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Is Aging in Place Right for Your Loved One?

Aging in Place

Plenty of aging adults want to live independently. For many, that means aging in place.

What Does Aging in Place Mean?

Aging in place means living safely and independently in one’s own home and community. It applies regardless of age, income, or ability level, and is linked to maintaining a sense of independence and emotional well-being.

How Much Does It Cost to Age in Place?

According to CareScout’s Cost of Care survey, the 2024 national median cost was $6,292/month for homemaker services (e.g., cleaning and housekeeping services) and $6,483/month for home health aides (e.g., health care services from a registered nurse).

Many older adults, if they require homemaker services or home health aides, rely on private funds, long-term care insurance, support from family members, and, sometimes, exploring other ways to pay for senior care, such as using a home equity line of credit (HELOC).

What are the Problems with Aging in Place?

Staying in their current homes is the preferred choice for many older people. It’s not the right choice for all families, though.

Many older people and their families explore other housing options instead of aging in place because of:

  • Costs. According to CareScout’s Cost of Care survey, the 2024 national median cost for assisted living was $5,900/month. That’s lower than the median monthly costs for in-home care services, like home health aides or homemaker services.
  • Emotional wellness. Social isolation is incredibly common among older adults. Many older people make the move to communal living for the benefits of regular social engagement.
  • Burnout. It’s common for family members to assume unpaid caregiving responsibilities for aging relatives as they need more help in their daily lives. Over time, these responsibilities and experiences, while rewarding, can also be draining financially, physically, and emotionally.
  • Home safety. Not all homes are catered to the needs of aging individuals. Steep staircases, slippery bathroom surfaces, and poor lighting can all make a house less safe for seniors. Making these changes can be costly and difficult, if not outright impossible in some situations.

How to Determine If Aging in Place is the Right Decision

1. Have an Honest Conversation

The best way for families to know if aging in place is the right choice for them is to have an honest conversation about everyone’s wishes and concerns.

Key concerns and questions to address during this conversation may include:

  • Does the older adult want to remain at home? If so, why? Are there fears of being “left behind and forgotten” at a senior living community? What can the family do to assuage these concerns?
  • How much unpaid labor can nearby family members realistically contribute?
  • Is there enough money in the budget to make aging in place work safely?
  • Can the family modify the home, apartment, or condo to be more accessible?

2. Determine The Older Person’s Needs

Everyone ages differently. Some older adults are still physically active and mentally alert. Other seniors are mentally sharp but may be slowing down physically. Others still may be able to move around just fine but show early signs of dementia. Each of these people will have different needs, with appropriate accommodations in their living situations to address them.

Determining an aging loved one’s abilities and the level of care they need is therefore a crucial step in deciding, as a family, if aging in place makes sense.

3. Review Budgets

The reality is that senior care costs money, and knowing how to pay for it is an important factor when considering if aging in place is the right choice. CMS.gov states that the cost of senior care is on the rise in the United States, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. How and where an aging adult receives services can make a massive difference in elder care costs; for some, paying for professional in-home care services while living at their current home may be too expensive.

4. Reevaluate

Determining a loved one’s living situation isn’t a one-and-done decision. It requires constant adaptation and reevaluation to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved.

How Can I Help My Loved One Stay in Their Own Home?: 5 Tips

Families who decide that aging in place is the right choice still have work to do in order to make everyone’s lives easier and safer.

1. Make Home Modifications

Making safety modifications to the home can give family members peace of mind that their loved one will be safer and give the older adult more confidence as they navigate day-to-day tasks.

For example, falling is one of the largest safety concerns for older adults, being a leading cause of hospitalizations and even death for adults 65 and older, according to the CDC. As such, making modifications to prevent falls is key to making the home safer for seniors aging in place.

Fall prevention modifications can range from major modifications like installing stair lifts to making small changes like installing grab bars or using a shower stool. Installing night lights and removing potential tripping hazards, like rugs and cords, can also help reduce the risk of falls.

2. Use Technology Smartly

It’s easy to use technology to help a loved one live not just safer, but also more independently. For example, installing smart home technology that lets a loved one activate lights with just their voice can be an easy way to improve their visibility and decrease the risk of falls. A simple medical alert system can also give everyone peace of mind that help is within reach should a medical emergency occur.

Other tips for using tech to help a loved one successfully age in place include:

  • Installing security alerts on financial accounts to help protect the senior from scams and other forms of fraud
  • Setting up bills to autopay
  • Having medicine prescriptions auto-renewed and delivered to the home

3. Talk to the Neighbors

Families can enlist the help of neighbors to keep an eye on loved ones. A quick wellness check, which can be as simple as the neighbor making sure the older person is seen outside collecting mail every morning, can be a great way to keep tabs on an aging individual living alone.

4. Access the Right Resources

There are plenty of great resources available to help older people and their loved ones navigate the process of aging (including aging in place) safely and more confidently. Short-term respite care and caregiver support groups, for example, can significantly lighten the mental and physical loads of family caregiving. In-home care and other support services, like food delivery and housekeeping services, can also help seniors stay in their homes while mitigating safety risks.

A local Area Agency on Aging (discoverable via the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Eldercare Locator) can connect families with these resources.

Other valuable resources include:

5. Know When It’s Time for Residential Long-term Care

Quality of life should be of the utmost importance to everyone in the family. When an aging adult can no longer live safely at home alone due to cognitive decline or cannot complete activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing, dressing, and toileting without significant assistance, it may be time to reevaluate the current living situation.

Making the move to a long-term care community may be the right choice. These locations can address all residents’ needs in a safe, secure living environment.

What is Long-term Care? Is It a Good Alternative to Aging in Place?

Long-term residential senior care is care someone receives in a senior living community, a community that is specially catered to the physical and emotional needs of older people.

Older adults that can no longer safely live alone in their homes, apartments, or condos may explore other housing options, including long-term care communities like:

Is Aging in Place a Good Idea?

Is aging in place a good idea? No one can answer that question for your family. It will all depend on what your aging parent or other aging loved one wants in combination with what’s feasible in terms of family caregiving and financial support. By having an honest conversation that addresses these concerns, you can come together to create a care plan that works for your loved one’s unique needs.

Disclaimer: Each person’s situation is unique. This article is for general informational purposes only. It does not substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition.