Consider the Downsides of Aging in Place

In a National Poll on Healthy Aging by the University of Michigan, 88 percent of people ages 50 to 80 reported feeling the same way as you do. Continuing to live in the comfort of one’s own home, or what’s known as aging in place, has a definite allure. Despite the benefits of this living arrangement, though, there are some potential downsides of aging in place that you should be aware of before you make this choice.

Five downsides of aging in place

1. Inaccessibility

If you’ve lived in your home for many years, your bedrooms and full bathrooms are probably upstairs. Those bathrooms may all have tubs, and you may have to navigate steps every time you leave or return to your home.

If you’d like to stay in your home, it may require some large, potentially costly changes like adding a stair lift, walk-in shower and ramps to make your home safer and more accessible as you age. Other changes may include removing scatter rugs to prevent falls, adding grab bars, raised toilets, and shower seats to bathrooms, and replacing round door knobs with lever-style handles. You may even need to widen doorways to allow easy wheelchair or walker access.

2. Costly upkeep

If you’ve paid off your mortgage, you probably think of aging in place as a virtually no-cost lifestyle. However, as you age, your home also gets older, and things will inevitably need repair or even replacement. You may need to patch or put on a new roof. Appliances will eventually wear out and you’ll need new ones. Or you could have a major problem with your plumbing, electrical, or HVAC. Not only will you need the funds to stay on top of home maintenance, but you’ll need to find reputable companies to do the work and the patience to see the job through. And if your partner used to manage such projects but can no longer do so, the responsibility now will fall to you.

And don’t forget ongoing tasks like cleaning, yardwork, and cooking that may become more taxing on days your joints are aching and your energy is lagging. If you’re not able to keep up with these responsibilities on your own, you’ll have to hire someone to do them for you, and that assistance could come at a premium.

3. Isolation

Maybe your kids and grandkids don’t visit frequently, and those neighbors who felt like family moved away. If your mobility also becomes challenged, or you’re not able to drive anymore, your opportunities to socialize could become limited.

Even if you have a spouse or partner at home, not interacting with other people can be detrimental to your health. According to the CDC, poor social relationships were associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Loneliness was also linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide.

4. Lack of support

While you may be in good health now, you may start having mobility issues or suffer something more serious like a heart attack or stroke down the road, which may mean you need help caring for yourself. And if you’re relying on a spouse or partner for help, don’t forget that their health could also start to decline, or they may even pass away.

Whatever the case, aging in place may be fine for you now, but that situation could change in a second. Then you’ll be left urgently searching for a family member or a caregiver to help or for a senior living community – and since many have a waitlist, you may have to settle for what you can get). If you start doing your homework now, you’ll have the time to research and thoroughly contemplate your options before you need to make a change.

5. Navigating change

You may be staying in your home because you’re afraid of all the changes you’ll have to make. However, becoming too comfortable with old routines, familiar surroundings, and longtime activities – and reluctant to deviate from this comfort zone – can cause mental stagnation and potentially cognitive decline. Sure, it may be mentally and emotionally difficult to deal with these changes now, but it won’t get any easier.

If you decide to remain in your home, you can benefit from remaining realistic about the practicality of your living arrangement. If the responsibilities become too overwhelming, if you become isolated or unsafe, or if your health declines, have a backup plan in place so you can live out your life happily and safely.