#Middlebury #SeniorNewsLine
If retirement is just around the corner, you have decisions to make, and the biggest is whether you’ll stay in your home. With no job to keep you tied to your current location, will you move to another state to be near children and grandchildren? Will you move to a warmer climate, or a city or state that’s cheaper?
If you’ve decided to stay right where you are, there are steps you should take now to make sure your home can meet your needs as the years go by. It’s called “aging in place,” and it requires advance planning.
Determine what help you can get, both now and as time goes on. What senior services are available if you need remodeling done on your home? For example, if you want to build a first-floor master bedroom and bath so you can avoid climbing the stairs in years to come, what kind of financial help can you get? Are there groups that will build a ramp to your door should you ever need one?
For the exterior of your home, consider making some modifications now. Better lighting and sturdy steps will go a long way to keeping you safe. If carpeting is a potential hazard, consider installing hardwood flooring. Is the kitchen small and cramped? Can it be remodeled?
Go online to National Aging in Place Council (www.ageinplace.org) and put in your ZIP code to see what services are nearby. Download its Act III questionnaire, a 24-page document that will get you thinking about your potential future needs.
Look at Aging in Place (www.aginginplace.org) and click on Resources and Home Remodeling. Scroll down for lots of ideas.
Ask management at the senior center for local recommendations, or suggest it hold a seminar on aging in place. You won’t be the only one with lots of questions.
(c) 2018 King Features Synd. Inc.
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