By most counts, some 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. That equates to 3.5 million new retirees every year. In addition, the number of Americans living full lives into their 90s and 100s is also increasing. While many will choose to move to communities for single-level living and expanded social interaction, according to most surveys, 75 percent of Americans would prefer to age-in-place in their current homes.
What Will it Take to Age-in-Place at Home?
To successfully age-in-place at home, a person must consider his or her potential health risks and whether the current design of the home lends itself to restructuring for accommodations. Is low vision an issue? Are there stairs that could become a potential risk factor? Does fading memory make it hard to find things on a regular basis? If you are able-bodied, but want to entertain friends who are not, then the “visitability” of the home becomes an issue. Being able to answer these questions will help you build-in design considerations to make it easier to stay independent.
Good design adds to Quality of Life
Overcoming Steps Can Dramatically Increase the Livability of the Home
When most people think about aging in the family home, the first things that come to mind are steps and bathrooms. Being able to live on the first floor, with few or no steps from the outside to the inside, is a major consideration. Ramps are most often suggested, but if the slope is slight, it's sometimes possible to regrade a sidewalk to allow a step-less entrance into the home. If first-floor living isn't feasible, then stair glides are a good solution to getting safely to a second floor. My mother used a stair glide last fall on a river cruise ship and found that it was an easy way to avoid unnecessary risks.
Bathrooms Top the List of Dangerous Places in the Home
Emergency rooms in the US see some 234,000 people annually, or 600 people a day, due to accidental injuries in the bathroom. As one's age increases, the chances of getting hurt in a bathroom also increase. As a result, modifying current bathrooms with higher toilets, no-step entries into showers, appropriate height vanities and easy-to-reach storage all become important.
Reachable Storage Increases Independent Living
Being able to access items in the kitchen or closets, without the use of a step-ladder, means people can stay independent longer. New organizational and design features allow for pull-down shelves in upper kitchen cabinets and pull out drawers to replace the fixed shelves in base cabinets. In closets, lowering closet rods for easy access to hanging clothes and adding shelves for things like folded sweaters and shoes eliminates the need to reach up high or bend down low.
Good Lighting Throughout the Home is Critical
Not counting issues like glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts, the average 60-year old needs three times the light in order to see as well as a 20-year old. Shrinking pupil size is a key reason as is reduced peripheral vision. Making sure that there are light switches at the entrance to every space, passageway lighting and at least three lamps in a room will greatly improve visibility. Controlling glare with appropriate window coverings will also help.
Clear Walkways Increase Safety and Independence
Most people don't like to deal with “stuff” which is why many houses are so full of it! Marie Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has been at the top of The New York Times bestseller list, indicating that this is a major issue for Americans, today. Finding friends or family to help with the purge is key, or in the event that you do not have anyone able to help, hiring a real estate stager (who can “stage your home for living”), a Senior Move Manager (trained for aging-in-place) or a professional organizer may be your best investment. A clear space, with no tripping hazards, can minimize hospital visits or a permanent move to a personal care home. Dealing with family “treasures” while you are able to help in the sorting, can also mean “gifting” family members while you can watch them enjoy it, rather than having others dig through your belongings when you're gone.
Getting Help—How & When You Need It
All it takes is a knee-replacement surgery for an active-60 year old tennis player to realize that sometimes you need a little help. In-home care agencies can provide non-medical care, such as meal preparation, laundry, mobility assistance and driving to appointments. These are valuable services for short-term healing periods. They can also provide companionship and care with activities of daily living, when things like showering and driving become impossible. In-home medical care can also replace services often provided in a Personal Care home, in the event that medication management, wound-care and balance issues come to play.
Overall, how one plans to age-in-place is something everyone should all be thinking about, way before the time comes to make the decision. Careful planning will insure that you are able to live long into your golden years, in the manner that works best for you.
About the Author
Jill Kearney, a long-time resident of the Lehigh Valley, is the owner of Senior Homes by Design. Her company specializes in helping “Boomers and beyond,” create beautiful, safe and functional homes for aging-in-place. Jill is on the board of directors of NASMM, the National Association of Senior Move Managers, and also owns sister company, Senior Moves by Design, to help those who decide that a move is a better choice than aging at home.
By Jill Kearney, Founder, Senior Homes by Design
