The Government of Canada has published a checklist entitled Thinking About Your Future? Plan Now to Age in Place. It is a digital booklet that helps to prepare elderly individuals to age in place by looking at nine areas of their lives. They are as follows: health, home, transportation, finances, connections, safety, supports and services, community and partner (if applicable). In this week’s blog, we’ll examine the first three.
My health.
As expected, the health of seniors is of primary concern. Before they can make their decisions to age in place, it’s vital that their health situations are assessed. The Government of Canada informs that if a person cannot make health care decisions independently, there are laws in place that allow loved ones to make those decisions on his/her behalf.
The checklist points out a number of things to consider when judging the state of an older adult’s health. Is he/she physically active? Does he/she eat seven or more servings of fruit and vegetables in a day? Does he/she have a healthy body weight that has remained the same for the past six months? Is he/she scheduling regular appointments for physical, vision, dental and hearing check-ups? Does he/she smoke or drink alcohol?
My home.
Naturally, the state of your home must be one that can meet the needs of an older adult. The Government of Canada calls upon people to consider whether or not their homes are adequate for living when they are 70 or 80 years of age or older. Their website also notes that if you are a renter, you are limited to the number of changes you can make to your home, if necessary. In many cases, home modifications are required to accommodate a senior’s mobility issues.
The checklist includes the following considerations. “My home is in a location where I will not feel isolated in my later years and is close to services, friends and family. I have thought about current and future costs of staying in my home (for example, mortgage or rent, condo fees, taxes, repairs, maintenance) and whether I can afford to live there as I age. I can afford to pay for services (for example, house cleaning, yard maintenance) to maintain my home, if needed.”
My transportation.
How will you get around in your later years? Of course, there are numerous modes of transportation that can be utilized. But will you be able to access them independently? The Government of Canada contends that the majority of older adults will live 7 to 10 years past their ability to drive safely. Naturally, this means that plans should be put in place for transportation if/when an older adult can no longer drive.
The checklist highlights the following concerns. “If I am able to continue driving, I plan to take a refresher course to maintain my skills and knowledge of the rules and regulations. I talk to my doctor and/or pharmacist about how my health conditions, and the medications used to manage them, can impact my ability to drive safely…I plan to take up or increase walking or cycling as a healthy and active form of transportation.”
Contact us for aging in place assistance!
At Advantage Home Health Solutions, we put great efforts into ensuring our clients can comfortably age in place. Whether through our high-quality mobility equipment or home accessibility renovations, we make sure that your elderly loved ones are able to live comfortably and safely.
For more information, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact page. We look very much forward to hearing from you soon!
