Core Themes for Aging in Place
What does it mean to age in place and what exactly does it take? Aging in place revolves around being able to live in the place of your choosing for as long as possible. In many cases, many consider aging in place to only include one's home or apartment but the reality is aging in place is so much more than the home. Research by Wiles and Associates (2012) identified 3 themes that influence one's view towards what it means to age in place.
The three themes that change the meaning of aging in place are:
-Sense of Attachment and Connection
-Sense of Security and Familiarity
-Sense of Identity and Independence
Sense of Attachment and Connection
For many people, the home and community are more than physical objects or a simple place and instead include memories and opportunity. For some, the home has been passed down through the family, or maybe it was where one's children grew up and so there is attachment to the environment. Connection is also an important thing to consider. When someone lives in a community for a good amount of time, they build connections with local stores, neighbors, and various members of the community.
Sense of Security and Familiarity
The longer you are part of the community the more familiar it becomes. We learn who our neighbors are, what places to avoid, where to find help, and a sense of predictability on what happens within the community. For some people, moving out of the home itself may not be too intimidating but leaving the security it provided can be.
Sense of Identity and Independence
One of the core aspects of aging in place is to maintain independence. Independence can mean different things for different people, for some it can be staying self-sufficient while for others it can be staying home with community support. There can be a lot of empowerment on deciding how you want to change your home and who you want to live with. Identity is valuable for every individual, aging in place allows us to keep our identity as the neighbor, the customer, or as the friend. When we move to a new location we lose those connections and identity and have to start fresh once again.
Aging in place and its meaning is different for every person. Making the home accessible is a major aspect to consider, but to truly age in place we need to also make sure we continue to have access to our community and the values we find important for ourselves.
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Author: Jose A. Hernandez, PTA, MSDA, CSCS
Wiles, J. L., Leibing, A., Guberman, N., Reeve, J., & Allen, R. E. S. (2011). The Meaning of “Aging in Place” to Older People. The Gerontologist, 52(3), 357–366. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnr098
