4) Staying in the neighborhood exposes older adults to “environmental complexity”
“Aging-in-community” (remaining in one’s neighborhood) exposes us to multi-generational social networks by keeping close to family, friends, and neighbors; this in turn contributes to “environmental complexity.” The stimulation is important because longevity studies have shown the more complex your daily behavior the longer you live.
5) Avoiding the high cost of care
The high cost of care was outlined in a recent survey by Genworth Financial Inc., which reported the costs for nursing homes, assisted living facilities and some in-home care services have increased for a fifth consecutive year.
The survey found:
- The average annual cost of a private room in a nursing home was $76,460–which is $209 a day
- The cost of assisted living facilities averaged $36,090 nationally; with a range from $4,921 per month in New Jersey to $1,981 per month in Arkansas
- In-home care for non-Medicare showed a national average of $18 an hour for homemaker services, and $19 for home health aide services
- While the cost of Medicare-certified home health aides rose to an average of $38 an hour.
The Rising Cost of Care
These costs will continue to rise as the growing number of us out paces the number of long-term care providers. Economic necessity is driving care from the clinical setting into the home environment.
Staying in one’s home and community can provide the kind of daily challenges and cost savings not offered by institutional housing.
The art of successful aging in place is a balance between the increasing needs of the older adult with the right combination of housing modification options, care giving, assistive technologies, behavioral adaptations, and “green” strategies for aging in place, to meet “environmental press” challenges.
But a poor fit between the capacities of the individual and their environmental support systems could result in giving up cherished activities, isolation, accidents, and possibly premature institutionalization.
The goal is to promote choice and independence which enhances (or preserves) physical and mental functioning, while balancing safety and security needs unique to each person.