The concept of “aging in place” has become a centerpiece of public policy research and aid for the elderly in the United States. “Aging in place” is defined as the ability to live in one 's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level. The ability to age comfortably in their own home and community is essential to a healthy aging process. There are a number of measures the elderly can take to make sure that they are able to age in the comfort of their own homes. Meika Loe set out to examine strategies in ensure successful aging in place in her book Aging Our Way, and stressed the ability of the elderly to adapt within their routines and maintain a healthy balance between independence
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Whether it is modifying lifelong routines, making alterations to your living space or accepting assistance while still maintaining your independence, it is clear that you need to be able to identify your limitations and adjust your life to accommodate for them as you age in place. Eddie was able to modify his daily routine to involve healthier life choices in order to keep his health as he aged further; the 74 year old woman from Verbugge and Jette’s study, Ruth H., Ruth L., and Margaret rearranged to their living spaces to make their homes more comfortable and elderly-friendly and; Margaret, Mary and Bill, and Diva all were able to find a healthy balance between dependence and interdependence. Clearly, these cases exemplify the role of adaptation in successfully aging in place. In looking at these examples, I was able to make connections in my own personal experience. My grandfather passed away a couple years ago leaving my grandmother to live in a large family house alone. There were talks of her moving to a nursing home, but she decided that she wanted to continue to live in the family house and made similar adjustments to the subjects in Aging Our Way and The Disablement Process. She rearranged her home to make everything safer and more comfortable, she changed her routine by taking up new hobbies and travelling to pass the time and she has gratefully accepted assistance from family in maintaining the home. Since she made these changes, she is successfully aging in place in the family home. Seeing how these techniques are successful in my own life provides yet another example of how adaptability is essential for successfully aging in
Whether it is modifying lifelong routines, making alterations to your living space or accepting assistance while still maintaining your independence, it is clear that you need to be able to identify your limitations and adjust your life to accommodate for them as you age in place. Eddie was able to modify his daily routine to involve healthier life choices in order to keep his health as he aged further; the 74 year old woman from Verbugge and Jette’s study, Ruth H., Ruth L., and Margaret rearranged to their living spaces to make their homes more comfortable and elderly-friendly and; Margaret, Mary and Bill, and Diva all were able to find a healthy balance between dependence and interdependence. Clearly, these cases exemplify the role of adaptation in successfully aging in place. In looking at these examples, I was able to make connections in my own personal experience. My grandfather passed away a couple years ago leaving my grandmother to live in a large family house alone. There were talks of her moving to a nursing home, but she decided that she wanted to continue to live in the family house and made similar adjustments to the subjects in Aging Our Way and The Disablement Process. She rearranged her home to make everything safer and more comfortable, she changed her routine by taking up new hobbies and travelling to pass the time and she has gratefully accepted assistance from family in maintaining the home. Since she made these changes, she is successfully aging in place in the family home. Seeing how these techniques are successful in my own life provides yet another example of how adaptability is essential for successfully aging in