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Most of us want to age in place.

Just in case you don’t happen to be familiar with what this term means, here is how the US Centers For Disease Control And Prevention defines it;

“the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level“.

Almost everyone wants to age in their own homes.

The National Institute of Ageing / Telus Health Survey found that almost 100 per cent of Canadians 65 years of age and older plan on supporting themselves and live safely and independently in their own home as long as possible. In the United States, an AARP study found that 70% of adults over the age of 50 would like to age in their homes and communities.

This makes perfect sense to me.

Really, how many of us would like to leave all that we know and love and go live someplace that we don’t want to? But here’s the challenge. As much as we may want to age in place, we also have to be aware of certain risks so that we don’t in fact get stuck in place.

But wanting to remain living in your own home as you age and actually being able to do it requires some thought and action. It's estimated that even though people are planning on doing this, only about 15% have taken steps to prepare.

Author and Professor Dr. Stephen Golant published an article entitled Aging In Place – Or Trapped In Place. In his post, Dr. Golant identified a number of issues that we need to be aware of when aging in place and ensure that we don’t ignore the signs of when it may be time to consider other living alternatives. Here are just some of the things that he mentioned;

Increased Home Maintenance

As we age, so will our homes. This will result in the need for increased home maintenance. Replacing windows, plumbing repairs, heating and cooling issues, roof leaks are all part of the ongoing management of maintaining a home. Not only can some of these be expensive but even replacing a light bulb can become a risky task if we have to climb up on something.

The Need For Renovations

You may be able to move around your house with ease right now, but those stairs may not be so easy to fly up and down in a few years time. Or how about your bathroom? Climbing in and out of your tub could become a slippery risk down the road. Or even climbing the stairs just to get into your home might be an issue at some point.

Retirement Living published some estimated costs for some renovations you may need and they ranged in price from $800 to $50,000 depending on what you may require. This isn’t an inexpensive undertaking or something you can necessarily do quickly. These items need to be planned for from both a time and money perspective.

Mobility Concerns

Chances are today you may be able to jump in your car and go where you need to go whenever you want. But what if you weren’t able to drive? How close is the nearest bus stop to you? Or could you really afford to take a taxi or Uber whenever you need to go someplace?

As much as we may hope that self driving cars will be the solution, we are still a long way off from this technology being part of our everyday lives. Also attached to a lack of mobility often comes one of the largest concerns with aging.

Social isolation and loneliness.

If you are unable to leave your home to see people or stay involved in your community, there is a risk you could become a hostage within your own home.

Over Attachment To Our Homes

Our homes, how could we not be attached to them? It’s where we raised our kids, enjoyed time with our friends and celebrated all our major life events. It’s where our children and grandchildren come home to and we know our neighbours. It is filled with all the memories and memorabilia of our lives. It’s close to everything we know – our doctors, our dentist, our community centers, our local stores. It’s no wonder we don’t want to leave and move somewhere else.

But this can be dangerous.

Our homes can also turn into cages if we are not careful. As we spend our money on maintaining them we may have to cut our expenses to pay this which may then further isolate us as our disposible income declines. Our neighbours may move away and our doctors can retire.

As Dr. Golant pointed out, we might turn into passengers rather then drivers as we wait in our home for people to pick us up and take us where we need to go. Our social interactions can become limited to the people delivering services to our doors or our social communities online.

Our need for support as we age may increase but we may not have the ability to get it when we need it given a lack of available care workers. We may end up taxing our family as our dependency and reliance increases on them causing them high levels of stress and anxiety.

So, What Should We Do?

As with everything, knowledge is power. The more aware we are of the possible risks of a situation, the better we can plan and prepare. So, when it comes to aging in place, we need to be realistic and open to a change in plans when necessary.

Ideally, we will all live a long, healthy and happy life in the place we want to live. But if this isn’t the case, hopefully we will have the ability and flexibility to shift our attitudes and attachments so we actually end up aging in the right place – wherever that may be.

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Susan Williams is the visionary founder of Booming Encore. With over 28 years of experience in corporate senior leadership and executive roles, she realized there was a significant gap in resources for those seeking a purposeful and healthy later life. Driven by her passion to make a difference, she decided that if she couldn't find it, she would create it and launched Booming Encore in 2013.

Since then, the Booming Encore has organically grown into a globally recognized authority on retirement, aging, and longevity. Susan’s commitment to empowering individuals is further reflected in her co-authorship of Retirement Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? and her contributions to Longevity Lifestyle by Design.

An engaging speaker and advocate, Susan passionately shares the importance of all the aspects that can help people positively live, embrace and contribute in their later years. Today, she’s not just helping others create their own “booming encore”—she is actually living hers. Join her on this inspiring journey and also live your best booming encore!

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Founder, Booming Encore

","summary_text":"Founder, Booming Encore"},"profile_type_id":"9822821d-c96a-4ece-a318-c42ca4715c88","first_name":"Susan","last_name":"Williams","pronoun":null,"avatar_image_url":"https://assets.boomingencore.omerloclients.com/community/ed43bb2b-6424-4ae7-b162-7f389c6f1f20.jpg"},"06061b95-95c5-4418-b01d-89d5d0bbd699":{"id":"06061b95-95c5-4418-b01d-89d5d0bbd699","kind":"person","updated_at":"2024-09-03T13:44:27Z","other_name":null,"localized":{"locale":"en","description_html":"

Stephen M. Golant, Ph.D., is a leading national speaker, author, and researcher on the housing, mobility, transportation, and long-term care needs of older adult populations. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, a Fulbright Senior Scholar award recipient, and a Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida. Most recently, he received the prestigious M. Powell Lawton Award from the Gerontological Society of America for his significant contributions to gerontology. Golant's latest book is Aging in The Right Place, published by Health Professions Press. You can contact Stephen at golant@ufl.edu.

","description_text":"Stephen M. Golant, Ph.D., is a leading national speaker, author, and researcher on the housing, mobility, transportation, and long-term care needs of older adult populations. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, a Fulbright Senior Scholar award recipient, and a Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida. Most recently, he received the prestigious M. Powell Lawton Award from the Gerontological Society of America for his significant contributions to gerontology. Golant's latest book is Aging in The Right Place, published by Health Professions Press. You can contact Stephen at golant@ufl.edu.","summary_html":null,"summary_text":null},"profile_type_id":"9822821d-c96a-4ece-a318-c42ca4715c88","first_name":"Stephen","last_name":"Golant","pronoun":"Dr.","avatar_image_url":"https://assets.boomingencore.omerloclients.com/community/ce377fd6-26b0-46d7-8e4e-8e2680639179.jpeg"}},"profile_types":{"9822821d-c96a-4ece-a318-c42ca4715c88":{"id":"9822821d-c96a-4ece-a318-c42ca4715c88","key":"contributors","kind":"person","updated_at":"2024-02-27T21:26:34Z","localized":{"name":"Contributors","locale":"en"}}}}}