Stay or Move

Where will you live in your later life? Perhaps you want to remain in the state, community, and home you are currently living in. You may want to remain in the state you are currently living in, but in a different community and home. Or, you may want to move to a different part of the United States or a foreign country

Recent University of Illinois Extension research revealed that 73% of the retired consumers surveyed ended up aging in their current home or decided to age in place as long as possible. The top reasons the already retired consumers decided to stay in their homes were:

Liked the community and geography where they live.
Liked the familiarity of their home.
Liked to live near their friends.
Their cost of living was manageable.
Liked to live near their family.
Liked to live near their doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.
Felt safe and secure in their home and community.

You need to ask yourself several questions to help decide whether you wish stay in your current home or move to another later life housing option. Questions to consider include:

Whether your home can accommodate your activities of daily living and your future mobility issues as you age.
The age of your major appliances.
The updating or maintaining the inside and outside your home.
Safety of your neighborhood and your home.
How you plan to maintain your yard during various seasons.
How you will handle transportation.
Your willingness and ability to pay someone to help with various daily tasks.

If you decide to stay in your home, you may need to make changes in your home; it’s important to consider these costs. For example, if you need to adapt your home entryway to be more accessible, how much will it cost? If you need to replace one or more major appliances, when do you expect to replace them and how much will they cost?

Questions to Help You Decide to Age in Place or Moveis an eye-opener that starts you thinking about your later life housing.