With the aging population trending to aging in place, it’s important to understand what you’ll need to do to prepare. Home modifications are a major component of successfully aging in place and making senior life safer. You also may need to adopt certain habits now so you can enjoy your home safely in the future. It’s difficult to predict everything we will need as we get older, but there are plenty of resources to help. Consider adopting these habits to give you a better chance of successfully aging in place.
Anticipate What You’ll Need In The Future
Anticipating what you’ll need in the future is hard because no one can predict the future. However, you can base your future needs on common aspects of senior life. You might not be able to walk around as smoothly as you do now, so if you’re making home renovations, keep this in mind. Installing a walk-in tub or shower now can help you be prepared later in life. And if you have stairs, chances are navigating them will become more difficult at some point. You might not need a stair lift now, but anticipating the need by budgeting for it can be beneficial.
Develop Healthy Habits
Developing healthy habits now is a major key to successful independent living. When you feel the temptation to stay on the couch and watch your favorite television show, go for a walk instead. And grab a healthy snack instead of a bag of chips or other unhealthy items when you need a snack. Implementing small healthy habits like this will pay dividends in the future. You’ll likely be able to move around smoothly for a longer period of time, have better balance and stability, and have more peace of mind navigating your home. And the healthier you are, the less assistance you’ll need to rely on.
Ask For Input From Loved Ones
Aging in place doesn’t mean you have to enjoy senior life on your own. As you’re preparing your home for independent living, ask your loved ones for input on what you might need. They see how you move around now and can help you anticipate what you could need. This might be something as simple as grab bars in the bathroom, a wheelchair ramp on the exterior, or even advice on dieting and exercising habits. Sometimes it’s more beneficial to seek advice from loved ones than it is to make decisions on your own since they want to see you succeed with aging in place as much as you do.
Next Day Access admires anyone who has a desire to age in place. It takes some effort to do so, but you can enjoy senior life well after retirement with the right resources. Developing healthy habits as early as possible is important so you’re prepared for future challenges. Small daily steps can make a major impact. If you’d like professional advice on how to make your home more accessible now and in the future, contact us and we would be happy to provide you with a free home evaluation.
