What are your parents' goals when it comes to retirement? Do they plan to move somewhere new or are they hoping to age in place? Aging in place is the goal of 75% of adults 50 or older per AARP. It's not surprising.
Aging in place is often desirable because there's no costly move. Your parents stay in a familiar area. They know the businesses, neighbors, and recreation options in their town or city.
It's also a very realistic goal if you take a little time to plan it out. The bathroom needs grab bars for safety. The bedroom, hallways, and living areas need to be free of clutter. The kitchen needs to be adapted to be functional and safe, too. Home appliances are one area where companies are starting to consider the needs of those who are aging in place.
Voice-Activated Appliances
With a voice-activated assistant like Google Home or Amazon Alexa, some appliances offer voice-activated operation. If your parents have a hard time reading the buttons on a microwave, it isn't a problem. They can tell their smart speaker what they need the microwave to do, and the speaker sends the command to the microwave.
The coffeemaker and ovens are other appliances that are controlled through voice commands. Your parents still need to add water and coffee to the coffeemaker, but the voice commands set the brew cycle and times. Smart speakers can turn ovens on, set the temperature, and turn it off when the foods are cooked.
Smart Refrigerators
Food poisoning can affect anyone, but it can be of greater consequence in elderly men and women with weaker immune systems. Smart refrigerators can items like milk, condiments, and juice are past date. It can also allow your parents to look inside while they're shopping to see if they're out of certain groceries.
Induction Burners
Have you ever found your mom forgot to turn off her gas burner? Have you stopped her from setting a potholder down on an electric burner that's still hot? Induction burners really help in situations like these.
Induction burners use electromagnetic energy that transfers from the burner to the magnetic pan. While the energy heats the pan up, the burner remains cool to the touch. The burner never heats up. You can buy these burners as portable models or as part of an entire range.
Elderly care services are key to aging at home. When your parents have caregivers helping out, they're not likely to feel lonely or isolated. Services include transportation, laundry, meal preparation, and household chores. Customize the elderly care services to match your parents' needs and change them as needed. Call to learn more.
Sources:
https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/community/info-2018/2018-home-community-preference.html