A couple seated on their front porch enjoying their long-term home and what it has to offer for them as they age in place with each other where they are.
The essence of aging in place
What if we woke up today in the same bed where we went to sleep last night, in the same home and general surroundings? Sounds extremely likely for most people. This is the essence of aging in place – living in the same space from day-to-day.
Of course, we want that experience to be a quality one so those of us experienced in aging in place assessments and modifications can counsel people and recommend changes (not necessarily expensive or elaborate ones) to help them remain in their current homes long-term as safely, comfortably, and enjoyably as possible.
All of us are aging all the time. It’s just a matter of how we do it.
No major changes required
While our current home may or may not be ideal for our current situation, it is a fantastic starting point. We are living there now, so we don’t need to go searching for something else unless modifications to our current home to make it accessible are unreasonably expensive or impractical.
Mostly, we need to determine ways to make our current homes safer and easier to use as the years go by. We may not know what we will need so flexibility is important – and creating solutions now that are timeless in their appeal and utility for us. We should ask how well they will meet our needs now and how they might work if we aren’t as mobile in the future.
Falls are the major risk
Among the many issues that we may face as we get older, falling and injuring ourselves (knees, hips, head, and neck, for instance) would be a serious readjustment to the way we occupy and use our homes. We can deal with aging, but having an injury affecting the way we navigate or home or perceive our surroundings could be a game-changer.
Therefore, to the extent possible, we should do all that we can to remain safe and major injury-free (occasional cuts and bruises are going to happen) over time. If we need some advice or assistance to make this possible, a certified aging in place specialist can be consulted for their help.
Aging in place is natural
Aging in place is ongoing. There’s no stopping getting older so the only question is where we live as we count those candles on our birthday cake. FInding a long-term residence likely has already occurred – years ago for some of us. If not, we should look for something easy to maintain that lets us be ourselves as much as possible.
We want a place to live that lets us enjoy the aging process and does not complicate it.