With every passing year, technology, medicine, life-expectancy and a variety of a number of other factors continue to allow more and more seniors to live in their home longer, before moving into a continuing care retirement community or something similar.

So what are these factors and how do they impact our ability to age in our home? Take a look at the top 6 reasons we see seniors choosing to live in their home, long into retirement.

1. More Ways to Afford a Professional Caregiver

The good news is that there are now more ways to save for and pay for a professional caregiver to care for you in your home as you age. You can make this part of your retirement savings, invest in long-term care insurance, or use life insurance or Medicaid. Also, veterans may quality for additional assistance. It’s important to do your research to know your options.

2. Medical Advancements

Science and medicine is advancing at a rapid pace and with these advances comes advantages to allowing people to age in their own homes longer. This means illnesses and injuries can be quickly treated and people can be returned back to their homes rather than spending lengths of time in the hospital or rehabilitation facilities. More illnesses and diseases can also be prevented before they become an issue that has to be addressed in a medical facility.

3. New and Improved Medical Alert Devices

With the various medical alert devices on the market today, families have a ton of options as to the best model for their aging loved one. Really, there’s no reason for anyone living alone to not own and wear one of these devices. Accidents can happen at any hour of the day and in any part of the home. By having one of these devices on your person at all times, you know help is always within reach which makes living independently more feasible.

4. Improved Safety Measures

There are also many more ways in which we can safety-proof a home. By going room to room, it’s easy to identify various safety hazards from the placement of knives and heavy pots in the kitchen, to loose cords or slippery rugs in the living area. A professional caregiver can assist with auditing a home and making recommendations of ways you can make the space much safe for an aging loved one to live in independently.

5. 24/7 Monitoring Technology

Granny cams, much like a baby monitoring system provides families with peace of mind knowing they can check in on their loved one whenever needed. For example, if you try to call your parent and they don’t immediately answer the phone, you can call up their camera to confirm their simply sleeping or outside. This alleviates the fear and frustration of not being able to reach a loved one and then assuming the worst.

6. Family and Friends Who Live Nearby

Finally, it’s becoming more and more common for aging loved ones living independently in their home to have family or friends who live very close by. This is a huge asset that enables people to live longer in their own home because they have the care and companionship of other people who can easily stop by throughout the day. This also offers the social and emotional support that could be lost if you lived alone but without companions nearby. Having the love and support of friends and family close to you as you age is key for maintaining the highest quality of life!

Do you wish to be able to live in your home as long as possible? Which of these factors do you think will have the greatest impact on your ability to do so? Share your thoughts!