I often hear people say that a person suffering from Alzheimer’s is not the person they knew. I wonder to myself – Who are they then? –Bob DeMarco   Aging in Place The Present-absence and the long-good-bye of Alzheimer’s disease is heart-breaking. I sat with my once brilliant friend, Frances Gabe, holding her hand and longing for the excursions into the deep end of ideas that we once shared. But that is in the past; to quote Chuck Heston quoting Shakespeare in his statement, they bade farewell and “melted into air, into thin air.” The unraveling of a life in the mind ..read more

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator. -Francis Bacon Aging in Place Jean was 91 at the time of this post. I know she would not have minded my telling you her age—she was proud of it. She was a walking endorsement of “Successful Aging.” And just what is SUCCESSFUL AGING? The most accessible definition comes from the book by John Rowe, MD and Robert Kahn, PhD based on the Longitudinal MacArthur Foundation Study. The components of successful aging include: Good health, low risk of disease and disability. High mental and physical functionin ..read more

The limits of my language means the limits of my world. ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein   Aging in Place Part of the challenge related to pre-planning for aging-in-place is not having a working knowledge of the concept (being literate). As with other aspects of life, understanding the language opens doors to new possibilities. Can you speak the language of remaining home by choice? If not, you can learn it. With that in mind, here are a few general aging-in-place concepts worth knowing (and a good place to start). Aging in Place Literacy Universal Design Understanding: Knowledge of designing space ..read more

Taking risks doesn’t mean shirking responsibility, but embracing possibilities. ~ Vick Hope   Aging in Place Years ago, Dr. Bill Thomas introduced a concept related to aging in general, and aging-in-place specifically, that forever changed my thinking. It was one of those ideas that is a game changer, and I’ve not only embraced it, but applied it. I would like to share it with new readers who may not have heard of it. The idea may just expand your thought process into the realm of possibility aging as it did mine. RISK Those of us in the business of aging in place are all too aware of th ..read more

  When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. ~ George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones   Aging in Place I continue to try to dissuade folks of the idea that aging in place somehow equates to independence. We in the West have long adopted the rugged individualist motif—the Lone Ranger who is dependent on no one and bravely pulls themselves up from their own bootstraps to Great things. Cultural Success stories are weighted down by this false narrative—THE GREAT MAN theory, is one very hard to purge from our collective psyche in America. This ..read more

Wealth is the ability to fully experience life. ~ Henry David Thoreau   Aging in Place I must admit the concept of Reverse Mortgage (RM) has been a bit confusing to me over the years. I have attempted on multiple occasions to write about the topic, but in the early days the RM industry was plagued with negative press, and I avoided it. Having noted this, I also felt the RM offering had the potential to allow certain categories of individuals the ability to successfully age in place. For example, it made sense for some groups who were House-Rich (built up equity over the years) on paper ..read more

Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them. ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free   Aging in Place Three of the most challenging areas of the home to accommodate aging bodies are these; 1) Entry Ways 2) Stairs 3) Bathroom. If you’re going to start tackling home accessibility, it’s these that will provide the most effective remodeling bang for your buck (time and money). Let’s begin with Entry _____________________________________________________________________________________   1) Enter and exit of the home At least one no-step entry w ..read more

This above all; to thine own self be true. ~ William Shakespeare   Aging in Place   The problem with academic fields like Gerontology (and countless others) is the concepts are often so lofty and the language so inaccessible, they become well…oddly enough, “purely academic.” What that means is they are negative, or of no practical relevance having only theoretical interest and little real-world application. The language of the educated can be a privileged code like in medicine or law, spoken by professionals to other professionals. We’ve all experienced it; “What did he just say?” F ..read more

Our technology forces us to live mythically. ~ Marshall McLuhan Smart Home Upgrades For Aging In Place Smart home technology can be incredibly beneficial for aging in place, offering convenience, safety, and peace of mind for older adults and their caregivers (formal or informal). Here are several smart home upgrades specifically tailored for aging in place: Smart Thermostat: Allows seniors to control the temperature of their home remotely using a smartphone or voice commands. Some models also feature sensors that adjust the temperature based on occupancy, helping to save energy and ensure ..read more

It gets really tricky giving advice. The older I get, the less advice I give. ~ Anne Heche   Aging in Place The title of this blog was a click-bate MSN article headline with the image of Joe Biden. I didn’t Take the bate, but what I did do was take the advice of Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck—I didn’t give it any oxygen. But it did move me to make my own list (NOT giving a F*ck of course). Activities to Avoid After 75 1). Listening to people telling you what to avoid after 75 (that’s #1) 2). Ageist attitudes 3). Buying into decline tropes 4). Not calling out a ..read more