Ron SmithPublished on AIP - The Rest of the Story: Not All About the Physical Environment
Over this past year I’ve focused on reviewing recommended checklists to improve the physical setup of your house to be better suited for aging-in-place. COVID-19 has helped to reinforce the value of evaluating your home to both improve the safety and the ease of living as we grow older.
I now want to start addressing some of the other services and considerations that may also be necessary to successfully age-in-place. As we continue to get older, we start realizing that simple things that we took for granted are no longer that easy. When we raised our children, we taught them how to be adults. However, you may have noticed that no one has taught us how to be older adults? So, over the next few months we’re going to explore other topics that will help us to recognize and better prepare ourselves to handle the new challenges that we will meet in order to successfully age-in-place.
The gift of time: Here we are. We made it to retirement. Now what? Many people arrive with dreams of travel, exploring hobbies or new ideas, or seeing more of the grandchildren. Many haven’t thought about retirement and they are not ready. Even the new retirees with retirement plans will eventually start looking for new challenges to help bring more meaning to their retirement years. How do they all successfully redefine themselves? How do they become engaged in other meaningful activities or find ways to contribute to their community? How do they stay relevant? Purpose gives us the energy to enjoy life.
Managing your physical health: All of a sudden, your physical health becomes a gateway to your future. Do you have a plan to maintain your health? Are you taking advantage of preventive services? Do you have a good relationship with your doctor? Are you aware of health-related services that may be available to you?
The gift of time requires us to understand the importance of exercising both our minds and our bodies. Are you healthy enough to age-in-place? Do you have the mental skills, the strength, flexibility, balance or endurance to function on your own? Are you able to properly manage your medications? Can you help yourself in the case of an emergency?
Healthy eating: Are you eating well?Are you maintaining proper nutrition and hydration? Is malnutrition something that you should worry about? Are you able to prepare healthy meals for yourself?
Your financial life: Are you prepared for another 20-40 years of living?Do you understand your assets, and do you have a financial plan to make sure you won’t run out of money? What funding options might be available if you need them? For example, should you consider a reverse mortgage?
Advance planning: Have you thought about the future? How will you manage your health care, financial and housing decisions? How will you function if you lose a spouse or partner? How will these things affect your family? Have you communicated your end-of-life desires to your family and have you put in place appropriate instructions to carry out your wishes when you die?
Modifications to your home: Due to health issues you might have to make substantial modification(s) to your home to permit a safe entrance (ramps, lifts), access to another floor (elevators, chair lifts) or more accessible use of the toilet, shower, tub or even your bed. How much will those changes cost? How will they be accomplished? Can you afford these modifications?
Healthy relationships/isolation: Physical isolation is perhaps the number one concern of older adults. COVID-19 has made that point absolutely clear. We need the friendship of neighbors or family to successfully navigate life. Isolation can literally become deadly. How do you maintain your contacts and interactions? Do you have a way of assuring your children that you are safe at all times? This can be a huge challenge for families living far apart. Isolation from family and friends can deepen potential depression. Are there community agencies available in your area that regularly reach out to the older adult population to minimize social isolation and provide necessary services?
Hiring people to help: What happens when you need help to deal with daily activities? Can you hire local resources to help you in your own home? Or are you at the point of needing assisted living or a nursing home? How do we decide? How do we find the right resources? What criteria do we establish in order to make those decisions?
Getting around: How do you get around in your community? Can you still drive on your own? Do you have other transportation options? Are your transportation options senior friendly? Do you have access to shopping, doctor services, social activities, family or friends? Inadequate transportation options are not only a potential source of isolation, but also a potential barrier to needed services.
Aspirations: What do you look forward to? What gives you meaning in life? How will you complete your bucket list? What gives you the motivation to embrace and enjoy life? These are important considerations for your aging plan.
Aging-in-place is much more than just getting around your home safely. It is also about how your life may play out if you choose to age-in-place. Will you have all the resources and support that you might need to make your life meaningful? Do you have a plan and a method to evaluate your success regarding your aging-in place journey? How do you know when you must move on to another type of living situation? We will explore some of these aging-in-place components over the next few months.
Ron Smith is a Maricopa resident and an aging-in-place advocate. He is a member of the Age-Friendly Maricopa Advisory Committee, a member of the Maricopa Senior Coalition and a certified Aging-in-Place specialist (CAPS).
A similar article was published in the January 2021 issue of InMaricopa Magazine.
