Considerations Before Choosing to Age in Place

Aging in place can be a wonderful decision for many elderly people, but like any life decision, it requires careful consideration and planning.

Here, Avila Home Care helps walk you through the decisions one must make when choosing to age in place.

Planning Ahead – No one can foresee the future, but it is possible to make some educated guesses about what you or your loved ones may need as they age. Will you be living alone, or with a spouse, relative, or friend? Are there any health conditions that may worsen as you age? Will these conditions impair movement, mental functions, or both? Are any impairments beginning to arise which will prevent you from driving? Speaking to a doctor frankly about how certain conditions can affect quality of life will help lessen the difficulty of planning for the future.

Getting Help – Everyone’s situation is different: some seniors can easily live without assistance, while others need assistance in even the smallest of tasks. Neither situation precludes an individual from aging in place; it merely means their accommodations will be different. Aging in place seniors have access to many forms of help, including:

• Personal care, such as bathing and showering, getting dressed, using the bathroom, or washing hair.
• Home chores, like housecleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and yard work. There are services which can deliver groceries, laundry, or dry cleaning directly to your house.
• Meals can be provided, either through services that offer in-home meal preparation, or deliver hot meals right to your door.
• Money management can get tougher as you get older, but hiring a financial counselor can help ease some of the burden. If you own a computer, you can also automatically schedule bill payments online.
• Medical assistance can be provided through a home health aide.

Assistive Devices – Depending on your health condition, you may need to add assistive devices into your daily routine. Canes, walkers, and wheelchairs can improve mobility, as can ramps and railings. Grab bars in showers and other hazardous spaces can prevent slips and falls. An emergency alert system can help in case of injury or attack. An assistive “device” can also include a friend, neighbor, or relative, who calls and checks up on you, or comes by to help with everyday tasks.

Where to Get Help – While a trained professional will ensure a very pleasant living situation, help can come in many forms. Friends, family, and neighbors can all pitch in to assist in whatever ways work best, such as bringing over food, driving you around town, or helping tend to the yard. There are also government and volunteer programs to assist the elderly. However, when you do not have access to loved ones or public services, ensuring a homecare expert is in place to lend a hand is vital to aging in place in comfort.

Considering Expenses – Aging in place may seem expensive at first, but, comparatively speaking, it is no more expensive than moving into a nursing home or retirement community. Oftentimes, it is far less expensive, especially if you need few accommodations. Regardless, do a careful analysis of your budget, to ensure that any modifications to your life are possible. Some services and devices are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. Talking to your insurer will help you get a better understanding of what financial assistance you could receive.

Preparation is the key to success, and preparing with Avila Home Care will make your aging in place experience a wonderful one. For more information, contact us today. 

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