“COVID Has Changed People’s Aging In Place Attitudes – For The Better”

Over the past several months, people have remained indoors largely and have gotten the opportunity to reconnect with their home and with each other – giving a new-found meaning to aging in place

 

Meeting our homes again for the first time

We have been reintroduced to our homes – in some ways, not by choice. We have been sent indoors, not unlike a rainy day pronouncement. We are discovering our homes anew, and for some of us, we are pleasantly surprised at what we are finding.

While we didn’t have a lot of say in the matter, staying at home for an extended period has given many of us an insight into just how well we can get along with our homes. That’s the way it should be.

We initially chose our current dwelling, whenever that was, for a variety of reasons that made sense to us at the time we decided to acquire it or move in, but many of us did not realize just how well it would work out on a long-term, full-time basis.

We liked the location, the layout, the design, or the price. It may not have been entirely perfect, but we liked it. We moved into it, and here we are.

Making the most of what we have

For some of us, we really had not planned on remaining at home for an extended period of time – venturing out only occasionally to go to the market or run an errand to places that remained open. Nevertheless, we have found, and likely are continuing to find, that our homes are working out well for us – perhaps even surprisingly so.

When we selected our current home, most of us did not do it with the idea that this would be our last home or that it was one we could live in ling-term- although many of us did have that vision to be able to do so.

Regardless of why we selected our current home, it is the one that we have had to live in as we endured the past few months of remaining at home. When we purchased our present home, it may have been the only one available that we could afford or located reasonable close to where we wanted to be, one that offered a floor plan we liked, one that was close to where many of our activities were conducted (work, play, or shopping), or one that we thought we could turn around and resale relatively easily when we wanted something else.

Looking ahead from where we are

As we look ahead into the remainder of this year and the months ahead, many of us are pleasantly surprised at how well our homes have worked for us and that we got along with our surroundings as well as we did. We are finding that we did select a home that can allow us to remain in it long-term and to age in place.

For some of us, it maybe isn’t as good as we expected. However, now we have the chance – based on what we have learned and experienced over the past few months – to find a home much better suited to what we need as the last home that we can remain in indefinitely. We can begin aging in place in earnest in our next home that we locate.

After living in our homes essentially full time with leaving for much of the time, we have a real good idea of how well we can get along with our homes. For some, this is good news, and we are even more committed to remaining where we are long-term. For others, it should be clearer what needs to be different to find and have a home more suited to their long-term needs, enjoyments, and comfort.

For these people, let the search begin. Let them a home that they like and feel that they would like to enjoy as their forever home.

The lessons of COVID

One of the biggest takeaways from being confined to our living space for an extended period of time over the past several months is that we can get along with our homes – and with those who are occupying our homes with us. This is a huge upside because many of us had never tested this idea previously. Now that we have, we feel much better about the future. We have had a trial run at long-term occupancy in our homes and are looking forward to aging in place more positively.

Aging in place should only increase, not decline, as a result.

 

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