If nothing else, this past year has probably got you thinking about where and how you want to live going forward. You’ve probably had more than ample time to consider your four walls and everything else in your living environment, along with the distances you are from the things (and people) you love. Maybe you’ve decided life is short and you should be living near the water or in a warmer climate. Or maybe you’ve decided the only way to see the grandkids going forward is to live in close proximity. Maybe you’ve decided that living on your own is no longer worth the hassles and it’s time to become part of an older adult community. However, as surveys tell us: The majority of us want to remain in our homes in the community (to “age in place”), though that may not be easy, or even possible.

Whether you can stay in your own home or at least continue to live in the community independently will be determined by a variety of factors.  These include your health and functionality, your living environment, your flexibility (and financial resources) to allow you to adapt as time goes on, and your community supports to compensate for tasks you can no longer do. A recent article in Next Avenue warns that change will happen as you get on in years- the question is, can you be flexible and get ahead of those changes to craft the life you want, or will restrictions and limitations be forced upon you because you didn’t anticipate and adapt? So, for example, have you sought out experts to review and alter your environment (get rid of fall hazards, put in place wider doorways and better lighting) or help you anticipate bodily changes that will necessitate reconsideration of your current living arrangement? Have you started a plan, and begun to save money for home renovations? Aging in place is not a cheap feat and requires financial resources to go with the flow. As well, MarketWatch recently posted a good reminder that long-term care insurance is probably an essential component of an aging-in-place plan, as you’ll want the versatility to decide when you need help, where you want to live when help is needed, and who can provide it for you. Don’t count on Medicare or even more encompassing Medicare Advantage Plans to provide you with all you need.

But if you have the means and the master plan in place, there are steps you can take to prepare for a comfortable future. A recent Washington Post piece outlines some of the pieces of an aging-in-place plan you should start addressing now, to make it easier to live at home while not giving up your concern about aesthetics. So, for example, those pesky stairs may require a stairlift. Thankfully today’s modern options are nothing like the clunkers of years past (see recommendations for stairlifts here) or you may want to consider flooring changes or bathroom alterations to make things less of a trip-hazard and allow for more a time you may have limited mobility. In fact, if you’re looking for a comprehensive checklist of things you should be thinking about, you’re in luck: Modernize.com just published a comprehensive checklist of all sorts of alterations you can make to ensure your home provides the perfect haven in which you can grow older. Everything from walk-in tubs to pull-out shelves, along with more extensive renovations like elevator installations or laundry shoots are included. So pull out your hard hat and read more here. The National Association of Home Builders also has a remodeling checklist here.

Finally, if money is no object and the pandemic has helped you crystallize your housing dreams, you may want to take a look at the retired couples profiled in this recent Wall Street Journal article (paywall) whose aging-in-place plans check off every box for the ideal dream home.