carpeting or raised areas of flooring.
Keep steps clear. Make sure that all entry
doors to the house and garage have prop-
erly working, easy to turn locks, and that
all steps and porches have railings that
are secure. And have a diplomatic chat
with your parent about their footwear;
it’s time to get rid of loose, floppy slip-
pers, shoes with slippery soles, or those
with heels to high to walk safely.
• Discuss whether there is a room on
the first floor that could be turned into a
bedroom if needed.
• If possible, relocate laundry fa-
cilities to the first floor to further avoid
stairs and dangerous falls.
Aging in Place:
Growing Old at Home
“The stairs are getting so hard to climb.”
“Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner.”
“I’ve lived here 40 years. No other place will seem like home.”
T
hese are common issues
for older people. You may
share the often-heard wish
— “I want to stay in my own home!”
The good news is that with the right
help, your parent might be able to do
just that. Staying in your own home as
you get older is called “aging in place.”
Planning Ahead to Stay
in One’s Own Home
Planning ahead is hard because
you never know how a person’s needs
might change due to health issues, and
everyone’s family situation is different.
If you have a large extended fam-
ily living nearby and willing to help, it
will provide your parent with a sizeable
“safety net” as they begin to need more
help with their daily activities. If you
live far away from your parent, and he
or she lives alone, with few friends or
neighbors, planning for outside help
is almost a given, unless you can con-
28 WNY Family March 2019
vince your parent to relocate closer to
you.
Perhaps the best way to stay in one’s
own home is to take action before the ab-
solute need arises, making the home safe
and easily navigable on the inside, and
finding services that can help your par-
ent navigate the world outside more eas-
ily. Here are a few things you can work
on gradually to help your parent do just
that:
• De-clutter and rearrange the con-
tents of cabinets, drawers, and closets
to make everything easier to access. Put
frequently used items within easy reach.
Replace heavy dishes, pots and pans
with lighter versions. Add items like ex-
tended-reach grabbers, jar-lid openers, a
shower bench, a higher toilet, and grab
bars in the shower.
• Every year, 1 in 4 adults over age
65 take a fall. Remove throw rugs and
repair any other trip hazards like loose
• Acquaint your parent with servic-
es in their neighborhood that can come
right to their door, such as grocery deliv-
ery, dry cleaning pick up and delivery,
senior transportation, etc.
• Encourage your parent to choose
direct deposit for any income, and use
online bill pay to reduce banking trips.
Even postage stamps can be purchased
online. Fortunately, upcoming genera-
tions will be more tech savvy and be
able to take full advantage of Google
searches. If your parent is not among
them, start teaching them to use the In-
ternet!
• Help your parent get acquainted
with the services offered by their local
senior center. Low-cost nutritious meals,
socialization, and group activities are
some of the benefits derived from be-
coming a member.
Common Concerns
If staying at home is important to
your parent, they will eventually need
outside help of some kind. An important
part of planning is thinking about how
to pay for the help that’s needed. Some
things you want for them may cost a
lot. Others may be free. Some might
be covered by Medicare or other health
insurance. Some may not. Check with
your insurance provider(s). It’s pos-
sible that paying for a few services out
of pocket could cost less than moving
into an independent living, assisted liv-
ing, or long-term care facility, and your
parent would still be able to remain at