Aging in Place or Assisted Living?

Assisted living community

Simply put, aging in place refers to the ability to remain in your home and community as you get older. Couples, roommates, and unpartnered people can all make plans to age in place.

Aging in place enables you to live independently, surrounded by the things you love, but that doesn’t mean you need to go it alone. In many instances, at-home care and community support may enable you to safely live at home.

The process looks different for different people. Your health, physical abilities, and mental outlook will all play a role in what aging in place is like for you. The layout and condition of your home, as well as your neighborhood or community, will also play a part.

In a perfect world, you’d start creating a plan for aging in place many years in advance. Of course, thinking about how and where you’ll grow old can be stressful. Early planning has the benefit of eliminating that stress, since you’ll be crunching numbers and looking at options years before you need to make any actual decisions.

When Assisted Living Makes Sense

The aging process can be challenging, both mentally and physically. These changes can make day-to-day life at home more difficult than it was before. As you age, you may have:

  • Poorer eyesight
  • Reduced muscle mass, strength, and flexibility
  • Diminished physical endurance
  • Problems with balance
  • Reduced hearing
  • Cognitive decline and other cognitive disorders

You may begin to struggle with activities such as:

  • Transportation
  • Household chores and repairs
  • Daily hygiene
  • Medication management

If living alone has become more challenging or you’re looking for community, an assisted living facility may be a great choice.

source:https://www.seniorliving.org/life/

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