being able to walk to the doctor's office and stroll daily among people of all ages -- "That's the life, as far as we're concerned," she said.
Ednajane Truax doesn't want to leave the neighborhood, either. Truax, single and in her early 70s, has spent 10 years restoring her Victorian house, chiefly with her own hands, and is "terribly in love" with it.

"When I was single, I didn't want to live in a singles building, and when I am older, I don't want to live with exclusively one age group. I like the stimulation of different opinions, different ideas and people at different stages in their lives," Truax said.

They're among the majority of Americans who would prefer to stay put for retirement, rather than uproot themselves and head for sunnier climates. 

According to a study by AARP, the senior citizen advocacy group, only about 9 percent of people 60 and older moved out of their county in the five years before the 2000 Census. Ninety percent preferred to stay in the same home or county.

Because they don't want to leave their houses, their wine with dinner, their projects and their pets, a group of longtime Capitol Hill residents began gathering almost a year ago to create a support community that would allow them to stay put as they age.

The resulting nonprofit organization, called Capitol Hill Village, is modeled after a similar successful group in Boston that has become a model for communities around the country. Members don't live together -- rather, they are setting up a system for typical retirement home services, plus upkeep of one's own home. That means they will have access to transportation, doctors and shopping, as well as the means to organize social activities or home health care. An administrator will put members in touch with a prescreened handyman, a kitchen designer or plumber.

The group envisions members getting help with just one phone call for such things as changing smoke detector batteries, widening a door for a wheelchair, or arranging bathing and dressing assistance. Experts from within the group or outside lecturers would help with advice on gardening or estate planning. There would be social activities. Board members hope the system will be running in early summer.

The people who have joined or are planning to do so say they love their houses and want to keep walking their city blocks, socializing with their friends and interacting with neighbors instead of packing off to what one called "a ghetto for old people." Many have seen aged relatives have bad experiences in institutions for the elderly.

"My mother was in four of these type of assisted living arrangements -- 'Garden this' or something or other -- and she hated each one," said Geoff Lewis, president of Capitol Hill Village.

Lewis was intrigued by the Boston community, Beacon Hill Village, which was formed five years ago by residents 50 and over who want to remain in their homes. The group eschews such descriptions as retirement, senior community or aging in place. Beacon Hill Village now has 400 members, with the average age in the early 70s. Lewis began talking to friends, some of whom had read about Beacon Hill Village in an AARP newsletter.

"Geoff and other people we knew agreed to have a meeting. . . . It was like a pickup game. It wasn't thought out. It was Geoff Lewis rounding up the usual suspects to get together," said Mike Canning, 65, a board member.

Many members are longtime Hill residents who were active in a babysitting co-op in the 1960s and '70s and in other causes over the years, so they have experience working together.

"I thought, 'Gee, if we're all going to be here, let's see what we can do to make it possible to stay in our own homes,' " said Larry Molumby, 74, the group's treasurer.

Member Bill Matuszeski, 65, just helped his 71-year-old sister move into a retirement home and doesn't want to do the same himself. "These places are usually located out in the middle of nowhere where it is hard to walk to places. People say, 'I like to walk around the grounds,' and that just doesn't do it," he said.

Matuszeski's wife, Mary Procter, 65, said, "If the community can give each other a sense of mutual support, and people . . . can volunteer . . . the community will be there when we need it. If one of us gets widowed, we will definitely need it. If one of us becomes disabled, we will definitely need it. We are helping form a community now so we won't have to leave later."

Beacon Hill Village has sold its founder's manual to about 300 groups nationwide and has consulted with 50 or 60 groups, according to Executive Director Judy Willett. The model can be adapted to any suburban or rural area, she said, but most of the groups are in cities.

Other communities in the Washington area have also looked at the Beacon Hill project; some have met under the auspices of AARP's D.C. office. The Palisades area has a few people who are hoping to organize a village model adapted to the single-family homes there.

Some residents of the McLean Gardens condominium complex in Northwest ordered the how-to manual from Beacon Hill Village and are thinking about tailoring the idea to a complex that already offers maintenance and other services. Concerns include a monitoring system for people with health issues, but again, one of the appealing aspects is that the building houses people of all ages, one resident said.

There's a group at the Watergate, too, although its spokeswoman wouldn't discuss details. The Palisades and McLean Gardens groups haven't incorporated yet.

Capitol Hill Village has defined an area from I Street SE to H Street NE, and from Second Street to 19th Street SE and NE, that houses about 36,000 people, some 10,000 of whom are 50 or older, according to 2006 data from San Diego-based Claritas.

The group has raised nearly $115,000 in donations or pledges. Nearly 30 people have paid for the first two years of membership, and the group is searching for a director and office space. (There's already a Web site, http://www.chvdc.org.) Memberships cost $500 per individual and $750 per household annually. The group is seeking funding to subsidize memberships for those who can't afford that much.

Membership costs less than moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility. The average daily rate for a private nursing home in Washington is $260 per day, and the average monthly cost of an assisted living facility is $4,154 per month, according to 2006 market surveys conducted by MetLife. The average hourly rate for a home health aide is $20; for a homemaker, $17.

"The real question is, what is the value of having one number to call for repair, transportation and other services? You have to decide what is the value to you of the village social events, seminars, tutorials and so forth," said Norman Metzger, vice president of Capitol Hill Village.

The Hill residents face some challenges specific to their houses and neighborhood. There may come a time, for example, when they need to adapt townhouses for better access; many have narrow floor plans and steep stairs. Some residents have already added stair lifts.

"One of the challenges is that we are dealing with a community of townhouses," said Steve Cymrot, a Capitol Hill Village donor in his mid-60s. He owns Riverby Books, where the group is meeting until it rents office space. "What do you do to make the houses more physically accessible if the bedroom is on the third floor? I don't know what the answer to that is, but it . . . will become answered . . . when people are working on it together rather than by themselves," he said.

Exterior changes to accommodate wheelchairs can clash with the historic preservation rules that cover much of the neighborhood. "I think that is a genuine thing that might come up -- wanting to change the front of their house in a historic area," said Judy Canning, 65, a board member and Mike Canning's wife. "We could advocate and work with architects to come up with plans that would be aesthetically pleasing and work."

Some group members or those contemplating membership said they don't need services just yet but are looking ahead. Ann Schmidt, 80, said joining has made her children feel more secure about her living alone. "It defanged the children," she joked.

She said, "It's nice to have something there if something does come up where I need help."

Sharon House, 64, has given money but has not joined. She now trades off with a neighbor for needs such as doctor visits. "I do want to live here as long as I can until I have to leave some other way -- you know, feet first."

She said, "The thing most exciting for me -- I'm single, I don't have children -- is that there is a community of people that I am close to that want to stay here. . . . I like the idea that there is a staff there . . . on an emergency basis if you need a ride, [if you] need help," because "as you get older, you have a lot of procedures."

For his part, Molumby expects to begin using some services once Capitol Hill Village is up and running. "For me, I'm already past the time where I want to shovel my own snow. Or, getting a plumber or electrician, I can do it myself, but sometimes it's a real hassle."

He said, "There's a certain comfort in knowing that you can do that and having a community of elders in the same situation. In the meetings we've had in our homes, one of the things that emerged was one of the main things they found attractive about the Village was simply to have the community of other folks in the same situation."