Aging is a part of the natural cycle of life; there’s simply no getting around it, and as we get older, it’s not uncommon for elderly people to have harder time living the way they used to. That’s why it’s important to start preparing to age in place now, so you can transition into the new chapter of your life easier. In this article, we’ll be providing everything you need to prepare yourself to age in place.
What Does it Mean to Age in Place?
Before we get into how you can prepare, it’s important for you to understand what aging in place is. Aging in place is simply when a person can live out their golden years in their house or community happily, independently, and safely. Every elderly person’s living situation is different, but you can take control of what can happen with the proper plan.
Invest in a Home Elevator
If there’s one mortal enemy that elders have, it’s the staircase. As we age, our muscles can become weaker, and our reflexes are much slower. This can make it very difficult to traverse the upper levels of our home. To further add to the complications, slip and falls are, unfortunately, one of the most common household accidents. However, there’s a way you can eliminate slips and falls, installing a home elevator.
Home elevators can safely transport you upstairs, but there’s one small drawback: they’re very expensive. Home elevators can cost $10,000 to $25,000 on average. This may require you to seek out an external financing method, like a loan of HELOC. Make sure to review a home elevator cost guide to figure out the best way to pay for it. There are also multiple types of home elevators to choose from and each one comes with their own benefits.
Always Prioritize Your Health
Your health and effectively managing your health is of the utmost importance no matter what age you are. However, it does become increasingly difficult to maintain it as we age. We already mentioned how muscles and reflexes are reduced, but that’s only scratching the surface. Our immune system also weakens over time as well. You can keep your health from getting worse by eating a nutritional diet, getting enough exercise, and keeping stress to a minimum.
Embrace Technology
Although industry is constantly evolving, technology is meant to make our lives far easier. A common misconception is that you need to be a whiz kid to use technology. However, this isn’t true; there are different technologies you can use to make aging in place easier. A cloud-based tool, like Amazon’s Alexa, to help you remember tasks, list off recipes for cooking and if you want to have a certain song played. Smart technology has been on the rise since its debut.
Smartphones, smart thermostats, and even smart locks can make aging in place that much easier. Using the aforementioned smartphone, you can easily access other forms of smart technology through digital apps. So, if you ever leave the house and forget to lock the door, you can do it directly from your mobile device.