Money and Home Modifications
One of the wisest financial decisions you can make as you begin to age is how best to live safely in your home wherever you choose to live. Why is living safely in your home a wise financial decision and why should you plan ahead before something happens? The simple answer is it can save you money because it could help prevent a bad fall in your future.
Falls are not only financially costly, falls can be fatal. One out of four seniors will fall at home every year. Every 19 seconds an elderly person dies from a fall according to the National Council on Aging.
Many seniors don’t know where to begin when deciding how best to create a safer living environment. Call a certified aging in place specialist (CAPs), a senior safety home specialist (SHSS) advisor, or a certified environmental access consultant (C.E.A.C) to help you put a plan together. The minimal consulting fee may be well worth it since you will have a plan that helps you create a safer home environment in which to live.
How much stuff is living in your home that you don’t need anymore?
Take a look around your home. Have you been storing things in boxes that keep piling up around your home? Are your pathways in and around your home narrowing because you have run out of room to put things? Did something fall off a shelf and hit you on the head as you opened up a closet? It happens to all of us as we are living longer in our homes and our accumulation of stuff grows. This growing inventory of stuff in our homes can actually create a safety hazard. Sometimes decluttering can eliminate a fall hazard. It sounds simple, but this is often one of the most challenging things for people to do. We hold so many memories in our things.
Other simple modifications can be made without costing a lot of money. This can be less expensive than moving. Even more extensive modifications can be cost effective compared to assisted living. A seniors real estate agent (SRES) can help evaluate your current home’s value to help you determine what is the most financially wise thing to do with your current living situation.
Call a Caps, C.E.A.C or SHSS consultant to help you create a plan
Living at home is what most seniors wish to do as long as they can live safely and happily. There may come a time you will need to move to a different setting such as assisted living. If you can delay the move for awhile because you create a safer environment at your current home, this can help stretch your retirement savings which will help meet your future situation as your needs change. Seek out a professional to help you create your plan. It is a smart financial decision and a wise investment in yourself.