9 Questions to Consider Before You Decide to Age in Place

March 07, 2019 | The Villager | Reading Time 2:00 Minutes

Today’s senior living communities offer more services and amenities than ever, with perks that range from the convenient (like on-site healthcare facilities, transportation, and home maintenance) to the luxurious (like on-site 5-star dining options and indoor pools). Yet, despite the seeming allure of many senior living facilities, surveys reveal that older adults still have a strong desire to stay in their own home for as long as possible, referred to as “aging in place.”

Here are a few important questions that you need to consider to ensure health, happiness, and safety in your home:

1. Will your home need to be modified to accommodate potential mobility challenges?

2. How will you maintain your home and yard when daily physical activity becomes more challenging?

3. What will you do to maintain your sense of purpose and stay socially active to minimize loneliness and social isolation, even when your mobility and independence declines?

4. Who will provide transportation to doctors’ appointments and other necessary errands if you are no longer able to drive safely?

5. What will you do to make sure someone is alerted if you fall and cannot get up on your own?

6. If your cognitive functionality begins to decline, who will manage your household and finances, making sure your bills are paid, appointments are met, necessary services are provided, etc.? Who will help you prepare meals, get dressed, and perform other activities of daily living (ADLs) when you are no longer physically able?

7. If you require facility-based rehab care following an unexpected injury, such as a fall, do you know the available options in your area and the quality of care provided by each?

8. If you require in-home care or assistance, who will manage scheduling and payments, as well as provide regular oversight to verify that adequate care is provided and help prevent elder abuse?

9. Do you have family members nearby that are available and prepared to help in the event that your health and mobility should decline?

Also read:

Sibling Rivalry: When Family Members Disagree on Care Options

The Ins and Outs of a Wait List

For more information about Friendship Village, contact us at [email protected] or 269-381-0323

Used with permission: MyLifeSite