Aging at Home – What it is and why it is so important.

Aging at home (or aging in place) is exactly what the name suggests – living, aging and even dying within one’s own house. It’s an appealing alternative to nursing homes, retirement villages or assisted living.

The attraction is easy to see. But, how realistic is it? In this post, we’re taking a look at the advantages and disadvantages, along with other areas to consider. 

The Benefits of Aging at Home

Beyond simple comfort, aging at home has many key advantages. The process can even help to improve both mental and physical health. 

Key Advantages:

• Home is familiar. People know what to expect and they’re already comfortable. A new living situation brings many unknowns. 
• Many seniors will already have friendship networks and routines linked to their home and neighborhood. Even moving to a nearby part of town can disrupt these patterns, making social contact much more difficult. 
• Care at home can often be less expensive than full-time care in a facility. This is particularly true for seniors that need some support but not a large amount. 
• Good quality home support can potentially decrease hospital admissions. This promotes health, especially as infections and other health challenges can occur as the result of a hospital visit. 
• Independence. Aging at home gives seniors control over their own life. Losing that control is one of the most scary aspects of aging. This is why many aging parents cling to their homes long after it is safe to do so. 

The Disadvantages

While aging in place has many benefits, it also has disadvantages. These mean that the process can be a great choice for some people, it isn’t suitable for others. 

Key Disadvantages:

• Houses aren’t normally designed with the needs of seniors in mind. Adjustments are often needed to ensure the home is safe, like removing fall hazards, adding in extra lighting and looking at grip rails. 
• It may not be possible to make a home completely safe. This is especially true for large houses or those with stairs. 
• In a similar way, seniors may need help getting around their neighborhood, especially if they can’t drive anymore. 
• Many seniors want to age in homes that they spent adulthood in. These are often too large, require too much maintenance and are impractical for their needs. The costs may be too high as well.
• Seniors may want to live alone. While that idea has benefits, it also has associated risks.  
• Living facilities focused on seniors tend to have trained staff and/or systems to meet senior needs. The same isn’t true for living at home.
• In-home care typically isn’t covered by Medicare or other funding sources. This can make it difficult to afford.  

In fact, many seniors cannot safely age at home – especially if they have a serious health condition. 

How to Age at Home

Successfully aging at home requires some consideration. Seniors have different needs than they did when they were younger.

Taking the time to look at adaptions is a critical part of the process. Anything that makes the home safer increases the chance that the senior can remain there. 

This includes finding products that help to make living at home easier, like reaching aids, adaptive clothing, and even meal delivery services like Silver Cuisine. You might hire someone to help with the garden too. If you live in California, contact Madera tree service experts for ideas about services that might be helpful.

Another aspect is the housing itself. While a senior may want to age in the same house they raised their kids in – this might not be realistic. Instead, compromise may be necessary.  

For example, a smaller and more affordable house is often a better choice. It’s easier to tailor this environment to meet the senior’s needs. The costs will be more realistic too. 

Caregiving is another component. Having a caregiver, especially a live-in one, provides more safety for the senior. This can help them stay at home much longer than they could otherwise. 

A final aspect is to look at services. 

Aging in place is becoming popular as a healthcare model. That’s hardly surprising when you consider how aging at home may save money and improve health. 

Because of this, many places provide services that can help support your family member. Some may cost and the availability will depend on many factors. But, if nothing else, it’s worth checking to see what is available for your situation. 

When Aging at Home Isn’t Realistic

It’s easy to see why aging at home is desirable. Unfortunately, the idea isn’t always possible. Some seniors will simply have too many health concerns. 

Others may need a caregiver, when one isn’t available. 

I saw this pattern in my own life. My grandfather hated the idea of living anywhere but home. He strongly opposed any suggestion of living somewhere else. Yet, he could not safely live at home on his own.

Even with systems in place, like an alarm and carers who would visit in the morning and evening, he still had bad falls and was at risk. The only solution would have been a full-time caregiver, but no one in the family could fill the role (or afford to hire someone). 

This issue is a common one. 

In other cases, the health problems a senior faces may be beyond any caregiver. Caregiving is an important role, but it isn’t always realistic. There are times where you will need to take a step back and look at other alternatives. Approaches like assisted living aren’t as bad as they sound anyway. They often promote physical and mental health in the long-term.