Aging in place

By 2030, the number of Minnesotans over age 65 is expected to more than double and older adults will comprise about one-fifth of our population (Minnesota Compass). How will this demographic change affect our housing choices? I'd like to think that I will be able to manage the 15 steps up to my second floor bedroom well into my 80s. Watching my 91 year-old grandmother struggle for many years in a split-level home, I know that this is wishful thinking. Though I am not alone in my wish to grow old in my own home. An AARP survey of New York residents over the age of 50 found that nearly 80% would prefer to receive long-term care in their own home. Yet, the homes many of us live in are not well-suited for the aging process. The Democrat and Chronicle, a Rochester, NY publication, is running a great series this week on aging in place. It's only Tuesday and the series of full of useful information, including a multimedia tool showing room-by-room changes that make aging in place easier. With a little work, I'm sure my first floor home office could become a master bedroom...