Maintaining your independence looks different for everyone. For many older adults, it means aging in their home.
During your parents' generation, senior living arrangements included just two options: living at home or moving to a nursing home. That is no longer the case. Today, there are plenty of tools, resources, and small businesses that offer the assistance you need to maintain independent living.
As someone who wants to maintain your senior independence, your first step is to learn about the options available to you. As you age, you may need to hire extra help, make modifications to your home, or take advantage of local resources. A willingness to make small changes can have a big impact on your home life.
Senior Independence Looks Different for Everyone
Staying in your home can have a positive impact on your quality of life. But part of what makes a good quality of life is feeling safe and secure, and having your basic needs met. Because of this, senior independence could mean different things for different people, including:
Living totally independently: Staying in your home without any necessary assistance
Living at home with some assistance: Hiring staff to help with personal care (more on this below), but staying within your home
Living at home with live-in care: Hiring help to live with you around the clock, or moving in with family members
Moving to assisted living, but living independently: You take advantage of prepared meals, group activities, and other services, but maintain your independence
Living in assisted living: There are many benefits to living in assisted living, including round-the-clock staff standing by for when you need it
Implementing changes to your routine or physical surroundings may allow you the freedom to stay in your home and maintain your senior independence.
Maintaining Senior Independence With Personal Care
If you prefer to live at home rather than move to assisted living, your first step may be to ask for help. Daily routine activities like cleaning, cooking, or bathing may become strenuous over the years. There are many services that make these tasks more manageable.
To start looking for help, search the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, which can direct you to various resources in your area. Resources and referrals can also be found through your network of friends, the local library, the bulletin at your place of worship, and the internet.
The resources and services available to you will vary greatly depending on the city and state where you live. Search for in-home care services that address the following:
Meal or grocery delivery: Getting proper nutrition with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help you maintain a healthy immune system. Instacart, Peapod, ALDI delivery, and other services bring groceries to your front door. Meals on Wheels is a popular organization that delivers meals to seniors. You can also get meals delivered via Freshly, Home Chef, Territory (in some cities), HelloFresh, or a local service.
Personal hygiene: Is it becoming difficult to bathe or wash your hair? Perhaps a close relative could help with these tasks. Or, consider having a home health aid come to your house several days a week.
Daily exercise: Going to physical therapy and maintaining your mobility, flexibility, and strength can help you stay in your home. Your physical therapist may recommend light activity that's easy on your joints, such as using a seated, stationary bike or walking with a cane or walker.
Maintaining Your Independence Through Home Modifications
As long as you're safe, aging at home is a viable option. But being safe may require physical modifications to your home.
When it comes to maintaining a safe environment, the cost and effort required varies greatly. Some small modifications, like purchasing a shower mat with traction or installing a bathroom handrail, are incredibly affordable. Other, larger projects, like switching from hardwood floors to carpet or installing a chair lift, require more of an investment.
When modifying your home, it's important to consider how senior health needs change over time. It's best to make modifications now when you're able, rather than wait for problems to arise. Here are several areas in your home where you may want to make changes:
Floors: Within your own home, floors can be an easily-overlooked area of concern. Remove any area rugs to prevent yourself from slipping, and consider purchasing anti-fatigue mats for your kitchen or bathroom. Carpet is usually the safest flooring surface, but if you have hardwood floors, you can place safety fall mats in your bedroom or bathroom as a precaution.
Stairs: If you live in a multi-level home, you need sturdy railing by your stairs (preferably on both sides). If stairs are becoming increasingly difficult, you might want to ask a neighbor or friend to help you move your bedroom to the ground floor. If you have the budget, consider installing a chair lift.
Downsizing: Lastly, if your home is too large or requires too much upkeep, you may want to consider moving to an apartment. Again, this doesn't mean you need to move into an assisted living facility. It just means moving to an environment where you will not be responsible for lawn work, will have an elevator to help you travel up and downstairs, and will have less square footage to clean and maintain. The National Association of Senior Move Managers offers resources to help you manage this transition.
Maintaining Your Independence Through Medical Care
A key component of healthy aging is keeping up with your overall health. If you no longer drive, ask a family member to drive you to doctor's appointments or consider taking public transportation. If you have a smartphone, install the Uber or Lyft app on your phone so a driver can come to your home and transport you to appointments.
Depending on your level of health care, you might want to consider hiring a home health aid or visiting nurse. Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offer some home health aide services, so be sure to review the resources available. Here are a few other steps you can take to maintain your health:
Install the Snug app: Snug allows you to "check in" each day, giving your loved ones peace of mind that you are safe and sound. With a paid plan, you can also call for help if you need it.
Pill dispenser: If you take medication, a pill dispenser will keep your medications organized and remind you of which to take.
Maintaining Independence by Maintaining Your Mental Health
Lastly, it's important to maintain social connections, conversations, and friendships — even when living at home. If you drive, arrange luncheons with your friends (and if not, the Uber app can drop you off). Stay involved with community activities through a place of worship, historical group, book club, or volunteer organization.
Here are a few ways to help maintain your happiness, relationships, and overall well-being:
Video Chat or FaceTime: If you have a computer, ask a friend to install Skype or Zoom for you. These platforms allow you to video chat with friends. If you have an iPhone, you can easily do this through FaceTime.
Email and Facebook: People love handwritten letters. But if you want an easy way to connect with people, sending out a quick email through Gmail can help you stay in touch with those you love. You can also set up a Facebook profile to see photos and updates from friends and family.
Ride sharing: If you prefer not to drive at night, services like Uber, Lyft, and other ride sharing services can help you attend face-to-face outings with your friends.
Snug Can Help You Stay Safe at Home
There are tools and resources to help you stay in your home. Home health aids, meal delivery services, and ride sharing can assist you in maintaining daily life.
Living at home means having a plan in place to ensure your health and safety. Snug helps you do just that. With Snug, you’ll “check in” each day to let your loved ones know you're okay. This ensures you're watched over, even when living alone.
To help maintain your independence (and give your loved ones peace of mind) download the Snug app today.