With assisted living costs on the rise, more and more seniors are opting to age in place. Aging in place is a great way to save money, maintain your independence, and spend more time with your loved ones.
If you want a successful aging-in-place experience, we’re here to offer a few tips. Read on for a brief aging in place guide.
Not Planning Ahead
If you or a loved one is aging in place, you need to plan for the future. What is “aging in place” going to look like as the years go by?
What does your emergency plan look like? Do you have the finances to continue aging in place?
You need to discuss these things early on before anything happens. Having a plan in place will ensure that no one has to scramble to make last-minute decisions.
Not Being Proactive About Safety
If you plan on aging in place, you need to make sure that you’ve made any necessary safety modifications to your home (or you’ve built a new home or suite with built-in safety features).
Even if you’ve always been healthy and active, it’s likely that you’ll start to experience a decline in your mobility as you age. This can make everything from walking down the stairs to standing for long periods of time dangerous.
When you’re reactive about safety, you only start making changes after something bad happens. When you’re proactive, you’re preventing problems from happening in the first place.
Falls are the leading cause of injury for seniors, so this is our best and most important piece of aging-in-place advice!
Not Asking For Help
Many seniors think that aging in place means that they should be completely independent. Remember that independence doesn’t mean that you should never ask for help. Even the healthiest person (at any age) needs help from time to time.
You may, at some point, need someone to care for you in your home. Whether it’s a professional caregiver or a loved one, there’s nothing wrong with asking for assistance!
If you no longer feel capable of driving to get groceries or go to appointments, have someone else drive you (or use grocery delivery services). This is best for your safety and the safety of other people on the road.
You can even get help with your daily chores.
Not Being Willing to Alter Your Lifestyle
While you’re aging in place, you’re going to have to make some changes, especially if you’re moving into an in-law suite. This is going to be a great new adventure and you’ll be able to spend time with your loved ones, but your life will change.
You may feel the need to reject the use of a mobility device or accept help from family members. You may want to take over chores in the family household because you’re used to doing them in your own home.
Make sure that you and your loved ones have set boundaries with each other so you can figure out where you’re going to need to change your habits.
You’re on Your Way Toward Successful Aging in Place
Successful aging in place doesn’t have to be hard. Keep these common mistakes in mind when you’re drafting your aging-in-place plan so you can make the transition with ease.
Are you looking for more helpful information about in-law suites and aging in place? Check out the rest of our helpful blog posts or get our free newsletter! Start here with Mother in-Law Suit Floor Plans.
