Planning Ahead: How to Age in Place

If you’ve ever considered staying in your home forever, you might consider how to age in place. What does that mean, exactly? According to the National Institute on Aging, Staying in your own home as you get older is called “aging in place.” But there are many considerations for how they could happen. Safety is of course the first concern. But there are other concerns as well, such as access to health care, social activities, nearby services, and much more.

Safety is first when aging in place

Of course you want to consider that lighting is adequate, trip falls are minimized, and whether any illnesses could prevent getting around in your home. Any hazards around your home should be minimized. You don’t need to do everything all at once, but maybe creating a calendar of what needs to be prioritized could be helpful. And knock those off your list one at a time. For instance, are there sturdy railings for any stairs? Or all the walkways clear of debris? Some of the items on your checklist won’t take too long to do, and we recommend starting with those to get a sense of momentum going.

Window film helps you age in place

We’re big fans of window film to help stabilize the temperature, create privacy, and lower your energy bills. The person you’re helping to age in place might be a parent or it could be you! And that person might be on a fixed income, or at least be happy to have privacy and lower energy bills. The really wonderful thing is that window film is good for all stages of life. And it also helps to prevent UV light from damaging your skin, too. The Skin Cancer Foundation has a good article on UV Window Film and Tint that you might like.

Health care access

Although your dream might be to live on a desert island in the middle of the Caribbean, you also need access to good health care. So before you run off and join that papaya-eating cult in the jungle, consider whether there will be health care nearby. These are things to consider while you’re healthy and able to make good decisions, not after you’ve fallen and can’t get up (so to speak!). AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) has a thorough checklist on how to evaluate your home’s readiness for aging in place. There are some simple ones, such as swapping out a shower head for a handheld nozzle. You could even get someone else to do this for you!

Social activities

Your social life is more important than you think. Think about how you spend your leisure time, and how often you will want to speak to or get together with friends. Not every older person loves Bingo! You might need access to karaoke (like some of us on the Window Works staff!). Is there a dog park nearby if you have a dog? Is there ready access to an Uber so you can visit people if you don’t want to drive? Your aging in place plan doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s plan. Dancing, roller skating, and disco might be how you’d like to spend your time. Keep in mind that your activities could change as you or your loved one age, too.

Have questions?

We don’t know everything about aging in place, but we definitely can answer questions about window film. Call us and we’ll give you advice on any way you’re considering to use window film! And we talk to many people every day, so it doesn’t hurt to give us a call. If you already know that you want window film, fill out our Quick Residential Estimate form if you need us to install some. We’d love to help you choose the best film. We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the San Mateo Peninsula and Marin–and have expanded into southern California (Costa Mesa) and Scottsdale, Arizona, too! Give us a call at our San Francisco location at 415.623.8700.