“The Way We Age Affects Our Aging In Place Needs”

This older couple stands in front of their forever home and signals how happy they are to have found such a home where they can age in place and remain comfortably in it over the coming years.

 

Life is personal

As we go through life, we have so many experiences – some good, some less so, some memorable, some forgettable, and some we’d rather not recall. We all have them. It’s impossible not to have them.

As we navigate our course through life, some of us can experience similar events – such as news stories, major world or local events, festivals, concerts, sporting events, movies, and even TV programs – but have very different responses to them. Some of our experiences may be quite positive while others of us may have neutral or less than positive feelings from the same experience. Sometimes we may feel uplifted and encouraged, while other times we may be depressed, saddened, or even angry.

While all of us experience life and live each day that we get in its entirely, we certainly can view the events of each day differently, and they can have very various impacts on us. Life is personal.

Aging is personal also

As with so many other aspects of life that we encounter, aging also is a personal experience that in general may be similar from person-to-person but can be quite different at the same time. Some people will face cataracts at a relatively early age. Some may not have any symptoms for many more years.

In addition to cataracts which is a vision change that is rather apparent when it happens, other changes to our sight (adjusting to bright light or darkness, depth perception, response to glare, contrast changes, and visual acuity) are as different as each individual. Even though there are general life events and physical or sensory changes that are shared by an age group, the experiences of any single individual is going to vary – sometimes tremendously.

IN terms of other conditions, some people will have arthritis that severely limits their mobility, while others (if they do have it) show little signs of limitation. Some people will acquire a progressive illness while others will not, and many people will face various types of traumatic episodes, with some having more than one over their lifetime.

There are so many factors and physical conditions that impact the way we encounter each day, live our lives, and face the concept of aging.

Our homes as a sanctuary

As we journey through life and experience the events of each day, we take comfort in being in our homes as a place we like to stay and one which we eagerly look forward to returning to from the workplace or other places we go. Our homes provide a measure of security, familiarity, stability, and comfort for us. We can feel safe to be ourselves within the walls of our homes. We don’t need to worry or be concerned about what others are thinking of us or it presenting a certain image to the world while we are at home.

Nevertheless, not all of our homes provide the measure of peace, comfort, and accessibility that we would like, expect, and appreciate having. Some are more well suited for our needs than others, but this does not need to be a permanent issue, and our homes don’t need to remain this way forever.

Upgrading our main sanctuary

One thing that we can all count on is our home. Therefore, we need to make sure that it offers a safe environment for all of us. It needs to be comfortable and accessible with no barriers or anything to interfere with how well we can enjoy living in our homes – or others that we invite into our homes to experience them with us.

Just as each of our life experiences varies, so too do our needs within our homes. Rather than have a prescription or template of what homes should look like to provide a safe and accessible environment that we can copy from now home to another, each situation will be a little to a lot different from the one next door, a block away, or miles away.

Aging in place solutions are tailored to the individual needs of the occupants of the homes and can be as varied from one to another as required by the occupants and as simple or complex as their needs, budget, and interests allow.

Some of us are going to have more urgent requirements that need to be addressed as we get older, and some are going to maintain their health and abilities better. As we age, and the way that this happens, is individual and will suggest the types of improvements or modifications we need to make in someone’s home to help them enjoy life more fully.

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