A national study by AARP finds about three quarters of people 50 or older want to stay in their own homes as they get older. The group’s vice president, Rodney Harrell, said whether you live in Missouri or somewhere else, your chances for living at home increase if you plan ahead.
“We all are aging. It certainly beats the opposite,” Harrell said. “And so today is the time we should have a talk about your home. Does it have what you need now and does it have what you need later?”
Harrell advises Missourians to look at some scenarios and how their home fits as they get older.
“Let’s anticipate what might happen in the future and think about whether our home has those things, and if not, let’s come together on a solution for that is a solution that we can change things in our home – that we can make some modifications to make this home safer for you,” he said. “And if not, let’s talk about what options we need to consider then.”
One option, for someone owns a two-story home, is to consider whether they expect to remain physically able to go up and down the stairs.
“So what I always tell folks is it’s less stressful to have the conversation now, to start it now and think about the things that you can because that eases things down the road and prevents you from having to be in that crisis scenario,” Harrell said.
He also said if your family members like their neighborhood and the amenities it offers, you can talk about ways to modify the home to adjust for them as they get older.
Dar Danielson of Radio Iowa contributed this report.
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