2Life Communities

Thank you to the amazing sponsors of Raising the Roof, our annual gala. Your investment in 2Life Communities allows us to bring older adults the opportunity to live a full life of connection and purpose.

Construction is underway on Solimine House, 2Life’s new 150-apartment affordable senior housing community in Lynn, on the former Union Hospital site.

The development is designed to put health care close to home. A covered walkway will connect Solimine House to the Magnolia Contreras Day Center, operated in partnership with Element Care PACE, where residents will have access to doctors, counselors, and physical therapists. Nurses and home health aides will also be able to provide services in residents’ apartments.

A Mass General Brigham urgent care facility is located next door, creating a unique health care network right alongside the new housing community.

For 2Life, bringing housing, healthcare, and community together is part of creating places where older adults can live independently and with dignity.

Solimine House is expected to be completed in late 2027.

Read more about the project here:

Affordable senior housing with health care will replace former Lynn hospital The development will feature 150 apartments for seniors with low incomes, who will be able to access health care from visiting nurses and at a clinic on the property.

What makes common spaces effective at supporting social connection in senior living?

New research published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology offers a practical takeaway: Physical design and community management need to work together.

Dr. Astrid Jing Weinberg of MIT studied three 2Life campuses, surveying 152 residents and examining how shared spaces and community programming shape residents’ social experiences. The findings highlight the value of visible, accessible spaces connected to residents’ daily routines, paired with programming that responds to residents’ interests and creates opportunities for interaction.

Read more about the research and its implications for designing and managing senior living communities that support connection and well-being in later life.

New study examines how common spaces in senior living support connection A new study examines how the design and management of common spaces work together to shape resident social experiences in senior living communities.

Not a bad way to close out the week! 2Life’s Lizbeth Heyer and Emily Levine joined Rep. Rosa DeLauro and affordable housing leaders from across the region this morning for a great conversation about housing production, affordability, and specific ways Congress can better center the unique housing needs of older adults in its agenda next session.

Grateful for the opportunity to share what we’re seeing on the ground and help keep affordable senior housing front and center in the conversations ahead.

Who helps you navigate aging when you don’t have a traditional support network?

More than 24 million people ages 50 and older live at home, according to 2023 AARP data. For many solo-agers — older adults without a spouse, partner, children, or other trusted family support — finding community and navigating the next chapter of life can look very different.

A recent Senior Housing News article explores how senior living providers are responding to this growing group.

For example, 2Life’s “welcome buddy” program pairs new residents with established residents who help them get connected to people, programs, and life in their new community. Meanwhile, resident services staff help residents navigate health care, in-home services, and other needs that can become more complicated without a traditional support network.

Read the full article:

Solo-Agers Prompt Senior Living Providers to Rethink Community and Care While senior living demand remains strong in 2026, operators are fine-tuning their approach to reach a growing cohort of solo-ager

For Judy Kaplan, gardening has always been about more than growing things. And in retirement, as she’s settled into a new home and community at Opus Newton, it has become one way she’s found a new rhythm — one with plenty to keep her busy and plenty of time to slow down.

Her first garden came after she got married. Having grown up in apartments, she had never had a garden of her own before. When she and her family were living in Lynn, Massachusetts, she discovered the simple pleasure of putting seeds in the ground and watching them flourish.

“I just discovered that if you throw seeds in, put plants in, they grow,” Judy says. “And it's a great pleasure to grow things.”

Over the years, Judy cultivated vegetables, herbs, and flowers, learning as she went. She once returned from a summer away to find that a pumpkin plant had taken over her entire backyard — a lesson in just how enthusiastically plants can spread when left to their own devices.

Before moving to Opus Newton, Judy tended a community garden near her former condo, where she had plenty of space. Today, her garden is smaller, but it has found a new place in her life.

🌿 Read Judy's full story here:

Judy Kaplan: A place to grow At Opus Newton, Judy has found a new rhythm in retirement — one that keeps her busy, connected to her community, and grounded in the simple pleasure of gardening. From raising herbs for her neighbors to planning next year’s crop, Judy’s garden is a place to slow down, stay curious, and keep gr...

What if we stopped thinking about aging as a story of things we lose and started thinking about what we can gain?

More connection. More purpose. More opportunities to contribute, learn, create, and belong.

As you get older, what do you want more of in your life?

Online scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to spot. Could AI help older adults stay one step ahead?

2Life partnered with SeniorShield and the University of Southern California to test an AI-powered tool that helps older adults identify scams and suspicious messages. Read more about the pilot and how new technology could help older adults navigate the digital world more safely.

Can AI help older adults spot online scams? A 2Life pilot shows promise Older adults are especially vulnerable to online scams. A recent pilot program at 2Life shows how the right tools and training could help.

As we age, we often think of independence as the ability to stay in our homes, manage on our own, and avoid asking for help. But research suggests that independence may be better understood through three lenses: autonomy, control, and participation in what makes life meaningful.

So, what if the question we should be asking ourselves isn’t “How much can I do by myself?” but “Where and how do I want to live the next chapter of my life?”

That distinction matters, and not just when we’re 75 or 85, but much earlier. The answer just might mean planning for senior living and the support and community that comes with it.

Rethinking independence as we age Most of us equate living in a familiar home with independence. But is it possible that moving to senior housing can actually keep us living independently as long as possible?