Aging in Place

By Anthony Bui

Conversations about end-of-life care, though difficult, are conversations that must be had in order to properly ensure that as we age, we are able to live out the rest of our days as comfortably as possible. There are several options to choose from with each having their own set of benefits and disadvantages. One option that has recently received a lot of attention is aging in place. This option allows us to grow older in our current residence as opposed to moving to a facility for assisted living or long-term care. This is done through home modifications to make sure that the home is accessible and safe, and also by establishing a support network in order to ensure that we are being taken care of and have someone checking in on us. The decision to age in place allows you to remain somewhere that is comfortable and familiar. You are also able to still feel like you have some independence. Being moved to institutionalized care can be something that most people do not look forward to. They fear many things such as being forgotten, abused, or losing all of their independence. If you feel this way, aging in place is something that you can look into and research in order to see if it is the best option for you. It is important that this is done as soon as possible, as it requires a lot of planning and resources. The Older Americans Act provides services to help assist and support older adults so they can maintain their independence and remain in their homes.

Is it right for you?

There are many factors to consider when determining whether or not aging in place is the right choice. One must consider things like: what kind of help you might want in the future, is there any family that you live with or near that could assist you if needed, is there any specific illnesses that you have that may affect you mentally and physically, or even what kind of home do you live in? Aging in place sounds ideal, but it is not always easy. Everyone’s situation is different, so one must first evaluate their own before moving forward. If you live on your own in a huge house with no nearby family, you should strongly consider other options. But, if you live nearby to your family and have a home that can be easily modified to be made safe, you can begin to consider aging in place and proceed with the rest of the planning.

How to Do It

It is important that someone who is looking into aging in place has a good plan in place financially. An advantage of choosing to age in place is that it is less expensive compared to nursing homes and other facilities, if the home is already paid off. Even then, it is important that one evaluates their finances in order to create a short- and long-term budget to factor in cost of bills, medicine, any home modification projects, food, and any other needs that one may have in their day-to-day lives. It is easy to feel lost in all of this, but meeting up with a financial advisor can help to make this process easier. After finances are in order, one can now look into what kind of help and resources that they would potentially need. There are plenty of services and resources available that help with things like household chores, meals, money management, and health care. In figuring all of these things out, it requires honesty on everyone’s part to accept what level of independence you can safely achieve. It is important that you do not push yourself too much but instead surround yourself with a support network of friends and family who are able to regularly check in on you and make sure that you are always safe. Once the home is made accessible and safe, and a sufficient support network is in place to ensure all needs will be taken care of, there is still the need to develop a backup plan in case something happens and it is no longer possible to remain in your home. Accidents happen and conditions worsen, so it is vital that a plan is in place in case it is no longer safe to age in place. When the circumstances are right though, aging in place is a viable option that allows people to maintain their independence while living out the remainder of their days in a familiar setting with a familiar routine.