Relaxed senior couple sitting together in their living room, with their family companion, as they age in place in a comfortable setting that works for and appeals to them – with the furnishings they desire.
Everyone is aging in place
Is there an ideal candidate for aging in place – a certain individual or dwelling profile? No. Aging in place includes everyone, even if they are not aware of it, choose not to be included, or don’t know what it’s all about. Aging in place begins in some form at birth and continues throughout a person’s life – whether they admit it or identify with it or not.
However, for those who are increasingly aware of how they need to equip or modify their residences to make them safer or more accessible for their daily routines, aging in place is taking on a very positive role in their lives. We can be the catalyst for that change.
More than remaining the same
Aging in place is more than going through life just being passive and letting life happen. It can be, but it can be so much more than this.
People can make small adaptations to their living space – updating colors, patterns, furniture, lamps, or artwork. They can leave things essentially untouched and continue living with things the way they have been because this affords a level of comfort, familiarity, and consistency to their daily lives – even when their abilities may be changing. They also can make some relatively major improvements by redesigning certain areas of the home and modernizing them. There is no single answer that applies to everyone.
There is nothing inherently wrong in keeping things as they have been except that they may eventually wear out or not provide the amount of service once true. There is something to be said for consistency and familiarity, but there also is addressing or appealing to current needs and abilities.
Changes can be subtle
The aging in place improvements that we make to our own homes or that we suggest for our clients can be very obvious in terms of style, colors, and boldness of design. They also can be relatively subtle so as to be hardly noticeable except in providing greater mobility and safety.
There is no list to refer to as far as selecting improvements to recommend or implement for a client as they continue to remain in their home, but we have the opportunity to meet them where they are. We can create changes that are very effective that only look like modifications if the client wants them to be noticeable. Otherwise, they can blend into what was there – just being more serviceable and effective.
We have such a wide-ranging way to approach working with our clients to create solutions that work just for them without being concerned about how we are going to apply them to anyone else.