10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Aging at Home

Aging in place, or aging at home, is a growing trend among seniors. Staying in your own home as you age has many benefits, from affordability to maintaining a sense of independence.

For some, however, it can be risky, particularly if you’re experiencing difficulty handling daily chores or maintaining your home.

Before deciding to age at home, there are some things you should consider. Here are ten questions to ask yourself. They’ll help you work out whether aging at home is a good idea for you.

Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Will I be able to maintain my independence?

As you age, you may begin to experience some challenges that reduce your ability to take care of your basic needs.

• Can you get in and out of the shower on your own, even with some assistive devices, like handrails?
• Can you carry the trash bin to the curb on trash day without any problem?
• Can you carry out meal preparation from start to finish with few problems? This includes planning your daily meals, securing the ingredients at the grocery store or your pantry, using the kitchen and tools efficiently, and managing the clean-up without any incidents?

Remember that it’s perfectly fine if the answer is no for a little while. Indeed, no matter where you live, finding good tools and safe workarounds is a critical aspect of remaining healthy and independent.

If you can’t drive anymore but can manage public transportation or rideshare like a pro, your independence could remain intact. Similarly, if you find grocery store shopping difficult, you could rely on meal delivery services like Home Bistro or Fresh ‘n Lean, or have groceries delivered to your door.

2. How will I stay safe?

Our top safety tips for seniors can point you in the right direction for making your home safer, such as installing handrails in the bathroom, adding better lighting, and securing loose rugs, to make you feel safe.

Life alert systems can also be installed to add peace of mind and offer a lifeline in case of an emergency.

3. What are my family and friends’ views on aging at home?

This is important because if your family and friends aren’t supportive of you staying in your own house as you age, it can cause a rift between you. Adult children may believe you’ll rely heavily on them if you remain at home. Perhaps they have noticed that dishes always seem piled high, the recycle bin is overflowing, and you’ve only eaten take-out food for the past month.

In the end, the decision is yours, but it certainly helps to consider others’ opinions and constructive suggestions. One way to address this is head-on. Let adult children or relatives know that it is your preference to remain at home as long as possible and flat-out ask them “What do you think I need to put in place to make that happen?” This way, they feel involved, and you may get very honest input.

4. Do I have enough savings to afford my living expenses?

If you have enough money saved, aging at home can be doable. Be sure to factor in any future medical expenses, though, along with upgrades and modifications needed to your home to keep you safe.

Again, you’ll need to factor in the cost of hiring any additional help for the upkeep of your home, from gardening to snow shoveling. Add up the cost of any life alert system or remodeling needed.

If your savings are low, you may need to consider other care options or move somewhere more affordable. Aging at home doesn’t mean aging in the same home you lived in 15 years ago; it just means aging in your home (owned or rented) and not in assisted living. Many seniors may downsize to a new home or a senior apartment where they live out their old age.

5. What is my support system like?

Your support system includes family and friends who can help you out as you age. They may be able to bring you groceries, take you on errands, or accompany you to the doctor for appointments or major surgeries and procedures.

Are you connected to a local church, senior center, or social group that you can rely on to notice when things aren’t right with you or come around every now and then to check up on you?

6. What services and resources does my community offer to support the aging at home lifestyle?

We have compiled the best tips for staying safe when living alone. You can also hire someone for regular home cleaning, yard care, or snow removal. Just bear in mind that hiring help with any home maintenance or housekeeping will only add to your monthly expenses.

7. Can I manage the upkeep of my house?

If not, you will need to hire someone to do it for you. During this time, you will need help to carry out regular tasks.

Are there friendly neighbors who can help with snow shoveling, cleaning out gutters, or mowing the lawn? Oftentimes, watchful neighbors will step in and help. However, over-reliance on them is a big sign that you’re unable to handle things on your own, and others are noticing. Don’t be surprised if they call your children to alert them or share their concerns.

8. Do I have accessibility issues?

Many things can affect your ability to easily get around, including general age-related changes or decreased mobility due to medical conditions or injury. Arthritis or a stroke can both make it challenging to maneuver around your home, get dressed or bath, or even cook.

• Are there other ways to get in and out of your shower/bath?
• Would you be able to get down the stairs and out of the home on your own in case of an emergency?
• If you can no longer reach the top shelf, can you make room for all your needed items in a more convenient location?
• Or can you trust yourself to get up and down a step stool or ladder without risking a fall?

It’s important to think about any potential mobility issues and how to improve things. Don’t simply pretend that everything is fine. Doing so means you’re not protecting yourself and may increase the risk of injury.

9. Do I require additional care because of a medical condition or disability?

If the answer is yes, then home health aides and assisted living facilities could be possibilities for your needs.

10. Will social interaction still be important to me?

If you are someone who isn’t really interested in socializing, you may be able to find ways to keep busy at home. For example, hobbies like gardening or reading can help pass the time.

If staying connected to your wider social network is important, think about whether staying on your own will let you get out to volunteer or take an educational class.

If you need to stay connected to friends via social media, instant messaging, or video chat, be sure you have these set up correctly in your home. Many local businesses are now dedicated to providing people with personalized at home assistance with troubleshooting anything computer or internet-related. Such services can make your life much easier.

How to Prepare Your Home for Aging at Home

Aging is inevitable. When it comes, you need to be prepared. Here are some tips from Avila for preparing your home for aging.

Plan for Aging in Place

If you plan on staying in your home when aging starts, here’s what you need to do:

• Identify and repair all hazards (such as weak railings and loose rugs).
• Eliminate slip risks from wet surfaces.
• Ensure proper lighting.
• Install handrails and walk-in tubs.
• Create an accessible shower/tub area with slip-resistant flooring.
• Check your floor plan to ensure there are no steps between rooms or leading up to the front door.

Create a Plan for Independence & Comfort

If you intend to stay at home, you’ll need to make sure you’re comfortable and independent. Here are some tips:

• Be sure that your home is easy to navigate by creating level walkways and no stair steps between rooms.
• Make your lighting bright enough without harsh shadows or glare.
• Install grab bars in your bath so you can safely lift yourself out.
• Use a flexible shower hose to adjust water temperature and pressure from your seated position.

Go for Accessibility

If you plan on aging at home, you may need to make modifications to your home, so it’s accessible. Look into all of the following:

• Install ramps or a chairlift or remodel your stairs to create access between all levels.
• Replace door knobs with lever handles so you can open doors while holding groceries or other items in your hands.
• Raise electrical outlets to a height that’s easier for an older person using a walker or wheelchair.

Make Your House Smarter

Your home can now help you age gracefully, even if it isn’t equipped with smart technology. To make your house ‘smart’:

• Replace knobs with sensors that control lights and appliances.
• Install locks that are opened or unlocked by a key fob or smartphone app.
• Keep an eye on your house while you’re away by having a camera monitor the inside and outside.
• Use speakerphones to get information without touching the phone, such as weather or traffic updates.

Make Your House Safer

If you want to stay at home but worry about safety issues, here are tips to make your house safer:

• Install smoke detectors or alarms that are triggered by a specific sound, such as glass breaking.
• Have carbon monoxide detectors installed where you sleep and keep at least one on each floor.
• Know the locations of fire extinguishers and first aid kits and be familiar with how to use them.
• Keep a flashlight and batteries near each bed so you can see your way around at night.

Get Social Support

As you age, social support becomes more important than ever. To get the most out of your social network:

• Make sure that family and friends know how to contact you in an emergency.
• Create an emergency fund, so you’re not burdened with the cost of unexpected repairs.
• List your medical conditions and allergies, so that first responders know how to help if you need medical assistance while at home.
• List your power of attorney information so it’s easy for family, friends, or neighbors to act on your behalf.

Plan for Transportation

If your car is the only way you get around, you’ll need to plan ahead for transportation when aging at home:

• Ensure that the route to your doctor’s office or other destinations is clear and accessible, including sidewalks and crosswalks.
• Park as close as possible to your destination and use an automatic garage door opener, so you don’t have to fumble with keys or a remote.
• Be aware of places where cars frequently speed or run through stop signs, such as school zones and main thoroughfares.

Know Your Limits

If aging at home is important to you, it’s also important to know your limits. Think about times where you’ve struggled and adjust your lifestyle activities as needed:

• Think about how much time it takes you to cook a meal or wash and fold laundry and create a schedule that works for you.
• Reduce the amount of heavy lifting you do, such as lifting your grandkids or moving laundry baskets between rooms.
• Reduce the amount of cleaning you do, such as dusting and polishing your floors, to conserve energy.

Prepare for Emergencies

Emergencies can happen anywhere at any time, so it’s important to prepare yourself before they happen. To be ready for emergencies:

• Contact your doctor or pharmacist to come up with a plan for emergency situations, so you know who to call and what to do.
• Get your medical alert systems.
• Find out where the nearest fire extinguisher is located, along with the type of fire it can put out.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a lot of things to think about when looking at whether or not to age at home. Most of these relate to your safety, which includes making sure that your home is suitable for your needs as you age.

Perhaps the most important thing is to recognize that some things that are easy for you now won’t be in the future. This happens to us all. To age at home well, you to take differences in ability into account. Doing so includes making sure you have social support, making your home environment safer, and addressing any mobility and accessibility issues early.

Thankfully, you don’t need to make all these changes at once. You can step through them bit by bit over time, while talking to others about their perspectives. Remember too that you can change your mind. Perhaps aging at home is the right choice for you now, but stops being viable in the future. That’s okay. No one knows how the future will pan out. We just have to prepare as best as we can.