Aging in Place: Easy or Not So Easy?

America is rapidly graying. We all know baby-boomers are ready to retire. Play golf. Travel. Spend time with the grandkids. Live at home. In a recent Pew Research Center poll of older Americans, 71% said they preferred living in their own homes or move in with a family member. Fewer than 20% would move into an assisted living facility or nursing home. Is aging in place as simple as staying home? Ann Forsyth, professor of urban planning at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, says that aging in place is not so simple.

In an interview by Liz Mineo of The Harvard Gazette, Professor Forsyth shared these thoughts and comments (we summarized the key points below):

Challenges Living Independently as we Age

• Uncertainty about whether we will be physically and mentally able to manage our household.

• Uncertainty about how long our household will stay intact.

• Worry and concern about our ability to manage our finances.

Home Design

• Will our home accommodate physical challenges that may arise (e.g, an upstairs when we need a walker)?

• Can we fit assistive devices that may need wider, bigger spaces?

• Would it be too expensive to move to another home that offers amenities that are now needed?

Role of Technology

• Robotic vacuums are helpful.

• Robotic shorts are helping people climb stairs.

• Technology is assisting caregivers in lifting patients from beds, baths, and wheelchairs

• Helping older Americans maintain family ties and soical relationships.

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