What are your tips for staying independent at your own home?

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Aug 31, 2023

Many people say they’d prefer to grow old in their own homes. What are your tips for remaining independent as long as possible. What do you do to:
- Keep up with home maintenance and housekeeping?
- Avoid injuries around the house?
- Combat loneliness or stay connected?

Any other tips?

October 25, 2023: Update from the Community Director

The knowledge exchange shared in this discussion helped to create this article written for the Mayo Clinic app and website. Knowledge for patients by patients and beyond Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for all your tips.

Aging at home: Advice for staying independent

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aging Well Support Group.

oldflathead | @oldflathead | 5 days ago

In reply to @oldflathead "Ok" + (show)

I’m 😢

oldflathead | @oldflathead | 5 days ago

In reply to @JustinMcClanahan "Hello @oldflathead - I removed your email and phone number. Mayo Clinic Connect is a public..." + (show)

Ok. Thanks for your concern

jslw13 | @jslw13 | 4 days ago

In reply to @edsutton "I will repeat something I feel is extremely important: --Install grab bars every place where you..." + (show)

Exactly! There are many seniors who don’t want grab bars because they’re “unsightly “. Hopefully they don’t learn the hard way. 🤕

jossy | @jossy | 4 days ago

It’s good to have a life alert button with a fall detection feature on it or if you have one of the smart watches with fall detection feature activated. This is a safety feature that offers peace of mind when living alone and elderly.

emaureen | @emaureen | 3 days ago

I have one of those necklace types of alarm where I press the button for a couple of seconds to send a distress signal (cheapest, only works in my home). They emphasize that if you can call for assistance in some other way, you should.

A nurse told me that many elderly people remove the necklace before showering because they don't like the wet string on their necks. This is a terrible idea since the shower is where you are most likely to slip.

oldflathead | @oldflathead | 2 days ago

In reply to @JustinMcClanahan "Hello @oldflathead - I removed your email and phone number. Mayo Clinic Connect is a public..." + (show)

Thanks. Sometimes my 86 year old brain gets confused

scain | @scain | 2 days ago

We did have a grab bar installed in our shower however even that did not give me a sense of safety. So I ordered a shower chair off of Amazon and I feel so much more confident now. It is strong and sturdy and even having the balance problems that I have u can honestly say it is a game changer while showering in our glass enclosed shower.

edsutton | @edsutton | 2 days ago

In reply to @scain "We did have a grab bar installed in our shower however even that did not give..." + (show)

Way to go!
You're making your shower as safe as possible.
We have a shower chair in our walk in shower, much needed when my wife was recuperating from surgery.
Also a shower hose and controls at chair level.

projfan | @projfan | 2 days ago

In reply to @edsutton "I will repeat something I feel is extremely important: --Install grab bars every place where you..." + (show)

I'll add several grab bar suggestions:

-- Before you install them, mimic the movements you are likely to use if you need them. For example, if you put one by the door where there is a step (say, from a garage into the house), put your hand where it will give you the best balance. Install the grab bar exactly there, probably vertically. In the shower, pretend to fall, and see where your hand automatically moves to grab the bar. It may be lower than the normal installation height.

-- There is no such thing as too many grab bars, if you think you might need them. You never know when a guest might need them, too. Or another family member.

-- Try to find bars that are not slippery, especially if you think your hand might be wet. Oddly, these are harder to find than you might think, but they do exist.

-- Make sure they will hold your weight if they are intended to keep you from falling. It's one thing to use something with suction cups for balance. It's another entirely if you think you might put your entire weight upon it suddenly. The issue of screwing through drywall into studs seems to me to be a bit of a tradeoff. If you can do it while keeping the location ideal, great. If you wind up putting it somewhere that it won't be instinctively in the right place when you fall, not so much. Kind of depends, I suppose, on whether you want it to stop you quickly (before all your weight jerks it), or whether you expect your feet to slide out from under you so your entire weight hangs on the bar. I'm guessing that this therefore matters a lot in the shower or bath, and less elsewhere?

-- Consider additional banisters. We've now got banisters on both sides of the stairs, which has proved helpful. They are, when you think about it, basically long, skinny grab bars.

kforrest | @kforrest | 23 hours ago

In reply to @woojr "Thanks Ginger, my wife has been accompanying mom on eye appointments and routine GP visits like..." + (show)

@woojr

Thanks Ginger, my wife has been accompanying mom on eye appointments and routine GP visits like going over results of bloodwork. I go when there is a possible need to "tell the whole story." Or like last year when her dentist did about $4000 worth of work that resulted in an infection and it all required being extracted and replaced complete lower denture. She didn't tell me about it until after she had the procedure. The best part was when we went back to the bad dentist, he gave her a strong opioid script that could have killed her. He also prescribed an antibiotic that she had listed as being allergic. I caught this at her pharmacy. This whole story is terrible and I wanted to talk to authorities about his actions. Mom insisted I don't. Fortunately her dentures are working out well and the new dentist is a very transparent and caring man. We actually communicated by text and email during the process. I've never had a dentist like him before. Anyway, mom has had a lot of freedom since she still drives. I find out when things go bad after the fact. She believes everyone. Yes, everyone. I could tell you how she's been taken advantage of by a few contractors because that's the way the real world works. Of the many things mom has taught me, it's how aging is different for different people. I'm pushing 73 and after about ten years of helping her after a mild stroke, I'm amazed by her toughness and desire to do it her way. She's watched all of her friends die over the last twenty or so years. We just spoke a few minutes ago about the Eagles game today. Her and my father were big fans who attended games in 1940's before I came along. They didn't have a car, took a bus for thirty plus miles into Philadelphia to see games. He died in 1997. She's been very independent. It helps to have enough money to fund her interests. Don't worry, she's in good hands here.

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just terrible!! i am terrified of all dentists and drs. that one should be sued and put into jail!! maybe a firing squad. sorry there are such incompetent people out there who do so much damage.