Aging In Place

What Is Aging in Place and How Do Seniors Feel About It?

Aging in Place is simply staying in your own home as you get older.

The AARP 2024 “Community Preference Survey” states that 75% of older adults want to stay in their homes, but it also acknowledges that some doubt their ability to make it happen.

Aging in place describes the lifestyle that many clients of Assisting Hands have decided to maintain when they decide to use our services. They prefer to stay at home, with a little help in the activities of daily living, rather than go to an Assisted Living or Nursing Home Facility. Our skilled personal assistants can provide assistance with meal preparation, help with bathing, medication reminders, laundry, and light housekeeping – all in the comfort and privacy of their own home, making aging in place possible.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Aging in Place?

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The Pro

The obvious pro is that people love their home and feel attached to it emotionally, as so many positive memories are tied to it. We routinely have clients who have stayed in their homes over 50 years. Aging in place allows you to keep living in a place you chose decades ago, a place you made yours and renovated, and a place that brings you joy and the comfort of familiarity.

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The Con

The unavoidable con is the worry that family members and loved ones develop over the years. Can you manage to live on your own… safely? The biggest worries that we have seen the most are: preventing the risk of falling in the home, ability to manage the daily household chores and tasks, ability to go to the grocery store and other appointments, ability to feed yourself a nutritious meal, remembering to take your medications, and ability to keep up with personal care.

We’ve heard seniors say “I am fine”, only to catch a glance of their daughter’s quizzical look.

Evaluate Where You or Your Loved One Is on the Scale of These Needs

In truth, the worries we mentioned above are universal.

Where are you on the scale for each of your concerns? Rate each area using the chart below.

This page is dedicated to answering the question of how we can make it safe for seniors to stay in their home, or extend the time that staying home is a great option for seniors.

We’ll examine each area through the prism of the four main types of solutions: Home modifications, Caregiving services (whether family, friend, neighbor, or hired help), Technology (including “tools”), and Community support.

Four Ways We Solve for Aging in Place

Home Modifications

Grab bars, walk-in showers, ramps, lighting — changes to the physical space that reduce risk.

Caregiving Services

Family, friend, neighbor, or hired help providing the human touch.

Technology

Tools and devices that extend safety, health monitoring, and independence.

Community Support

Meals on Wheels, senior centers, rides for wellness, and local programs.

Explore Each Need in Detail

Fall Risk / Mobility

Is probably by far the largest risk that loved ones are concerned about.

Home modifications: A walk-in shower with a handheld showerhead and well-placed grab bars are two of the top home modifications that can make a difference. Watch for a next blog on this soon.

Technology: helps both prevent and alert to falls.

Caregiving: adds the human touch to tools. Caregivers can physically watch for steadiness of gait, hold someone with a gait belt, help them transfer, and keep them safe.

Manage Household Chores

Caregiving: There is a very large laundry (no pun intended) list of household chores that become more cumbersome as we age.

Can I make my bed and change my sheets?
Am I able to make my meal and get the nutrition I need?
Can I clean my home?
Do a load of laundry?
How about putting the garbage onto the curb and bringing it back up?

Caregivers excel at these homemaker tasks.

Nutrition

Caregiving: can help prepare nutritious meals, but also monitor appetite and water intake.

Community services, again, can shine here for our seniors with Meals on Wheels.

Personal Care & Hygiene

Caregiving: personal care, from bathing, dressing, continence, toileting, is solely the realm of caregiving. No robot has substituted the need for the human touch.

Health & Medication

Home modifications and Technology: you may need an oxygen tank and ensure that your home is safe.

Caregiving: medication reminders are best performed by humans. At the intersection of nutrition and health are chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart or kidney failure that may impact diet and nutrition.

Technology: can assist a lot with measuring blood pressure, oxygen level, blood glucose, but also heart and breathing rate or gait.

Community services can offer support, like the Jewish Family Services’ dementia support and healthy aging programs.

Transportation (store, doctor, hairdresser, church)

With the revocation of driving privileges, or its threat, a senior will become more homebound. Yes, we can now order food online and have it delivered. But we will still need to go to a doctor’s, or have scans done in clinics and hospitals.

Caregiving: caregiving by family members or professional caregivers gives seniors a safe way out.

Technology: can help us order food

Community services, such as the ones offered by the Salt Lake Co we highlighted in a previous blog, are Rides for Wellness. This service really can help seniors in a pinch.

Exercise

Caregiving and Technology: by and large, exercise (such as physical therapy or regular exercise) also falls in the human touch category, with “technology” assisting (a ball to throw and grab) so our seniors stay fit.

Community services shine as well, with senior centers offering a variety of classes to keep our seniors engaged.

Socialization

Caregiving services are outstanding at providing companionship that is so needed for each of us. But that does become particularly important in old age.

Community services fill a critical role as well, with our county offering a vast variety of classes, games that bring people together, and keep them engaged and connected to one another.

Technology: the subject of a second blog on technology will be on the intriguing and revolutionary technology that brings conversations to isolated seniors. Stay tuned.

Here is a visual summary below.

FAQ

What Does Aging in Place Mean?

Aging in Place means living in your own home as you age, as opposed to relocating to a residential care setting. Living with a family member (a daughter for example) is a type of aging in place arrangement.

What Percentage of Seniors Want to Age in Place?

When asked, the vast majority of seniors want to age in their own home. The AARP 2024 “Community Preference Survey” states that 75% of older adults want to stay in their homes.

Is Aging in Place Better Than Assisted Living?

Both living at home and living in an assisted living community have pros and cons, and it will be up to you to determine which is best for you.

What Are the Disadvantages of Aging in Place?

Aging in place will likely require home modifications as your home may not be designed to minimize the risk of untimely falls. If you do not plan well, you may also lose out on the company of others.

How to Factor in Costs in Your Decision-Making?

You may wonder: Is aging in place cheaper than assisted living? What is more expensive, home care or nursing home? What is the least expensive type of long-term care?

Overall, long-term care, ie the care related to aging, is not covered by insurance or Medicare. By and large, it is a private expense where you choose assisted living or to stay at home.

Regardless of what you decide to do, examining one’s finances critically is essential: you may need to seek financial advice as everyone’s situation is unique. Below are a few questions to get answers to:

If money were no object, what would be your preference?
Do you own your home and would you have to sell it if you went to a retirement home? Do you currently rent? Are you currently on Medicaid?
What are your total assets?
What is your monthly income? What would it realistically cover?
Do you have a spouse whose situation you have to factor in and whose needs may be different from yours?
Do you have a support network?
How much home care do you need to stay at home safely, and what type of care would you need in a facility?

Ready to Make Aging in Place in Murray, UT a Safe Reality?

Whether you’re exploring aging in place home modifications in Murray, UT or looking for a trusted senior caregiver in Murray, UT, Assisting Hands is here to help. Our team provides compassionate in-home care for seniors in Murray, UT—from meal preparation and personal care to medication reminders and companionship—all in the comfort of home. Connect with an aging in place specialist in Murray, UT today and find the right support for your loved one. You can start working with Assisting Hands Home Care by following these simple steps:

1Reach out for a free consultation.

2Meet with our caring team.

3Help your loved one age in place safely at home.

Other Services Offered with Assisting Hands Home Care

Assisting Hands Home Care in Greater Murray, we offer other forms of support in addition to aging in place. We also provide a full range of professional, compassionate in-home care services designed to help seniors live with greater comfort, safety, and peace of mind in the place they call home.

Services we offer include respite care services, Fall Prevention, Parkinson’s Home Care, Stroke Recovery Home Care, and Orthopedic Home Care Services. We also provide Alzheimer’s and Dementia care, Personal Care & Grooming, Meal Preparation, Light Housekeeping, and Grocery Shopping & Errands to support the day-to-day needs of seniors.

Additionally, we also offer Transitional Care, Hospice Support Services, and Coordination of Care services, which can also provide support. We also proudly serve Veterans through our Veterans Aid & Assistance program and offer Companionship services as well. Whatever your family’s needs look like, Assisting Hands is here to help. Explore our full list of services or contact us today for support!