Are You Prepared to Age in Place?

With the heart of the Baby Boom wave now solidly in retirement, even the “Breakfast Club” generation has begun to hear from AARP! Just as music and fashion change from one generation to the next, so do our lifestyle goals.

AARP’s 2014 study on community preferences of older adults showed that 87 percent of adults age 65+ want to stay in their current home and community as they age. That means if you grew up with Elvis and the Beatles, you probably expect to spend all of your retirement years living independently, in your own home, rather than in assisted living or nursing care.

But that goal presents some challenges to health and safety. Unfortunately, the adult children who once were right next door to help care for their aging parents may live several counties—or states—away. Work commitments may also prevent them from being available as much as needed.

The leaders of Agrace HospiceCare have explored that question—and decided that Agrace can help! Not as just as a hospice, but through a new Agrace service that’s available long before end-of-life care is needed. Age at Home’s compassionate caregivers provide help with daily activities like laundry, housekeeping and meal preparation—that can become tough to manage as age or illness rob us of energy and mobility.

Are you ready to reach out for a service like Age at Home? Here are some signs that it’s time:

• It has become difficult or exhausting to keep up with household chores, preparing meals and cleaning.
• Loss of mobility, vision, hearing or memory has made it hard to care for yourself.
• You worry about safety of using the shower or bathtub.
• It is a struggle to take needed medications as prescribed.
• Appointments are sometimes forgotten—or missed due to lack of transportation.
• You want company and conversation.
• You don’t want to rely on favors from family or friends.

If you have questions about whether Age at Home could assist you or your loved one, give us a call at (608) 327-7456. We’re here to help, even at night on on the weekends.