Questions to consider if you’d like to spend your senior years in your own home—or are planning to invite a parent to live with you.

No one likes to think about getting older, but if you plan to spend your senior years in your own home, planning is a necessity. For many, the first time this subject comes up is when they are faced with an empty nest or when they become caregivers for aging parents. Due to the way it affected seniors, the COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on the prospect of aging in-place.

Wherever you are in life, consider these things if you want to age in-place or are planning to invite a senior to live with you.

What’s your existing home like?
Creating a home for aging in-place doesn’t mean it will look like a medical facility. In fact, principles of universal design are used to make home environments safe and comfortable for people of any age. Simple things such as motion-activated lights and replacing doorknobs with levers can makes things easier for everyone. No-step entries, wide doorways and hallways allow for easy movement, especially for those who use walkers and wheelchairs.

Look around and ask:

• Is your existing home equipped with features that allow aging in-place?
• If not, could it be remodeled to accommodate?
• If you or your loved one used a walker or wheelchair temporarily, after a surgery or injury for example, would your home allow safe movement from room-to-room as well as the bathroom?

How will you maintain your home while aging in-place?
Even the most dedicated DIYer in good health will eventually need help with yard care, home maintenance and repairs. Ask yourself:

• Do I have the physical ability and desire to keep up my existing home?
• Do I have the financial resources to hire this work out if/when needed?
• Would a place with less maintenance enhance my quality of life?

Are you close enough to the services you’ll need?
There’s a wonderful sense of freedom that comes with living in a place far from the hustle and bustle of a city. However, if your ability to drive is compromised, getting groceries and medical services is much more complicated from remote locations. If you need in-home services, such as housekeeping or personal care, you would have more options in a more populated area. Consider these questions:

• What services will you need as you grow older?
• Is your home located in a place that makes getting the services you’ll need convenient?

Who’s around?
One of the most difficult things for many seniors is a feeling of isolation. Without family or close friends nearby, many feel lonely.

• How is the sense of community where you live?
• If you couldn’t drive, would you still be able to connect with others?
• If you couldn’t cook, what meal options are available?

While this is not a comprehensive article on aging in-place, it does provide a starting place for considering your options or opening the conversation with a loved one. If you decide to move, ask us about home mortgages. And if you decide to remodel so you can age in-place, we can help with a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC).

Consumers helps more than 2,000 members finance land, first and second homes, and home improvement projects each year. We’d love to help you with a mortgage or home equity line of credit; contact us online or call us at 800-991-2221