I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed for a Forbes Health article about “aging in place,” something that deserves more attention than it usually gets. The writers included a lot of great statistics, and I was able to share some of the insight I’ve gained from my past few decades of practice:
For older adults who prefer to age in place, making safety modifications to their home or downsizing to a residence that requires less maintenance and features fewer mobility barriers can be a crucial decision. Aging in place successfully requires careful planning, and oftentimes, a caregiver, social support system and consideration of potential future health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes and cognitive decline.
The following statistics and facts may be helpful to consider if you or a loved one wish to age in place and can help inform decisions surrounding home modifications and lifestyle choices.
Interesting Aging in Place Facts
- Aging in place requires careful planning, including decisions about additional help in the home and in-home health care, with safety, mobility and daily activities in mind.
- People who age in place may need help with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, eating, dressing, using the toilet or moving from a bed to a chair. This care can be provided by paid caregivers and/or family members.
- Many local resources exist for older adults living in urban areas, including physicians, hospitals, in-home care and help with home maintenance and transportation.
- People living in rural areas may have fewer local options to help them age in place due to their remote location.
- When planning to age in place, individuals should consider any chronic conditions they or a spouse may have, such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, to understand and plan for necessary health care needs.
- People planning to age in place should discuss their plans with family members, friends and caregivers to help anticipate future care needs that may arise. It may be necessary to revisit and revise these plans as a person’s needs change over time.
- In-home safety measures to help older adults age in place can include purchasing an emergency medical alert system, repairing or installing stair rails, removing tripping hazards such as throw rugs, adding grab rails near the toilet and in the shower or bathtub and placing night lights near the floor for evening trips to the bathroom.
- A geriatric care manager can help assess an individual’s current and future needs and provide advice for aging in place.
- Local Area Agencies on Aging can help older adults learn about city, state and federal resources that are available within their community, such as in-home care agencies, financial aid for home renovations, transportation and volunteers to help with home maintenance and meal preparation.
- Downsizing to a smaller home with a single-level floor plan can help individuals looking to age in place save money to pay for in-home care, home maintenance or safety modifications and other needs that may arise.
- Considering an area’s access to primary care physicians and hospitals, as well as shopping centers, community and social activities, religious organizations and friends and family is important for adults looking to age in their home.
How Do Aging in Place Costs Differ From Assisted Living Costs?
To give further insights into how aging in place costs differ from assisted living in each state, Forbes Health analyzed data and multiple cost factors associated with aging in place compared to assisted living costs.
To calculate the cost of aging in place, we looked at annual costs for the following instances:
- Median annual housing cost (assuming individuals looking to age in place may still have mortgages or rent to pay to provide a fair comparison to assisted living)
- The cost of homecare services
- Cost to renovate a home to make it suitable for aging in place with figures adjusted for cost of living.
Assisted living costs were taken from the Genworth cost of long-term care study and total cost figures were calculated as a percentage of the median income of older adults in each of those states. The percentage difference between an assisted living facility’s cost share of median income and aging in place’s cost share of median income was then calculated for each state to create the ranking.
How Many Americans Are Aging in Place?
- 77% of adults over the age of 50 prefer to age in place. In 2020, only 1.2 million adults over 65 were residents in a nursing home.
- More than half (60%) of Americans age 65 and older lived with their spouse or partner in 2021, while 72% of older men (18 million) and 49% of older women (15 million) lived with their spouses and 27% (15.2 million) of all older adults lived alone (5.2 million men, 10.1 million women) in 2021. These individuals represent 21% of older men and 33% of older women.
- Within the past 20 years, the percentage of older adults living in nursing homes has declined while the percentage of older adults living in traditional housing has increased.
- About one in five adults ages 50 to 80 (19%) say they’re very confident in paying for help with household chores, grocery shopping, personal care and managing finances. Meanwhile, 39% were somewhat confident in paying for the same expenses and 43% didn’t have confidence they could afford these factors.
- 92% of older adults surveyed prefer to live out their later years in their current home, while 8% said they would prefer to live in an assisted living facility.
Aging in place challenges are expected to grow exponentially over the next two decades as the baby boomer generation retires and moves toward the need for in-home support and greater health care needs, says Elizabeth Landsverk, M.D., a geriatrician and founder of Dr. Liz Geriatrics, an online support and education website for dementia caregivers.
“What everyone can do to stay independent and need less care in the future is focus on one’s health,” she says. “The chronic illnesses of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, inactivity, smoking and drinking lead to a faster decline, loss of strength and increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and dementia, which necessitate more money being spent on care.”
If you’d like to reach out to the DLG care team, please don’t hesitate. We’re here for you.
Dr Liz has over 20 years of experience as a geriatrician. She is board-certified in internal medicine, geriatric medicine, and palliative care medicine. Dr Liz founded Dr Liz Geriatrics to address the challenging medical and behavioral issues often facing older patients and their families.
Very good and informative article.
Thanks