Independent Living

Figuring out where to live- and how to live- as the years creep up is one of the essential dilemmas you’ll face as you get older. Not everyone has a choice in the matter, and indeed homelessness is becoming an ever bigger problem among older adults. But for those who…

A recent national survey of older adults living alone, conducted by AARP, found both good and not-so-good news when it comes to seniors aging “solo.” About 10% of the US population over age 50 are “solo agers” and for women over age 75, that number jumps to 42%. It’s a…

As we previously posted about the idea of “aging in place,” a majority of older adults seem ready and willing to live out their days in the communities in which they have lived rather than move out of the area or enter a long-term care community. Real estate data seems…

It’s been long assumed that most people want to grow older living in the community rather than moving to an assisted living facility or some other institutional setting (though remember, as we posted recently, “aging-in-place” often necessitates outside support and communal efforts to be successful). Demographically, it’s been estimated that…

Intuitively, you likely know what the essential skills are for living independently and on your own in the community: You need to be able to walk (or otherwise get around your environment), eat, and toilet yourself. You also need to be able to obtain and prepare food, keep yourself and…

The futurist Alvin Toffler once said, “Our technological powers increase, but the side effects and potential hazards also escalate.” For many if not most older adults, the pace of technological change and advances- just in a matter of years- has been both breathless and perhaps overwhelming. While so many of…