Where do you want to grow old?

I bought a one floor condo new 15 years ago. Everything is easy access for me with the walker I now use. I have added grab bars to my walk in shower and one beside the toilet. My main entrance is flat and I have one small step to access my porch and also one step to my garage. Though I still drive a bit, I use delivery services for most of my groceries as well as other purchases.
If dementia doesn't become a problem, I hope to stay right here.

My plans are to stay here, in the home we bought just over four years ago. It is single level. A previous owner replaced front steps with a long concrete sidewalk, and had placed grab bars in the bathroom.

If my husband predeceases me, I would entertain the idea of selling this property and moving towards a group community.
Ginger

I currently live in a very active, over 55 community with 4000 homes of all types.
I have a single story condo, that has an HOA fee covering all outside stuff. I don’t have to worry about the garden, roof, paint etc.
There are no stairs anywhere in my condo. I have a walk-in shower with grab bars.
I am going to be 74 next month. I don’t know how that happened! lol
I live alone right now and that makes me happy. I dread having to change my living arrangements in the future.
Frankly, my son is not a caregiver. He has problems of his own. I don’t have the money for a residential home. So my future is not secure. It’s a bit scary.

Coleen asked, “Where do you want to grow old?” Answer: Sitting on the porch of a mobile trailer parked in front of Mayo, Scottsdale. Lol.
Serious answer: I will probably transfer one day to a smaller apt. near Austin.
My relatives live there and it would be fun to see them. My parents lived there when they were living. I went to college there as well. Lost my dear husband two years ago. We both grew up in deep S. Texas.
Pros: Being near my roots of yesteryear will be good thing. Cons: perhaps it is pricier so I will have to watch my pennies. I live on the Texas coast and will probably take my time to sell my home by the water and move. I will miss my home.
I want to stay away from rest home but I agree some over 55 communities look great as well.
Remaining healthy and independent is my goal.
Onward…

Good evening, I am glad you asked this question, Colleen. For some reason, I have made that decision several times and then situations changed and the decision was in front of me once more. What I dreamed of was living surrounded by nature and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

The first time I tackled this question, I was wrapping up my career in Hawaii. Beautiful, yes! Easy living, yes! Surrounded by nature, yes! However, my father was in a memory care center and my mother was living in a senior center fighting breast cancer. My dear daughter was trying to care for them and her two daughters when her husband committed suicide very suddenly. I could not leave her all alone and so I returned to the mainland. I found a beautiful mountain village where I could have my own art gallery and design business. Just a 4,000 population but lots of nature and room for Cavaliers plus a couple of Maine Coon kitties.

The time went by with every thought of staying. I knew I was in Paradise. Then I was evacuated three times during those horrendous California mountain fires. Multiple spine and leg surgeries had put a stop to my love of trekking around the world with my lady friends. And health care was 45 miles away unless you just needed a blood pressure check from the firemen.

It was obviously time to put on the thinking cap again. There are only a few states I have not visited or lived in.....and one was Minnesota. After meeting a gentleman who would become my life partner, (thank you, E-Harmony) I began to visit the wonderful state of Minnesota. Six years later I made the decision to sell my home, leave my "village", and take up residence where I would be surrounded by nature and the Mississippi River. Not surprisingly I fell in love with the wonderful medical care available and learned what "Minnesota Nice" was all about.

So, this time....... did I choose the best place for growing old? Time will tell.

Chris

I’m struggling with this issue currently. I live in a one story condo, which is close to groceries and amenities. Meeting my needs has gotten more complicated since Covid. Heart attack, followed by CABGX3 and further diagnosis of heart failure. I am still able to take care of basics but suffer from a lack of social. I will not go back to that level of independence. I have taken advantage of home health care. I don’t have family in the area. A retirement community could provide that. I hope to do some research in that area, even though the upheaval of moving is not appealing!

Good morning- I hope to stay in my home forever and am trying to make it more manageable. The house is big for me. I can live comfortably on my first floor. However, the laundry is in the basement. And that might be able to be changed, but I don't know. There are also two decks. And there are 7 or 10 steps to get into my house from the front. That will have to be fixed if I can't climb them. However, there are outdoor elevators that I understand are not too expensive. When I heard this, I laughed. I haven't checked; I don't dare.

Although some things are still in flux since Dave died, everything is freshly painted, a new kitchen that I helped design. It's not too small or large. I love it..maybe I'll move in there! The outside is all cleaned up, and on Monday, the landscaper is coming back to discuss what I can do to make it manageable..it's too much for me! And it needs to be mowed again.

I'm happy and at peace (as much as I can be) after David died. This is the first time that I have ever lived alone and been on my own. There's a mixture of feelings--one is excitement to see what's in front of me, and the other is horror. LOL, But I love my home. This is also the first home that I have ever owned as a partner and now by myself. So, if I can, I choose to stay here, where I feel safe, warm, and cozy.

Your son not being a caregiver is something many older people are faced with. Many of our children talk a good game but if their lives are so busy while your alive and healthy and they never have time for you now, think how it will be if you have to rely on them to be a caregiver ..

Thank you all to contributing to the “Aging Well” website. I find the topics very relevant. First of all, I am 81 yrs. old, still married (55 yrs.) and going strong (most of the time). We live in a 2 story townhouse, with a beautiful view and very nice neighbors. We’d like to stay here as long as possible. After looking at “retirement” homes, which offer assisted living and nursing, and considering the cost, we feel we are better off in our home. We have a nice circle of friends here and I think that is so important. As for the stairs, we like to think of them, not as a hindrance, but as a form of exercise. This may change, but for now, we want to age in place. Crossing our fingers that we have a few more healthy years here!

I plan on staying in my house. After Covid I don’t want to move into a senior living facility. So many of my family were forced to stay in the one room at these for facilities.
My house is one floor and I can go to my basement if I want.