Preparing to age in place: attitudes, approaches, and actions

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Aging in place (AIP) implies an ability to live in one’s own home, preferably to the end of life, to avoid institutionalization. AIP can be approached in a number of ways; however, the goal of remaining in a personal home with the ability to physically navigate through its design is paramount. Preparing to age in place during one’s younger years can mitigate house design needs that may occur later in life and under more challenging circumstances which may affect such implementation.The purpose of this research was to characterize those who had purposefully undertaken efforts to age in place for the remainder of their lives through either house modifications or relocation to more appropriate housing. In an anonymous online survey of 225 participants, 24% of boomers (aged 50–64) and 38% of non-boomers (aged 65+) had made modifications, and 12% had relocated. The strongest motivators for home modifications were to stay independent (81%) and in the community (70%), whereas anticipating declining health was the least (35%). This study contributes to the literature by examining the concept of AIP through attitudes and approaches to accommodating future needs. Suggestions for design and related industry professionals are made to be creative to accommodate aging clients while emphasizing independent living.