The original Beacon Hill Village in Boston is catching on elsewhere as more people join forces to remain in their homes as they age.

The Washington Post reports here on neighbors in Fairfax County and Capitol Hill forming “villages” modeled on the idea of a hotel’s concierge service.

For an annual fee, the villages use a small professional staff and volunteers to arrange members’ transportation to the doctor’s office or the grocery store, to find in-home medical care or to compile a list of reliable contractors who do home repairs at a discount, the Post reports.

The village approach can be money-saving, the Post reports, noting the faltering economy has given the concept a new urgency.