Your first question may be ‘what is aging in place?’ followed by your next question ‘how does it relate to home design?’ ‘how do I plan for it?’ and ‘when should I plan for it?’ We’ll explore these questions and other aspects of aging in place to help you see if it’s right for you, and how you can go about preparing for it.
Table of Contents
What is Aging in Place?
How Does Aging in Place Relate to Home Design?
How Do I Plan for Aging in Place?
When Should I Plan for Aging in Place?
Where Should I Plan to Age in Place?
Who? Why?
Final Thoughts
What is Aging in Place?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aging in place is “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.” The short answer: you don’t have to leave your home just because you’re older.
You can always choose to move to a retirement community or in with relatives who can care for you as you age, but the concept of aging in place means you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Aging in place may mean making modifications to your home to make it more accessible should you need assistance with mobility up and down stairs, ramps for easier walking, and more.
How Does Aging in Place Relate to Home Design?
Home designers, like those at Acipe Design, apply the idea of aging in place from the ground up or as renovations to existing homes. In custom home building, that can mean making space for an elevator, wheelchair ramps, larger stair treads, and more. You may even choose a single-level layout over a multiple-level home. Homes with attached garages and steps into the home may replace those steps or add a ramp or other gradual or shallower access points.
In home renovation, aging in place can mean adding some of the features mentioned above, renovating bathrooms to be larger or include a shower stall rather than a bath tub, among other things.
How Do I Plan for Aging in Place?
It’s never too early to start, but you may not know how. Acipe Design can help! First, you’ll want to consider what will make your life easier to help you stay in your home for as long as possible. Young families buying their first home may not think about the need for in-home healthcare or housekeeping. They’re currently able to drive themselves around, go visit friends and neighbors, and stay fit with daily exercise.
Healthcare
Age-related conditions including hearing and vision loss, difficulty sleeping, bone and muscle loss, diabetes, hypertension, and decline in physical and mental function are all concerns when it comes to aging in place.
Thankfully, today’s technology can help with many of these concerns. There are wearable devices that track heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen levels, and even sleep, blood pressure, and physical activity levels. Having access to regular and nearly instant updates on your health add confidence for older people who hope to stay in their home. These devices alert them to potential oncoming health issues that may require medical attention. Some wearable devices have the technology to detect falls and trigger a call to emergency services.
For many, aging means adding medications and supplements to keep your body healthy and mobile to better allow you to live on your own. You may also be taking medication for other, per-existing conditions. Adding medications or supplements, taking them ‘on-time’ and getting the schedule straight to take the right ones at the right time. Medication reminders on electronic devices alarm you when it’s time to take a dose, and of what medication.
A big part of healthcare and aging in place is access to health professionals. Senior living centers and retirement communities have medical staff that check on residents multiple times a day. They do regular health check ups and address health concerns. Schedule a health professional to come check on you weekly, biweekly, or as-needed to care for issues when you may not be able to make it to the doctor.
Housekeeping
Is your laundry room upstairs or downstairs? Is it part of a larger room like a shop/workroom or is it a room of its own? How big is that room? What’s the square footage of your home? Does your home have multiple levels?
These things may not seem like an issue when you’re younger and can hold a clothes basket in each hand or clean your whole house in a few hours on a Saturday. As you get older, you won’t be able to do as much as quickly.
As you get older and realize you can’t get as much done in a day as you used to, consider employing a housekeeping company to come in on a regular basis to help you do the big things. The small, upstairs laundry room isn’t as close as it used to be. Rather than cleaning the whole house on Saturday you may only be able to clean up in the bedroom and the kitchen.
Company
You may have a regular flow of guests: family, friends, neighbors, and others who come to visit, even if it’s just for an hour. Whether it’s an unscheduled drop by or a scheduled event, surrounding yourself with loved ones is a great source of emotional and social support.
For loved ones who may live far away, establish a regular time to call or chat with various online video calling apps. At one time, I live in Arizona with my spouse and our son, my parents and brother and sister-in-law lived in Michigan, and an aunt and uncle who none of us had seen in a while lived in Georgia. My aunt and I worked together to get a Skype session scheduled so the three groups could see each other for a short time on Christmas. It was so much better than just a few minutes on the phone.
Company isn’t just about human interaction. For those days you don’t interact with friends or family, consider the company of a furry family member. Homes don’t feel as empty, feelings of loneliness, and stress are kept at bay. Drop by the shelter and find your new friend. In addition to the companionship, the love and time put into caring for the pet keeps the mind and body active.
Physical and Social Activities
Get into a routine now. Go for a walk, swim, bike ride, or another favorite form of exercise daily or multiple times a week. There are a number of other low-impact, low-equipment work outs you can do right at home. According to the CDC, you’ll be doing yourself a big favor for years to come. It’s recommended you get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity or 1.25 hours of vigorous-intensity work outs per week, and another two days a week of strength training.
It’s important to keep up your social activities, too. You can get the above exercise done at a gym or community center surrounded by others with similar goals. Get together with others to enjoy a hobby – there are a number of tennis clubs, book clubs, and classes, as well as volunteer opportunities at schools, churches, libraries, and other community gathering spaces.
Transportation
Certain age-related concerns impact your ability to drive. Hearing loss, fatigue, limited mobility, decreased reaction time, or loss of coordination can affect your ability to drive safely. If you’re no longer confident behind the wheel, consider taking the bus, taxi, ride share, or tap a loved one for a ride every now and then. There are also para-transit vehicles designed for people with more severe physical disabilities that can accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.
Safety
Building or remodeling with aging in place in mind includes a strong consideration for safety. Remodel structures, replace items as needed for increased safety and more accessibility. Simple and less costly improvements include non-slip bathtubs or bathtub mats, grab bars, or shower chairs. Adjust things to your liking – go for adjustable beds, toilet seat risers, staircase chairs, or choose from the myriad of other items that will increase safety, comfort, mobility, and accessibility around your home.
Security goes hand-in-hand with safety. Consider adding security systems from well-known providers. Some systems include the ability to contact emergency services in case of a health emergency like a fall.
When Should I Plan for Aging in Place?As we said toward the beginning of the last section, it’s never too early to start. There’s the idea of the “forever home” – the home you think you’ll live in until you pass away. Aging in place allows for that home to be truly forever, if that’s your goal. When you’re in the market to buy, think of the health and safety concerns above and how each home you view may currently fit them or how easy it may be to renovate to add them later. If in-home healthcare may be needed, will there be a room for that caretaker to have their privacy? If you hope for the overnight company of family and friends, is there a place for them to stay? How big is each room – is there space to turn around in a wheelchair or with a mobility device? Will it be easy to add ramps or other accessibility points? How many floors are there? Are the stairs steep?
If you plan to build, you can add these from the start. You may not be thinking that far into the future, but if you plan to build your forever home, make sure to take the steps that will allow you to truly be there ‘forever.’ Acipe Design will make sure your dream forever home has everything you and it needs to last a lifetime.
Where Should I Plan for Aging Place?
Wherever you want! Aging in place is about having the ability to live out your years wherever that may be. Acipe Design can design a home for your current and future needs. We have designed homes in Arizona as well as Michigan and are working to expand our reach to other states in the U.S.
Who and Why?
Who should plan for aging in place? Anyone who wants to! Why? Whatever reason you have. Some people choose to prepare for aging in place so they can stay close to family. Others prepare for it because the thought of a senior community or nursing home is out of the question. Others feel like they’ve put their heart and soul into their forever home and can’t bear to leave it. We won’t tell you your specific why. We’re here to help you make aging in place easy for you.
Final Thoughts
The staff and designers at Acipe Design help you create your dream home. We hope you’ll stay there forever. No matter how young or old you may be, we can make suggestions that will ease the transition that will undoubtedly come in the future. With the help of Acipe Design, you won’t have to leave your dream home.