Definition of Aging In Place

The majority of older adults want to remain in the own communities, in their own homes, and do so throughout their lifespan. Ideally, this can be a reality regardless of age, income or level of ability.

Few people have the goal of spending the last years of their lives in nursing homes, not that nursing homes don't have an important role in caring for those who need those services. But moving to a nursing home is to give up the last vestige's of one's freedoms; to move out of a home and familiar community into the unknown.

It isn't unusual for a chronically ill person or an older adult, either one facing the imminent and inevitably of death to simply want to go home from the hospital or health care facility. The comfort of familiar surroundings and the memories there cannot be replaced by medical equipment or the best health care staff.

To be able to age in place is something I wish for myself and for my senior family members. Whatever we can do to make that wish a reality for as many of us as possible is something about which we are all in agreement.

Wishing to be able to age in place is often not enough to make doing so a reality. Individuals and communities must use forethought and planning to prepare for the years ahead.

For individuals and couples, thought must be given to practical considerations such as affordability of remaining at home through the years following retirement, the functionality of the home if physical limitations should require use of mobility devices, upkeep of the home and property and more.

Communities, states and even the federal government needs to look at the realities of the aging population, one that continues to grow in number both due to the influx of baby boomers reaching retirement age and the fact that people are living longer than in the past.

Will current city and state services be able to meet the needs of older adults in the years to come? Isn't being proactive now and developing long-term plans for such services and other public safety and public health concerns in the best interest of people, no matter their age? Wouldn't it pose less of a financial burden on taxpayers for more people to be able to age in place rather than going into long-term care?

Aren't these older adults still assets in their neighborhoods and communities? Even infirm bodies don't mean infirm minds. The wealth of life experience and wisdom gained from those experiences mean older citizens have something unique to offer to those around them.

Perhaps you're familiar with the term "silver tsunami." It's a phrase that the effect that aging baby boomers have as they turn 65, which began to happen, and continues to, at a rate of 10,000 people per day, everyday, since January 1, 2011 and will continue through the end of Dec. 2030.

The phrase itself is neutral; the context in which it is used ranges from negative to positive. Medicare and Medicare supplemental insurance may be concerned with the silver tsunami, but perhaps no more so than the younger generations who may be correctly concerned about how this influx of older people will affect everything from taxes to the housing market to citizen-contributed benefits such as Social Security and Medicare.

There are other groups, particularly those that stand to profit from the needs of this aging population, who likely wring their hands in glee when mentioning "silver tsunami."

One thing is for certain: The picture of aging in place and all the changes that will be necessary in housing, services, health care and its products, adaptive equipment and more will become even more diverse and of greater importance as 76 million baby boomers approach and pass retirement age.

Already public officials are aware of the changing needs of the older adults in American society. In December 2011, a jointly researched "State Survey of Livability Policy and Practices" was published by the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Public Policy Institute of AARP. The research topic? Aging in place.

The two bodies examined the areas of land use, transportation and housing, breaking down each broad category and considering the specifics of older adults' needs. Topics considered ranged from urban sprawl to joint use of public facilities to rural access to transportation, the need for volunteer drivers, affordable housing and more.

The purpose of the information gathered, including examples of working programs in areas throughout the nation, was to give elected officials and other in public office insights into the future needs of those wishing to age in place and to provide insights and solutions as to how to meet those needs.

At some point in time, many older adults put away the car keys for the last time. No longer driving themselves to appointments or the grocery store, how will this very real need be met? And while many communities throughout the country have provisions for transportation for necessities, how will older adults be able to continue to participate in community and social activities?

Many positive changes have occurred over the last decades in making physical access to public buildings and sidewalks manageable for people with disabilities, but there is more work to be done. The numbers of people with mobility impairments of one degree or another will increase as older adults age in place.

Private residences were built to the usual specifications for most people, that of a healthy adult of average height and weight, with all abilities intact. For those aging in place, at least some modifications for safety and accessibility are likely to be needed at some point. Homes built on more than one floor may require modification to use stairways or to live on one level.

These issues are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to adaptations and changes communities are making now and will make in the future.