Aging in place: living as long as possible in your home as a senior

Aging in place is the concept of having supports and services to live in your home as long as possible. This means assessing what you might need to live well. This includes whether you might need health or social supports. Or it could mean you need to choose a community to live in that has the right services to maintain your lifestyle.

Think about how you want to live as you age. Include what would happen if, for example, you become ill, develop a chronic illness or a disability. Depending on your answers to the questions below, you may choose to:

• stay in your home as it is;
• make upgrades to your home; or
• sell you home and move into a home that's more suitable for aging in place.

Assess your home

Try to figure out if it will be easy or difficult to live in your home as you age. Ask yourself some questions.

• Do you need to make modifications to your home, such as installing a ramp, hand rails or an emergency response system?
• Can a wheelchair or walker pass through doorways?
• Are there many sets of stairs?
• Can you maintain your home on a day-to-day basis? If not, do you have support to do this or can you afford to hire help?
• Do you have money to repair and maintain your home?
• Do you know what supports exist for you?

Assess your community

As you age, you may not be able to get around as easily. You may stop driving and have to rely on public transit or walk more.

• Are the sidewalks cleared in winter?
• Are there benches where you can take a break when out for a walk?
• Are buildings easily accessible with ramps or elevators?
• Are you close to or can you easily access supports and services, such as a grocery store or your doctor's office?

Assess transportation

As you age, you may have to consider how you get from home to the grocery store or an appointment or dance lesson. If you drive, you may have to plan for a time when you are not able to because of a medical condition.

• Can you easily access public transit from home?
• Can you afford to pay for a taxi?
• Can you rely on friends or family to drive you around?

Assess your health

The healthier you are, the longer you can continue living in your home. Speak to your healthcare provider about nutrition options and exercise that can benefit you.

Assess your finances

Know what your income sources are. These can include your savings, a pension and investments. After looking at your expected revenue:

• figure out what income you need to maintain the lifestyle you want;
• make a plan to cover the financial costs of aging in your home;
• find out what financial assistance is available to you; and
• check that you're accessing all the assistance that's available to you.

Taking care of yourself

People of all ages experience fraud and abuse, but seniors can be more vulnerable. Caring for yourself means making sure you're safe from abuse ‒ this could be physical, emotional or financial. When your consider your situation, ask yourself some questions:

• Are you safe in your home and neighbourhood?
• Do you know how to protect yourself against fraud and abuse?
• Do you know what to do if you feel you're being abused or experiencing fraud?

Taking care of others

As you age, you may have to take on the role of caregiver for another family member:

• make sure you know the wishes of a person who you care for;
• find out if there are supports and resources for you in your community;
• find out what respite services are available to you; and
• make a self-care plan so that you stay healthy as you care for someone else.

Supports as you age can be private that you pay for, or may be offered through Health and Social Services and non-governmental organizations.

Find out about supports for seniors, such as the Old Age Pension and income supplements.

The Yukon Seniors and Elders website includes information from the:

• YOOP ‒ Ladies Auxiliary;
• Yukon Order of Pioneers;
• Yukon Council on Aging;
• Golden Age Society;
• Grandparents' Rights Association of Yukon (Gray);
• Elderactive Recreation Association; and
• Elders and Youth Advisory Council.

You can watch these videos about aging in place produced by the federal government:

• What is planning for Aging in Place?
• My home and neighbourhood
• My social connections
• My supports and services