One doesn’t have to be Gen X or a Boomer to remember the magic that was The Golden Girls, an NBC TV show that ran from 1985 to 1992. It sparked the idea that perhaps as women age, their retirement plan could look more like friends rooming together, rather than senior living facilities.

A co-housing expert in New Mexico is testing out this idea. Groups of women, ranging in age from their 50s to early 70s, have been attending retreats on a sprawling ranch to workshop ideas and share what works and what doesn’t, from logistical and emotional standpoints.

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Living like a ‘Golden Girl’

In an article for AARP, Christina Ianzito shared that Elizabeth White facilitates the retreats that ask the question, “Could you really live like The Golden Girls?” Ianzito explained that “the goal is to determine whether anyone wants to take the leap from ‘Sounds nice’ to ‘Let’s do this thing.’”

This leads to a series of practical questions, which Ianzito lays out: “What if someone gets sick? What will the neighbors think? How do you manage the housekeeping? Could guests visit? What if a housemate turns out to be difficult to live with? Is there an easy way to leave if it doesn’t work out? And after weighing all those difficult questions, would they want to give shared living a try?”

The participants of the $1,500 retreat (and their concerns) varied widely. Ianzito shared, “Among them are Michelle Harper, 57, an education professor........

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