If you are thinking of aging in place in your home, you should think of a plan that will allow you to stay in your home as long as possible. Of course, it is equally important to consider your support network, since connections are important when it comes to aging well. There are several things you should keep in mind if your goal is to stay in your home as long as possible.
Consider Your Housing Situation
When you are planning for your golden years, it is important to consider how your housing situation will support your goals. For example, will it be easy to make your home more accessible if you need a walker or wheelchair? If it is not, there are a few things you can do. Perhaps you could install a home elevator to make it easier to get between levels. Installing American home elevators is an excellent way of ensuring the stairs do not present a tripping hazard. And consider the lighting situation as well. When there is not enough light to see everything, you might be more likely to trip.
Ensure You Have Support
Especially if you are living by yourself, it is easy to feel isolated in your home. Even if your home is a great place to live, your aging-in-place plan can start to fall apart if you do not have enough interaction. To live successfully, you need to be connected to the community and not feel depressed because of isolation. You might start by connecting with the family online and trying to meet others in the area to make new friends.
Checking Your Home for Safety
Before you can create a plan to age in place, you will need to think about the safety of the house to find any hazards. Luckily, if there are hazards, it is not too difficult or expensive to remedy that. For example, perhaps there are rugs on the floor, which could be easy to trip over. You could even turn to a professional to look for and remedy hazards. These improvements can make things a lot easier when you are in your home. For instance, you could raise the electrical outlets, so you do not need to bend down as far to reach them. Or you could add brighter lighting outside for use when it is dark. And you can add handrails in the bathrooms and entryways.
Thinking About Transportation
If you can no longer walk or drive, you might want to turn to the different transportation options, such as public transportation. Still, not every neighborhood has access to public transportation, so you might want to consider other options as well. Perhaps you can get rides from neighbors or friends, or you might have family in the area who can help you out. When you need prescriptions and groceries, however, there are often online delivery services to get you what you need. If you need help with your account or orders, have a family member help you out. That way, you can get everything you need while not getting too much.
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