Six Things to Consider When Deciding to Age at Home

More and more Americans are choosing to age at home every day. According to 2021 AARP "Home and Community Preferences Survey", 77% of adults 50 and older want to remain in their homes for a long term. Although this widespread retirement trend has been increasingly rising, there are still concerns and precautions that need to take place in order to proficiently and safely age in the comfort of one’s home.

The decision to spend the later years in one’s life at home should be discussed with physicians, loved ones and family members.

Many may feel like the decision should be solely up to them since it is their life; however, there are precautions and plans that should be addressed to ensure the most adequate care can take place. Aging at home is a huge decision that needs to be taken into serious consideration and there are a few methods that can be done to help you make a healthy and smart decision as well as steps that can be taken to ensure safety and health measures are all met.

• Make a list about pros and cons in regards to staying home, don’t forget to include health factors, and try to include friends, family, and health care providers. They can help you address many issues you may not take into consideration or find to be relevant.

• Find the appropriate assisted care tools and or devices to accommodate concerns associated with aging at home; the Care Connect device is a perfect example of an assisted living device that can make aging at home far more plausible and safe. Ask your children to look into latest devices designed for health monitoring and available on the market. Consider buying PEMF therapy devices approved for home use. 

• Consider the proximity of healthcare facilities to help determine methods of transportation and what other options that may be available to ensure medical appointments and/or any type of emergency circumstance will be accessible. This will also allow you to arrange for future transportation if and when you may no longer be able to drive.

• Organize support systems with family members and friends to ensure that social interactions can and will be established.

• Look into living assistance for home maintenance, meals, medical needs, or even general homemaking requirements and/or needs.

• Visit independent living facilities near your area to get a feel of the amenities that are provided to be able to establish a well-balanced decision.

The general rule of thumb when determining how and where one will spend their retirement years comes down to planning, gaining information, health, and overall goals. It is your future you are determining, there is no better time than the present to properly prepare and plan as much as you possibly can.

And while many people’s stereotypical perception of retirement homes is housing sickly old people who engage in slow paced or no games at all.

This is not true. On the contrary, there are men and women in these facilities who are healthy and can get around easily without help. Today, most retirement homes or communities have residents who are more active than ever before. Today’s retirees are enjoying their golden years with more fun and vigor.

Retirement facilities are otherwise known as active adult homes are condos, apartments, mobile houses or single family houses. The facilities usually have leisure amenities and recreational centers, offer meal services, housekeeping, and brain-stimulating activities. This is a lot like a 55+ resort.

Come to think of it, seniors are not as old as many people think. There are definitely people who are incapacitated, but more and more people of a certain age are healthy and active. These seniors can still swim or play a few rounds of golf before going to the spa, walk a few meters to the café and grab lunch, participate in adventure exercises or educational workshops in groups, watch a movie at the theater and surf the net before going to bed – all these in one place-the active adult community.

Winning never gets old. For those looking to win custom awards or custom trophies, planning active activities for a retirement home to keep the residents healthy, happy and busy is a good idea. You must come up with activities that stimulate the retirees’ minds while keeping them happy.

Fill Up the Schedule

Offering a large range of sports, games and outings allows people the freedom of choice to do what they want. When you’re talking entertainment, that’s important at any age.

So, fine art or photo exhibitions organized by the residents would be a great way to see the artistic side of people. It’s surprising what people are modest about, especially if it’s something they just do for fun. 

There’s also:

• Sporting activities such as fitness centers, tennis, swimming pools, golf courts, etc.

• Board games and card games like chess, Sudoku, brain teasers, crossword puzzles, etc.

• Dance classes including ballroom dances, classical dances, etc. Make sure you hire trained instructors for dance classes.

• Beauty therapy activities including manicure, pedicure, facial therapy and so on.

• Entertainment activities such as videos, TV, concerts, movie theaters and others.

• Social events like luncheons, dinners, cocktails, etc.

• Internet lounges and libraries for online scavenger hunts – well, and other things, more useful.

• Trips to the museum, classical music concert, zoo, shopping mall, or anywhere interesting for residents.

While creating and offering these activities, be sure to also provide the necessary materials where needed. For example, knitting needles for women who like to sew, sporting equipment, fine art equipment, etc.

In retirement homes, people come and live as they please. Your objective should be to create engaging activities to provide residents with the opportunity to test their skills, be active and even feel young again. With the flexibility to do whatever they wish.

This is a guest blog entry.