Aging in Place Planning

July 8, 2016Aging in Place, Blog, planning

aging-in-place-planning

This month our blogs will discuss Aging in Place. In honor of our country’s Independence day in July, we salute each of our own individual independence. We suggest you educate yourself on steps you can take if you wish to remain independent in your home as you age. Aging in place is a choice many seniors are making today and it is important to do a bit of planning. Read on to hear about this week’s tips.

Aging in place information

Aging in place is not a magic formula. Rather, it is a choice seniors can make to try to ensure a higher quality of life and control their circumstances as they age. It is a decision that requires some planning, so to get you started we’ve created a series to cover high-level topics to get you started. Through these pages you will explore a number of aging in place topics, including information about your home, community and others that you will need to consider while creating your aging in place plan. Think of this as the basics of aging in place; a primer to jump-start your age in place discovery.

Each section below is created to deal with a certain aspect of aging in place. Our hope is that these basics will help you as you start learning more about the concept and begin planning for yourself.

To get you started, we’ve also included a brief description of the aging in place links below.

What is Aging in Place?

Aging in place means being able to live in the home of your choice for as long as you are able, while being able to get any assistance you require as your needs change. It sounds pretty cut and dry. However, there is more to it than you may think.
What is Aging in Place?

Finding the right house for you

Finding the right house for you is an important part of your aging in place plan. Many houses don’t have the features needed for aging in place or they are not in the right type of community to suit your future needs.
So, often seniors find their homes are not elderly-friendly and lack usability features that increase safety. Remodeling and making other changes in your home allows a person to craft their home to be one they need as their needs change.
The Right Home for You

Assistive technology

Assistive technology can provide real benefits to seniors aging in place. These assistive devices can help you create a safer and enjoyable lifestyle. Devices range from low-tech to high-tech, and should be chosen based on functionality and ease of use.

Assistive technology

Community

There are many choices available when building an aging in place plan and where a person lives is one of them. The features and resources available can have a large impact on a person’s quality of life. As a person ages, the need for outside assistance increases. Knowing what services, you might need for aging in place and where they are available can help make planning much easier. It will also relieve some stress in the long run.
Community

Health Care

Another major aging in place basics consideration is health care. Keeping in good health helps ensure a higher quality of life. Access to adequate health care resources in your community can prevent many obstacles for seniors and being healthy contributes to a brighter outlook on life.
Health care

Finances & Legal

Making proper financial and legal preparations can make or break an aging in place plan. It will also reduce peace of mind and a senior’s quality of life. The decisions that are made for a home, care and even daily living will be impacted by the planning you make in the areas of money and legal.
Finances & Legal