Aging in Place May Still Mean a Move: When to Consider a Smaller More Manageable Place
By Carol O’Dell, author of Mothering Mother
Aging in Place might still mean a move—just near where you already live.
I have a dear friend whose wife died recently. They live on the outskirts of Boston and love where they live. He’s turning 80 and living in a 4,000 square foot house on ten acres. It’s been a lovely homestead for many years but now that his children are scattered across the country and his wife is gone, he’s beginning to realize he doesn’t need this much space—and it’s becoming more of a burden than a blessing with all of the upkeep.
The dilemma is he likes his community. He’s a longstanding member of his church. He sings in the choir. He volunteers at several local shelters and is on the board of a charity he believes in. He likes his local coffee shop, barber, doctors and he especially enjoys the parks and bike trails he frequents on the weekends (when it’s not the dead of winter).
He’s considered moving closer to one of his children but he can’t see himself being happy there. Starting over with friends and activities is challenging—and he doesn’t want to feel that he’s an appendage to his children’s lives. He loves visiting them, but he really wants to stay where he’s at.
The solution?
To find a smaller place nearby.
Like most areas of the country, my friend lives in a diverse community. There are condos, apartments, smaller houses, as well as graduated living and retirement communities. He has many viable choices.
Some important considerations are accessibility, safety, home features that allow for physical challenges and changes, and personal preferences.
My friend and I have had several discussions and he’s decided on a ground floor condo that’s near his church and other activities he already enjoys. He’s thought ahead and he could even bike to many of these places, and later when he chooses to no longer drive, he could get a taxi and it would be affordable. He thought about the things that make it home: a small yard for gardening, a fireplace, a decent size kitchen, a back porch, and a home office. He liked that the condo had a heated pool and workout facility (which eliminates gym cost). He also preferred that his bedroom be on the ground floor.
The place he’s considering has most of these amenities along with two bedrooms upstairs. One he plans on using as a guest room when his kids visit, and the other is for a home office. He’s planning on installing a stairlift which will give him easy accessibility since he has a bit of arthritis in his knees. He also likes the idea that if he ever needs home health care, he has the room.
“I like this condo—where it’s located, the grounds, and the nearby conveniences, and a stairlift allows me to enjoy all of my living space.”
He’s moving in the first of January and renting out his home—for now—until the market improves. He’s already excited about his new digs and feels he made the right choice by aging in place—or at least aging nearby.
For more ideas about aging in place visit:
www.seniorresource.com/ageinpl.htm
http://www.aarp.org/families/home_design
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