How to Age in Place

The first authoritative and comprehensive guide to "aging in place"--a burgeoning movement for those who don't want to rely on assisted living or nursing home care--which allows seniors to spend their later years living comfortably, independently, and in their own home or community.

For millions of Americans, living in a nursing home or assisted living facility is not how they’d prefer to spend their retirement years. This is why more and more people are choosing to “age in place.”

In this empowering and indispensable book, clinical psychologists and aging specialists Mary Languirand and Robert Bornstein teach readers how, with planning and foresight, they can age with dignity and comfort in the place of their own choosing. How to Age in Place offers useful, actionable advice on financial planning; making your home physically safe; getting around; obtaining necessary services; keeping a healthy mind, body, and spirit; and post-retirement employment. A necessary resource for seniors, their adult children, and eldercare professionals, How to Age in Place is both a practical roadmap and inspirational guide for the millions of seniors who want to make their own decisions and age well.Acknowledgments
Introduction: How Will You Spend Your Retirement Years?

Part 1: Making It Work
Chapter 1: Money Matters
Chapter 2: Access, Opportunities, and Services
Chapter 3: Making Your Home Safe
Chapter 4: Getting Around
Chapter 5: An Apple a Day

Part 2: Making It Count
Chapter 6: Healthy Mind
Chapter 7: Healthy Body
Chapter 8: Healthy Spirit
Chapter 9: Strengthening Ties with Others
Chapter 10: Giving Back

Epilogue: Looking Forward
Checklists and Worksheets
Resource and Contact Information

About the Authors
Index“This should be required reading for anyone over fifty. Much more than just a guide  to aging in place, this book provides a comprehensive roadmap for boomers eager to enjoy the best retirement possible. Written in an engaging and upbeat style, this is an incredibly informative, useful, and valuable read.”
—Nancy Collamer, author of Second-Act Careers and creator of MyLifestyleCareer.com

“This excellent book doesn’t tell you to stubbornly stay wherever you happen to live now. Rather, it helps you see decades into the future, so you can decide where to live, why it’s best for you, and how to make it happen. Highly recommended!”
—John E. Nelson, author of What Color is Your Parachute? for RetirementDr. Mary A. Languirand and Dr. Robert F. Bornstein are the coauthors of When Someone You Love Needs Nursing Home, Assisted Living, or In-Home Care, which received the 2003 Caregiver Friendly Award from the National Association of Caregivers. They have appeared on the Discovery Channel, CNN Headline News, NPR, and have been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Sun Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlanta Constitution, and Psychology Today, among others. Learn more at www.aging-wisely.com.What Is “Aging in Place”?
 
Aging in Place is a national movement aimed at enabling older adults to remain in their own homes by making available the social support, health care, and home maintenance services that people need to live safe, happy, productive lives in the community. Aging in place may mean continuing to live where you have lived for many years, or moving to a new residence (or new locale) that maximizes your ability to live independently.
 
Aging in place involves confronting some practical issues. If left undone, these issues can interfere with independent living:

• Financial planning
• Safe housing
• Neighborhood safety and “walkability”
• Accessibility of services (a pharmacy, for example, or nearby grocery store)
• Proactive medical and mental health care
• Opportunities for community, cultural, and civic engagement
• Sustainability to ensure long-term cost effectiveness
 
Beyond the practical issues, aging in place represents a philosophical shift—a social movement—which includes:
 
• Developing a new vision of healthy aging—a new attitude regarding needs of people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, and the myriad ways in which older adults can contribute to society
 
• Creating innovative, efficient models of eldercare services that make aging in place economically viable for the individual and society
 
As you can see, aging in place requires some planning. But arranging those services that will enable you to live independently, safely, and comfortably, and stay active and engaged throughout your retirement, will help make aging in place the “new normal.”