Experts say that the concept of "aging in the right place" means considering one's personal desires and ambitions along with opportunities presented by different housing types and regions while shopping for a home.
Long-term thinking helps make aging in the right place easier to accomplish, says Rodney Harrell, director of livability thought leadership at the AARP Public Policy Institute. Transportation, personal safety, access to health care, and social networks are all important factors when considering one's future needs. The New York Times lists a variety of resources for those seeking to age in the right place, including AARP's Livability Index, the Milken Institute's report on successful aging, and personal finance site Bankrate's ranking of the best places to retire.
Eventually, technology may offer help to those who want to sidestep moving, said Paul Irving, chairman of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging. “Realizing their goal of remaining in place for as long as possible will become more likely in the years ahead,” he said, “as age-friendly initiatives and innovations such as telemedicine, autonomous transportation and new approaches to caregiving become widely available.”
