Living at home as you age is often called “aging in place” and, to do so safely, requires a coordinated effort of home updates and maintenance, a support network for care, and financial planning. The elderly you know aging in place have all made deliberate decisions to set themselves up for success. Let’s take a quick look at each of these categories with a few questions to better understand your preparedness.
Home Updates
With age, falls are a major threat to independence so the best places to start when preparing for home updates are bathrooms and stairways. Grab bars near the shower and toilet must be anchored into wall studs and, ideally, the shower should be walk-in (meaning you don’t need to step over the edge of a tub to enter). Staircases should have handrails on both sides, motion-sensor lighting, and surfaces that easily show contrast between each step.
Support Network for Care
The most important person to support an elderly person living at home is someone who can see the whole picture—health history, medication needs, financial obligations, etc. This individual will help coordinate home health aides when they’re needed, rides to appointments, home maintenance, and whatever else is needed to support activities of daily living at home.
Financial Planning
Understanding the costs of living at home can be complicated because of the many unknowns. Living at home successfully in older age requires being prepared to comfortably afford future expenses that might come sooner, later, or not at all. Understanding your local market is the first step. For example, how much do in-home aides cost and what’s the cost curve of outsourcing more and more chores (lawn care, snow removal, and transportation)? The next step is to consider your funding plan for sustained support after factoring in your expected income and assets.
Of course, this is just a starting point to understanding the realities of living at home for as long as possible. If you’re interested in learning more about how we help older adults extend their independence, join us for a free introduction. We host them monthly, virtually and in person.