Aging In Place Older Adults Remaining In Their Own Home - Episode 41

Simply put, aging in place allows the older adult to receive care that they need in the setting of their choice, safely, comfortably, at any ability level. It gives any individual the opportunity to call their house a home for their lifetime. As older adults age in place the community they live in will need to get creative on how to support them.So how do you prepare for our future care needs? And when should I start planning?There are many aspects to aging in place that I will cover briefly in this lesson.According to AARP, 80 million baby boomers will begin to retire in the next few years. Retirement planning to age in place with caregiving services is a conscious decision by many older adults presently living in their own homes. The average length of retirement to death is 18 years on average. So there is a lot to plan for as we get older.We live longer and healthier lives, baby boomers are changing the way future generations will view aging. In fact, many boomers are already experiencing caring for an elderly parent. Many have first hand knowledge of caring for a parent and have dealt with home care services, adult day care programs and have made home modifications to ensure home safety.Many already know what a long term care facility or assisted living is like and do not want it for themselves. Sixty five percent of the baby boomers over age 65 will require some form of long-term care. While we are planning, a major crisis is occurring in this country.For the first time in history, we have more seniors than youth. This has created a shortage of people to provide care for the aging population. We also have a major shortage of direct care workers that would support older adults that want to age in place. This is leaving many family caregivers leaving the workforce to provide care at home.Planning ahead and preparing for aging in place can make the difference between being able to return home or having to go to a nursing home, because the house cannot accommodate you. Falls are the number one independence robber of seniors. One fall many keep an elderly person from returning home because home modifications were never made to accommodate the aging body.