There’s no place like home, especially when you’re getting older.
I shed tears when I moved out of the three-story house I had lived in for nearly 30 years and into a three-bedroom, high-rise apartment on the South Side.
Let’s face it: After a lifetime of independence, many of us are not looking forward to packing up and moving in with a son or daughter.
Still, it would be foolish to ignore the inevitable, especially if your health is declining.
After all, the average senior can’t afford to live in a posh retirement community any more than they could afford to live in a luxury condo downtown during their younger years.
Many of us will be aging in place because we have no options.
What does aging in place mean?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes it “as the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently and comfortably regardless of age, income or ability level.”
According to a 2021 AARP survey, “More than three-quarters of adults 50 and older said they wanted to stay in their homes or communities as they age.”
That means most seniors don’t want to move to a retirement community or an assisted-living facility or nursing home.
I’m sure there are plenty of quality facilities in the Chicago metro area aimed at seniors, but I’ve been in enough bad ones to know that’s not where I want to spend my last days.
Seniors’ decisions to not move have affected the housing market, according to Construction Coverage, a company that specializes in researching construction software, insurance and related services.
The headline on an email it sent that landed in my inbox leaped out: “Boomers own 35.6% of Chicago homes amid a housing shortage.”
HEAR MORE
Click here to hear Starting Over columnist Mary Mitchell talking about aging in place on WBEZ’s “Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons.”
It was pitching the company’s recent report that says, “First-time home buyers, especially millennials and Gen Xers, are facing an uphill battle when looking for a home, partly because baby boomers … are planning to stay put.”
It said:
- Baby boomers account for 35.6% of homeowners in Chicago, though they make up only 19.9% of the metro population.
- Nationally, baby boomers comprise 20.7 % of the population and account for 37.8% of all U.S. homeowners.
The report also said the Chicago area housing market is “less dominated” by baby boomers than the nation.
The reason for that could be cultural. Many homes are still multigenerational and include grandmothers, grandfathers and aunts and uncles who had no children.
In many cases, especially in lower-income neighborhoods, an adult child, grandchild or other relative will move in with the senior, provide care and companionship and inherit the property after the parent has passed on.
For seniors who want to age in place, some tips from the National Institute on Aging might help them do so more safely:
- Reach out to people you know, like neighbors or relatives, when you need help.
- Learn about community resources.
- Get help during the day from a caregiver.
- Be prepared for a medical emergency.
- Look into government resources.
Tragically, just as there are abusive caregivers, there are abusive relatives who take advantage of seniors. If you suspect abuse, exploitation, or neglect of a senior, call the state’s Adult Protective Services office at 866-800-1409.
Seniors are living longer, and that’s a blessing. They should be able to stay in their communities as they age. The senior population’s growth means we must provide more housing tailored to their needs.
