Four Ways to Determine if it’s Realistic for Your Senior to Age in Place

Aging in place may be a lot more reasonable for your elderly family member than you expect it to be. The key is to make sure that you’re aware of what she needs now and in the future.

Your Senior Is Doing Well So Far

It’s very possible that your elderly family member is aging in place quite well for now. Factor in things like being able to drive safely, eating healthy foods, and remaining as socially active as she needs and wants to be when you’re looking at this. What you’re looking for is how self-sufficient she is right now and that can help you to gauge when she might need more help and what form that help might take.

Home Safety Is Under Control

Being safe at home is crucial for your elderly family member. If she’s not safe, then she’s not going to be able to age in place. When your senior has home safety under control that means that her home doesn’t have tripping hazards, that she has safety devices that help her, and that she’s able to trust that her home is secure from anyone trying to get in, too. There are layers of safety.

She Has a Support System that Lives Nearby

What kind of support system does your senior have right now? If it’s a robust one, that’s going to serve her well. Having plenty of friends and family that live nearby and who are able to help as necessary is a huge part of being able to age in place. Even if each person is helping in small ways, that still adds up and provides a huge benefit to your elderly family member.

You’ve Got a Plan for Adding Resources as She Needs Them

The most important part of all of this may be that you have a plan ready to go for your senior for when she does need more help. Many people assume that aging in place means being able to stay at home with absolutely no help at all, but that’s not the full picture. Your senior can still age in place with the help of a caregiver and from other resources. All of that assistance is about making sure that it’s still safe and healthy for her to be at home.

Ultimately, you’re hoping that your elderly family member can live according to her wishes. That means helping her to plan for when that might mean accepting more help.