You may have heard of Anna Stoehr, the 114 year old woman from Minnesota who recently opened a Facebook account. She was unable to give her correct age because the service only recognizes birthdates back to 1905 and she was born in 1900. Amazingly, she’s the oldest Minnesotan, but not the oldest person in the United States or the world. It’s not news that more people are living longer.
With that in mind, we have been keeping our eyes open for information about how people can live fulfilling lives for as long as possible. Not surprisingly, surveys show that a large majority of seniors would like to grow old in their own homes. This makes sense but increases the need for planning. Fortunately there is a whole industry coming together to support aging in place. There are now home remodelers who specialize in redesigning a living space for aging with things like grab bars, better lighting, larger entryways, and age-friendly appliances. Did you know there was such a thing as a washer/dryer combination machine in which you only have to put the clothes in once (it both washes and dries in the same unit)? Or that there is an oven with doors that open to the side so you don’t have to lean over a wide door with hot food.
We’ve also run into some great ideas that can help the aging in place trend. Just like homeowners get a discount on home insurance when they have an alarm system, it has been suggested that seniors should get a discount on health insurance premiums if they have installed grab bars in their shower. There are already some incentives in place to help seniors remodel their homes with these sorts of improvements. If you or someone you know is planning on similar remodeling changes, check your local area to find out if there are any tax breaks or incentives.
And now back to Anna Stoehr. Isn’t it wonderful that she broke the age barrier at Facebook? We’ve found technology can be a force for both connections and isolation. If you know someone who is having trouble getting around, be sure to connect with them electronically and also in person if at all possible. Good old 3D, interactive conversation is hard to replace.