Living independently is important for the elderly. It is their desire to continue their lives with full autonomy and dignity and there is no reason to deny this.

Whether it be in their own homes or in a community, older people want to have control over their lives and be flexible enough to make their own lifestyle choices. These are the main reasons why the concept of “ageing in place” has become popular.

The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute’s (AHURi) 2005 research revealed that older Australians are challenging the notions on ageing. For them, independence is one of the main factors why the elderly are choosing the option to age in place.

Ageing in place gives seniors the freedom to choose where to live. They can live comfortably and safely in their own homes or independent living facilities, such as retirement villages or communities. In addition, senior couples can retire together and spend the rest of their lives together.

Some of the advantages of ageing in place include:

• Strengthens ties with the family.
• Allows seniors to frequent their favourite grocery store or shopping centre which helps foster community continuity.
• Helps maintain social networks by keeping in contact with neighbours and friends who live nearby.
• Lets the elderly continue their lives in a familiar environment without making drastic changes.
• Helps promote mental and physical wellbeing by allowing them to live in their own home.

Aside from these benefits, maintaining identity is a major advantage of ageing in place. Independence and maintaining one’s identity is important for seniors since these can help ensure a high quality of life.

However, allowing the elderly to choose to age in place presents certain challenges. Some of these include:

• Modifying an existing home to meet the needs of seniors.
• Finding a contractor who can renovate a home fit for ageing in place.
• Assessing the existing home furniture and what needs to be changed or installed.
• Identifying possible structural barriers inside a home which may lead to injuries and falls.
• An elderly’s resistance to modify anything inside their home.

An alternative that can bypass these issues is a care community. Although the person may be moving from their home, they will be moving into an apartment of their own with all the right facilities and the ability to bring items from their old home to furnish the new apartment. They will also have professional care on hand 24/7 and neighbours of similar age and situation.

Seasons Flexible Lease communities offer solutions for seniors who choose to age in place – learn more about the Seasons difference. Make an enquiry for more information on ageing in place at Seasons or call 07 3088 7720.

This blog post was first published on Seasons Aged Care.