Aging in place can mean staying in a private residence, but also mean staying in an independent living, assisted living or other retirement living situation without having to move to a place with a higher level of care.
Aging in place can be a challenging task, but luckily there are many professionals and resources to assist with successful aging in place.
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Aging in place professions can help with many aspects of aging in place including home modifications, changing the approach to a task and connecting the older adult and family with supportive resources.
Some of these professionals may require an order from a doctor. It is also important to note, some of these services may be covered by Medicare or insurance and there are community resources that could be free as well.
Table of Contents
Primary Care Physician / Family Doctor
If you have concerns about yourself or your family member falling or being able to care for themselves of their home, considering speaking to your doctor. Your doctor may want to assess for a change in health or make a referral to the appropriate allied health professional (below). It might also be necessary to go to a specialty doctor depending on the doctors recommendations.
Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapist can help people become more independent in activities of daily living (ADLs), mobility or moving around your home, meal preparation and housekeeping tasks. Occupational therapist may help the person improve their strength, coordination and balance to complete these tasks. They can also teach a new way to do the task easier or change the difficult task. Occupational therapist recommend adaptive equipment, durable medical equipment and suggest modifications to the home to increase independence, safety and minimize the risk of falls. Occupational therapist can also help with functional cognition by implementing strategies to compensate or make up for difficulties with memory or understanding.
Certified Aging in Place Specialist
A Certified Aging in Place Specialist or CAPs is a professional that has extra training to help someone age in place. CAPs are experts in home modifications! They may also collaborate with an occupational therapist or building contractor.
Here is a list of CAPs remodelers by state: Universal Accessibility.
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist can help improve strength, mobility, balance and coordination to improve someone’s ability to walk and get around the home. Balance retraining and strengthening also help decrease the risk of falls and improve someone’s ability to move around the community (community mobility). Community mobility should also be addressed to allow for independence in the community and leisure pursuits.
Learn more about Physical Therapy on the American Physical Therapy Association website.
Speech Therapist / Speech Language Pathologist
A speech therapist can assist with swallowing safely to promote proper nutrition and decrease the risk of chocking and aspiration-related pneumonia. Speech therapist also address cognition and memory, which are important skills for aging in place safely.
Nutritionist
A nutritionist is often overlooked, but if someone does not receive the proper nutrition it can lead to lack of energy resulting in falls and poor hygiene, cognitive difficulties or “clouded thinking” and even medical conditions. It’s important to note that the person’s ability to obtain food may be challenging due to financial or transportation difficulties and this should also be addressed. Taste buds change as we age as well and modifying diets and finding satisfying foods can help.
Learn more at the American Nutrition Association.
Contractor / Home Remodeler
Although an occupational therapist, CAPs or physical therapist may be able to recommend optimal home modifications, a contractor that understands building structures and zoning laws may be needed to safely install items and make the necessary modifications safe and legally compliant.
Medical Home Care Agency
Medical home care agencies have nursing services available to assist people with medical needs. These agencies may offer home health aides under the supervision of a nurse. Specific home health agencies can offer therapy and a social worker as well if provided a prescription by a doctor and meeting the qualifications to be admitted to home health care. It is important to note that home health agencies typically only provide services for a short period of time. AARP has a great article regarding Home Health Care here.
Non- Medical Home Care Agency
Non-medical home care agencies typically provide assistance with activities of daily living, housekeeping, transportation and companion services. These services do not provide medical care and may or may not be overseen by a nurse. These agencies may also provide respite care, which is temporary care for a specified period of time. For example, if a family member was a primary caregiver and went on vacation or just needs a break, they may higher a caregiver to provide respite services.
Social Worker
Social workers can assist with obtaining financial and care resources for the consumer or “patient.” Social workers can also advocate to get the consumer’s needs met. A consultation with a social worker may occur before discharging from a hospital or rehabilitation center in an effort to ensure the person will have their needs met at home or alternative arrangements can be made.
Financial Considerations
Ask yourself these questions regarding the financial aspects of aging in place:
- Will these modifications be helpful both now and in the future or will we need to make more significant and costly modifications in the future?
- Will the person be independent with these modifications or will they just be safer and still need a caregiver to provide assistance?
- Would be it be better to move than make these modifications?
Refer to out post regarding Considerations for Aging in Place.
Resources
- USA.gov: Assistance programs for home modifications
- National Institute on Aging: Paying for care information
- Local non-profit organizations or charities
- Check you state’s Medicaid program
- Speak with your Veterans Administration benefits coordinator for more information about grants for home modifications. SAH and SHA Loans.
- Check local fraternities (Elks, Eagles, etc)
- Call local faith-based institutions
- Call local community centers (senior center)
When I was a traveling home health occupational therapist, I would always ask the other therapist for their list of local resources. Every community varies, but I have been places where a local organization will help build a ramp and places where there were organizations that would actually deliver durable medical equipment. While there may be some resources and funding through Medicare, Medicaid, VA and insurance, funding can be limited and many steps and letters may be necessary to obtain funding. I always try to start local because it is faster, especially if you are in need of something quickly. Please make sure the equipment is in good working order and sanitize it thoroughly before use. Additionally, remember to give back to your community organizations through volunteering or donating back to keep the assistance going!
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Next: What is a Continuing Care Retirement Center (CCRC)?
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