Home, by definition, is where one lives permanently, especially as a family or household member. But I think most of us would agree that a “home” is so much more than that. When I was in the Army, one of my favorite pastimes was asking people, “So where’s home?” Among so many other things, home is somewhere that feels safe, familiar, and comfortable. However, daily activities around the house become increasingly difficult as we age. Mowing the yard, or yardwork in general, goes from relatively easy to hard and, after age 40, can become increasingly dangerous (1). Snow shoveling is another activity that becomes increasingly dangerous as we age.
Everyone is different, but believe it or not, statistically speaking, after age 45, snow shoveling becomes a high-risk event (2).
I recently became the guardian of a close family friend who has dementia. This experience inspired me to write the Estate Planning Series and create a few Estate Planning Tools, which I thought I would share. This series explores some of the key elements I’m thinking about as I grow older. Hopefully, some of this information will be useful for you as well. This series is not intended to be comprehensive or all-inclusive but rather a reflection and lessons learned from my own experiences. Feel free to use this as a foundation for conversations with your own family, friends, or professional service providers.
If you’re considering aging in place, you may consider doing a comprehensive review of your home. Can you do things to and around your home to make it safer, more accessible, and less maintenance intensive? For example, anti-slip strips in the bathroom, replacement of doorknobs with handles, hiring yard service, etc. Year after year, the risk of being injured in and or near our home increases significantly as we age. As we age, we are most at risk of falls, followed by death or injury in a fire. Falls tend to be on a single level of the house, and smoking, heating, and cooking are the leading causes of fires.
Internet searches with the keywords “aging in place” will produce many helpful resources to consider when considering aging in place. AARP is another excellent resource with several easy-to-use checklists to help you assess your home for aging in place (3). It might be easier to break the house into smaller sections and assess them individually. Something as simple as installing parking indicators in the garage may reduce the risk of accidentally bumping into a wall or closing the garage door on the car.
Adding modern technology to a home may enable safer and more functional living conditions. Several alarm companies offer security systems with emergency call buttons, while others specialize in medical-specific call buttons. Another option could be as simple as the Apple watch, which offers several safety functions such as fall detection, heart health, and oxygen monitoring. Installing a smoke alarm in the kitchen may give you a little more warning of a kitchen fire.
As we age and our metabolism changes, we often forget to eat. Forgetting meals or not eating a balanced diet can lead to numerous health-related issues and complications, one of which is brain fog. It’s essential to ensure we have a healthy support system as we grow older. A support system could include friends, family, or professional service providers. They aren’t just checking to see that we’re eating enough; they should be checking to see that we’re living in a safe environment, paying our bills, and not unintentionally forgetting something important.
The subject matter expertise of specialized medicine becomes increasingly important as we age. In my case, finding someone who could accurately diagnose the specific type of dementia was critical in establishing appropriate treatment options. Everyone and every situation is different, but in certain situations, people with multiple chronic conditions may want to consider incorporating a Geriatric Physician into their healthcare (4). Getting all your medications from a single pharmacy is always a good idea, but as we age and our medication requirements increase, using a single pharmacy becomes increasingly essential. Using a single pharmacy helps minimize the risks associated with prescription drug interactions.
Please feel free to share your own experiences and lessons learned in the comment box below. Your shared thoughts may help someone else going through a similar experience. Thank you.
Readiness Review Checklist
- Have you assessed your home to determine if it would be a good location to stay for the foreseeable future? Things to consider might be: is parking easily accessible, are there handrails where needed, are the steps and/or ramp easily accessible, and is there plenty of outdoor lighting, are walking surfaces stable and slip-resistant, are doors wide enough to allow easy access, accessible hardware on doors, are bathroom sinks, stalls, and toilets must be the right height, railings and grab bars in appropriate locations, etc.
Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many (Mark Twain).
Good Luck and Stay Ready, My Friends.
Useful Resources:
RuReady Resources:
AARP Resources:
- Home & Living. AARP has you covered with inspiration and strategies for making the most of life at home and in your community now and in the future.
- Free Online Seminars. Here are some great free online resources to use. The Housing section is most relevant to this article.
Article References:
- John Egan (2020, September 02). Yard Equipment, More Than Lawn Mowers, Can Land You in ER. Lawnstarter https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/yard-work-and-lawn-mower-injuries/#:~:text=Here%E2%80%99s%20the%20breakdown%3A%201%2050%20%E2%80%93%2059%20years,years%20old%3A%2019.5%25%204%2080%20and%20over%3A%2016.7%25.
- Jay Cannon (2022, January 28). Are you too old to shovel snow? If you’re over 45, beware of heart attacks, doctor says. USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/01/03/shoveling-snow-heart-attacks-risk/8632105002/
- Nicole Pajer (2021, December 22). Your Home Checklist for Aging in Place. AARP, https://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2021/aging-in-place-checklist.html#:~:text=Your%20Home%20Checklist%20for%20Aging%20in%20Place%201,7%20Doors%3A%20…%208%20Entries%3A%20…%20More%20items
Disclaimer: The information provided in this document is informational only and does not constitute professional advice or recommendation.