4 tasks every aging American must do right now

Dealing with aging requires a lot of adaptation and planning, which can be stressful, costly and time-consuming. Not dealing with it can be even worse, leading to accidents, more costs and even death. As you – or your loved ones – age, here are some things to plan for to make the process easier and safer.

Fall-proof your home

The CDC reports that around 25% of older adults – more than 14 million – fall each year, with approximately 3 million emergency room visits and 1 million hospitalizations.

The bedroom, bathroom and stairs are top locations where falling accidents occur. Adding lighting, making sure that there aren’t “trip traps” like movable throw rugs or cords around, and adding grab bars and handrails are good steps for prevention.

Aging causes new obstacles in the way you live, but being proactive can help reduce frustration and improve safety and your quality of life. (Getty Images)

Scot Cheben, author of “Eldercare: Helping Businesses Support Employees Who Are Caregivers,” also suggests making sure that lighting is accessible from the bed and at the top and bottom of any stairs, as well as putting a whistle in the bedroom and in the shower or bathtub.

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To create a safe environment, you may even need to find a new living situation that removes stairs and has fewer hazards. 

Taking classes to improve balance and strength can help prevent falls. And there are even new class offerings across the country that teach you how to fall safely. 

Monitoring driving

Nobody likes to lose independence and aging family members often fight to drive for as long as possible. But if you wait too long to stop driving, it can be dangerous for your loved ones – and others, too. 

Vision and reflex issues, getting lost, and missing or not understanding signage can all be signs that it is time to retire the car keys. 

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There are quizzes and self-assessments that can help you with evaluation, like this one from AAA. 

Cheben suggests encouraging family members to do an “unannounced” test drive for evaluation. 

Now that Uber, Lyft and even driverless transportation options like Waymo exist, there are more options for older Americans to retain independence without having to be in the driver’s seat (although, keep in mind the tech limitations discussed below and find ways to assist your loved ones, such as ordering transportation for them, if they can’t do it themselves).

Shore-up information access

While technology can help make our lives easier, for aging Americans who have memory problems, technology can become an obstacle. 

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This becomes a bigger issue as many companies are directing their customer service and other functions to websites and online portals.

Make sure that you have someone that you trust with your sensitive information and financial accounts available to both help you navigate technology and make sure you are not getting scammed, as technology scams often target aging individuals. 

Also, ensure that your trusted helper has access to your passwords and important information. You can do this through a legacy planning kit, like a Future File system, which shares your information and wishes. 

Start to downsize

We Americans love our stuff, and the longer we live, the more stuff we seem to have! But also, as we age, we may need to downsize our homes or move into assisted living, 

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Once we are gone, it is often a large project that loved ones must go through in terms of organizing and disposing of personal effects.

Make it a practice to do yearly or twice-yearly purges. Whether you have a yard sale, donate to charity, gift personal effects to loved ones or otherwise, this will help keep your home manageable. 

As a bonus, for anything you gift to loved ones, not only will they get to enjoy your gift sooner, but you will get to witness their enjoyment.

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Also, to the extent that you go into a care facility, consider leaving most or all of your valuables behind, and secure any you bring with you. While there are a lot of wonderful, caring people who work in these facilities, there are also some that take advantage and prey on the elderly, particularly as people lose cognition. 

While aging causes new obstacles in the way you live, being proactive can help reduce frustration and improve safety and your quality of life.

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