Retirement Survey: Many Older Americans Plan to “Age in Place”

There are many advantages to staying put in retirement However, to “age in place,” some seniors may need help with basic tasks that have become difficult as they grow older.

Many middle-aged and older Americans plan to “age in place” when they reach retirement and beyond. In a recent retirement survey by USA Today, 43 percent of “45- to 65-year-olds anticipate remaining in their current residence throughout their retirement.”

There are many advantages to staying put.

“The vast majority of older adults want to stay in their communities,” says Rodney Harrell, director of livability thought leadership for AARP. “They want to be near their church” and friends.

However, to “age in place,” some seniors may need help with basic tasks that have become difficult as they grow older.

These may include medical and nonmedical services such as financial planning and management, companionship, home safety, meal preparation, personal care, and transportation.

Sometimes a family will take on caregiver responsibilities themselves. They may do this to try and save money by caring for their elderly loved ones on their own. But this can place a toll on balancing work and life commitments around attending to the needs of the senior. Also, the logistics of being the senior caregiver, time demands, and elevated stress often times becomes too much for a family to handle.

Doing it themselves also requires family members to be close by, which is not always the case.

According to the USA Today survey, “of the Americans who plan to pull up stakes, 42% say they’ll head to a different state while 22% plan to get another home in-state.” By moving, some seniors may not have family around to help with their care.

Families have options when hiring senior care for an elderly loved one. They can go through a home health care agency, a referral or placement agency, or hire independently.

In a recent blog post about senior care choices, we discuss these options and the eight questions to ask about your senior’s care needs.

With millions of Americans approaching retirement age or advancing through their golden years, may families will be making important decisions on how to care for their elderly loved ones so they can “age in place.”

For more guidance on in-home senior care, read How to Hire a Caregiver for Your Senior: Your Complete Guide to Finding, Employing, and Retaining In-Home Help. The book is available as an e-book or paperback on Amazon.

Also, call GTM Payroll Services at (800) 929-9213 for a free, no-obligation consultation about hiring in-home senior care and how to manage the responsibilities of being a household employer.

Hiring a Senior Caregiver?

Download our complimentary Senior Care Payroll and Tax Guide. In this new guide, we lay out the steps on how to comply with tax, wage, and labor laws when you hire an in-home senior caregiver.