Here’s an older couple sitting on their sofa and enjoying their forever home together, along with each other’s company, quiet conversation, and a cup of coffee as they age in place where they are
We all have a place to call home now
With the huge interest in aging in place, there is a lot of discussion about what is the best type of home to have in order to age in place well long-term and when we should acquire it. Along with that is the expected or ideal age to begin aging in place.
That said, all of us have a place to live now so we don’t have a shelter crisis to address. We don’t have a deadline for finding a place to stay. It might be one that we really enjoy having and occupying, or we might want to replace it in the coming months or years with something that we feel is more to our liking and lifestyle needs. Nevertheless, whatever our physical age happens to be, our abilities, or the age and condition of our home or apartment, we selected it to meet an expressed or anticipated need that we had.
It is a place we call home.
Mostly, our homes work for us as they are
Many of us are finding that the home we selected and that we currently occupy is meeting our needs as well as or even better than we expected or anticipated. Therefore, we see no reason to actively look for something to replace what we have.
This is beneficial in a couple of ways. First, all of the energies and time that it would require to seriously look for another home to occupy can be spent in other directions. Second, this does not occupy any space on our worry list or things to be done for the future. We simply can remain where we are and begin making changes to our home, as necessary or desired, without any thoughts of replacing it or creating any disruption in our lives by preparing to move and then doing so.
Our homes maybe weren’t selected for their long-term appeal because many people don’t think that far ahead, but we have found just how comfortable and agreeable our homes are for us to occupy and remain living in over time. They have become or forever homes.
We are where we are
Regardless of why or how we happened to chose our current home – location, floor plans, price, or other considerations – it is our home, and we are aging in place where we are. We may have been in this home just a short time or for many years. We may have occupied a few other homes or apartments along the way, or we may have been in this home for as long as we remember.
Regardless, wherever we are living now is where we are aging in place. Possibly we didn’t intend to be where we are for as long as we have been, but this changes nothing. We are aging in place where we are unless it’s a very short-term transient stay such as a dormitory or hotel room.
It doesn’t matter why decided upon or picked what we have now, it is our current long-term home until something happens to change that. For the large majority of us, that is not going to happen, and where we live now will continue to be our long-term, aging in place home.
We can do more but may not want to
All of us – each of us – is aging in place where we are. Hopefully, we are happy with the type of home we have and what it provides. We may not be, however. We may want to make some minor tweaks. Some of us may have more major renovations in mind.
There are safety and accessibility concerns that people face – some more serious than others from our perspective – but ultimately they are the ones who must decide what will be done in their homes and the areas around their homes (sidewalks, patios, yards, gardens, and garages, for instance) to make their lives safer.
When people are open to such changes, we are at the ready to help them. This does not diminish the fact that they are aging in place where they are even if we think they could be doing it in a more effective way. Aging in place, just like aging itself, is ongoing.