How to Keep Living at Home as You Age

 Everybody wants to live at home as long as they possibly can, but sometimes your health can prevent that. As you get older, people often look towards living in care homes or facilities, part-time retirement villages or communities. They do this for support, for fun, and to be able to save money on their homes.

But living at home for as long as possible is the goal so that you don't have to spend money on a retirement village or a care home. Maintaining your independence can make you feel better for longer and there are many things that you can do for yourself and to support yourself to help you keep living at home for as long as possible and stay where you are most comfortable for as long as you can. So let's take a look at how you can keep living at home as you get older.

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1. Safety is important. There are plenty of different ways you can keep living safely so that you're not a fall risk. The first is to make sure that you have life alert options installed. If you do fall, you'll be able to get help as quickly as possible. You should also avoid falls by choosing high wattage light bulbs so that your house is well lit. You should fix or remove any unsteady furniture, loose carpet and loose rugs and where possible add hand rails. Mobility aids to help you to get around easily may be an investment, but are an investment in your health and safety to keep you at home for longer.

2. Establish a community watch. When we say community, we're referring to your direct family and friends first. Having people be able to come and visit you everyday or every other day, simply to check in on your well-being and for a social visit is a good way to remain aging safely at home. You should also try to develop a signal for assistance.for example if you open your curtains at the front window every day you can signal that you're OK, but mail being left behind and uncollected newspapers could be a good sign that things aren't going as well as people would hope

3. Keep a healthy lifestyle. Having the right hobbies and interests can help you to stay at home for longer because you'll feel so much more comfortable with a healthy lifestyle. Getting out of the house every day or joining a club is a great way to get started here. Maintaining your social and family connections will help you to stay positive and motivated.

Stay connected. Staying connected to your friends, social groups and your family members will help you to maintain your independence at home. You are at much less of a risk of isolation if you are doing this, and when you are combating isolation you are also going to combat issues such as dementia. Being able to remain healthily at home may take some work, but it's worth it if you don't have to move out anytime soon.