An AARP survey confirms that most Americans would prefer to remain in their homes during their senior years. Aging in place is an achievable goal for many, particularly if home modifications help aging residents cope with disabilities. Aging in Place Harvard Health identifies several benefits of growing older in a family home. Living at home […]
Families have always been the primary source of care for older adults who can no longer live independently. In medieval times, older adults who had no surviving family were relegated to residences in “poorhouses” or “almshouses.” Even in more recent centuries, poorhouses paid scant attention to safety and sanitation. Neither were they designed to give […]
When their children leave home, many older adults decide they have no further need for a large house. Cleaning more rooms than are in use becomes a tiresome chore. Maintaining property requires an expenditure of time and money that might be spent on more pleasurable activities. Many couples think about relocating to a more hospitable […]
Twenty years ago, experts predicted that seniors would face a shortage of caregivers and clinicians as the Baby Boomer generation aged into retirement. They explained that caregiving “is intimate and labor-intensive and can be especially difficult when done for an aging parent.” It is challenging to attract workers who are willing to perform “unglamorous” work […]
“Successful aging” is an umbrella term that describes a process of growing older while maintaining a high level of physical, psychological, and social functioning without major diseases. Similar concepts are embodied in such terms as “aging well,” “healthy aging,” and “active aging.” While people can take steps that maximize the opportunity for successful aging, chronic […]
Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) allow residents to change their housing environment to meet changing needs without relocating to a new community. Healthy retirees live in a part of the CCRC campus that is devoted to retirement community housing, complete with amenities that may include swimming pools, housekeeping, and dining halls. The community takes care […]
May is Older Americans Month. Every year, the Administration for Community Living designates a theme that underlies celebrations of older Americans’ contributions to society and reaffirms the importance of serving their needs. The theme in 2024 is Powered by Connections. The theme calls attention to the important role that social connections and meaningful relationships play […]
Based on census data, the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC) estimates that by 2026, the United States will have one million additional households with a member who has reached the age of 80. Another two million 80+ households are expected by 2029. The NIC projects that the Southwest, the mid-Atlantic, and […]
Hospice care provides services that increase the comfort of people who are dying from an untreatable health condition. Hospice care is intended to manage the patient’s pain while promoting a peaceful death. Adult children of a dying parent often turn to hospice care when the parent wants to die at home. Hospice care also be […]
Adult children face difficult decisions when their parents are approaching the end of their lives. An advancing cancer that no longer responds to treatment is one example of a health condition that leaves parents and their children with few options. The family’s primary goal is usually to make the parents’ last days as comfortable as […]