“Aging in Place” typically means living out your days in your current home. But is that safe? Is it affordable? Is it good for you? There are SO many factors in our daily lives that must be taken into account when making this decision.

We all plan to be healthy and able to get around until we pass, but is that a reality? Is dementia a factor (yes, whether we want to think about it or not).

Maybe we should look at later-in-life living situations .from a hybrid model perspective? Live at home until certain conditions present themselves and then, move to another location. What would that look like for you?

If something small, like a broken ankle or should happen, who would help us? Are we making assumptions as to who are caregivers would be? Are we thinking of the impact to THEIR lives if we depend on them, even for just a few weeks?

In this conversation, we explore older people living in their current homes as they reach their 70s and 80s. There are many options, one of which is senior community living,  as is having a caregiver come in. What about a neighborhood “commune” where caregiving, shopping, cleaning, and laundry are shared across a small group of people?

Are we eliminating options, such as senior community living, because we’re afraid of going into a “home?” We disprove that myth in this video.

In our conversation, we cover many topics, including these:

1. The 3 factors to consider in the “aging in place” strategy
2. Why a contingency plan must be in place
3. Unexpected roles family members may have during these later years

Pam Ostrowski, founder of Alzheimer’s Family Consulting, and Paige Fairbanks-Gunn, regional manager at Koelsch Senior Communities discuss the stages of dementia, use their decades of dementia care experience to answer caregiver questions about living arrangements such as living at home versus memory care communities, and stimulation activities.