essay

Aging in Place There is a growing movement in Canada toward aging within your home. Seniors are living longer and healthier and, as a result, are selecting the comforts of home to do so. This movement to age at home is referred to as "aging in place." To explore the possibility of aging in place, the senior must examine all of the environmental, social, and economic supports available that enable living at home. He or she must decide whether there is a match in his or her ability and the environmental demands within the home. If the decision is yes, the senior can remain in the home; however, if the home is not suitable to the senior and can't be adapted, that person will have to move. Future policy initiatives must address this growing trend to age in place and improve the options to enable aging place. They must increase grants for home adaptations, decrease government costs, and improve and promote the utilization of community-based health services. To understand the housing options available to seniors, one must examine their living arrangements. This usually done in the form of an assessment. Any assessment must take into account the abilities of the senior as well. For example, a senior who is living alone and unable to perform most of their activities of daily living will have to search for an alternative housing situation. As well, these assessments must be performed regularly, as the needs and the living arrangements of seniors are constantly changing. The examination of the living arrangement of the senior involves looking at what type of household a person lives in. For example, arrangements may include living with a spouse or child or in an institution, which will all influence the assessment decisions. Current housing arrangements are age and gender specific. For example, more men than women live with a family member, while more women than men reside in institutions (the gender differences are very significant in the 85+ age group, particularly among institutionalized seniors).