// HEALTH & WELLNESS //
Aging in Place BY LESLEY KENNY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PARC DE PRINCE
We plan for so many things except the one we’re guaranteed to face: age-related physical limitations. More than just installing hardware store grab bars in the shower, a plan to age in place (stay in your own home) can be incorporated into the overall design of a new home.
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e move around our homes from room to room without a thought. We bend down dozens of times a day to pick up kids’ toys, dog bowls, and socks. We talk about hopping in the shower, racing down stairs, and jumping into bed; that is, those of us fortunate enough to be physically able.
But this too shall pass. Regardless of how committed we are to our health and fitness, things will eventually change. The majority of Ontario seniors live in their own home and intend to for as long as possible. But for how long will that be possible? Statistics Canada says that if we reach the age of 85, there’s a one-in-three chance we’ll need to move to a seniors’ residence where there’s nursing care and modified amenities to help keep us safe.
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Yet, the hardest lesson we’ve learned from the pandemic is that nursing homes and long-term care residences are no longer places where an acceptable level of health and safety is a given. A recent study by Ryerson University’s National Institute on Ageing reports that 70% of respondents over age 65 said the pandemic has changed their thinking – they’re now even more committed to staying in their own homes. According to the Government of Canada, “aging in place means having the health and social supports and services you need to live safely and independently in your home or your community for as long as you wish and are able.” A key part of being ‘able’ is to ensure that the physical layout and amenities of your home are now, or will be in the future, suitable to your changing physical needs. More than just installing hardware store grab bars in the shower, a plan to age in place (stay in your own home) can be incorporated into the overall design of a home.
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