Getting old is not something anyone has control over and no other place feels like home except our own home!

How do we cope with maintaining a healthy home even as we age? VHS Property Management understands and we developed a program to support seniors who wish to age in place and need help managing the maintenance around their house. First, remind ourselves why most seniors prefer living in their own homes. Think about it, no matter what your age is right now, let us empathize and show some compassion for our senior citizens. Here are some reasons why seniors wish to age in place.

Why Seniors Want to Age in Place

Don't want to feel cast off: Nobody wants to feel unwanted. Removing a loved one from the security and comfort of the only home they have known for years can make them feel discarded. Moving into a nursing home is not only a major adjustment for many seniors, but they also view it as being cast off from society.

Nursing homes are a big change: Certainly, moving is stressful on the body and the mind and a nursing home is a major change. Many seniors are reluctant to leave behind cherished neighbors and their family home filled with fond memories.

Fear: It is common for seniors to experience fears such as the possibility of inadequate care conditions, fear of developing illnesses, fear of the unknown, fear of change, and fear of loneliness.

New rules: Like anybody, seniors desire to live by their own rules. According to “In Your Home”, 42% of seniors regard this as one of their top three reasons for staying in their current residences. Seniors will lose some of their control if they move into an assisted living facility.

Don't want to lose freedom: Some freedom and independence is inevitably lost as people get older. Seniors may find it more difficult to complete certain duties on their own due such as personal care or home duties. This can lead to feelings of anger, embarrassment, and/or hopelessness.  

Home maintenance tasks get more difficult with age.

Of course, with age things like home maintenance become more difficult to manage. Seniors may start avoiding tasks around the house simply because they are no longer comfortable doing them, mainly due to the risk of major injuries. This can lead to serious home maintenance issues.

​Mowing the lawn: When the grass gets longer we've got to cut it (many HOAs require it), but getting out to mow the lawn gets more difficult the older we get. Factors such as outdoor temperature, size of yard, weeding and more can be very difficult for seniors to manage.

Snow removal: When it snows, we have to remove it. This can be challenging for seniors and result in aches and pains and even serious injury such as a slip and fall.

Cleaning: General cleaning such as vacuuming, tidying, changing bed linens, washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, doing laundry, and scrubbing the toilets can be cumbersome and difficult for seniors.