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Aging In Place: 7 Things You Can Do to Prepare Your Home

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fenced yard in New Orleans for aging in place

When Keith and I were making the decision to move to Gainesville, Florida, we also talked about staying put in South Florida and renovating our current home. It was the live version of “Love It or List It” with David Visentin and Hilary Farr. LOL! Deciding whether to stay and renovate or move is a big decision. Especially when you consider aging in place.

Ultimately, we decided to move. But as we were building our current home, we kept in mind that this was going to be a place where we wanted to age comfortably. This played a role in many of the decisions we made during the construction process. 

As you talk about your aging in place plans, think about your home. It could be done as part of a renovation to the home you have right now. Or building something new. Maybe a bit of both – buying a new home and then renovating it. Regardless, here are a few things we learned along the way when it comes to aging comfortably at home.

1. Appliances: I’m specifically talking about refrigerators, washers, and dryers. I know the current trend is to have the refrigerator freezer on the bottom. But that means bending over all the time! Same with front load washers and dryers. Think about how much bending you want to do all the time and are there options to have the latest while saving you some back pain.

2. Bathrooms: Three things to consider: adult height vanities (again, be kind to your back), “comfort height” toilets, and shower bars. If you’re not ready to look at shower bars in your bathroom, it is possible to have them pre-blocked during construction. Then that support structure can be utilized later. 

3. Ceiling Height: We love high ceilings. They can make small rooms look very spacious. But changing out light bulbs and smoke alarm batteries can mean climbing very tall ladders. At some point, we must decide how many times we want to climb up on ladders when we’re 60, 70, or older. I hate climbing on ladders now and want to do even less of it when I’m older. 

4. Drawers and cabinets: Just like ceiling heights, tall cabinets look fabulous. But depending on how tall those cabinets are, it might involve using a step stool to reach those top shelves. And our builder told us to focus on drawer pulls versus knobs. The idea being to minimize the amount of gripping we would need as we age. And as lovely as some drawer pulls look, they also suggested steering away from ones that might accidentally grab or snag clothing.

5. Flooring: This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can be helpful to have all wood or tile floors so there are no thresholds to possibly trip over. But then again, if we put rugs on the wood or tile floors, we run the risk of tripping over them. I wish I had an answer. It’s definitely an important conversation to have. 

6. Landscaping: I love beautiful landscaping. I’m not a fan of yardwork. Keith likes yardwork. He finds it cathartic. We spent a lot of time talking about how much yard would give us the beautiful part we love without being a huge burden. While Keith loves doing the yardwork today, there might be a time when he doesn’t want to, and he shouldn’t feel guilty about it.

7. Lighting: Our home in South Florida was filled with natural light. We rarely turned the lights on during the daytime. Yeah, in the evening we turned lights on but not during the day. Gainesville is different. The natural light isn’t the same. Lighting is important because we need it to read, clean, etc. Not only do we need to plan for built in lighting, but we need to consider additional lighting in terms of lamps, night lights, outdoor lighting, etc.

I don’t know that anyone should duplicate what Keith and I did on our home. But I put this list together so you can have the same conversations and make the right decisions for you. I’d like to think that most of us want to enjoy our homes as we age. That means planning for both form and function when it comes to aging in place.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of New Orleans, LA

Downsizing: The 3 Categories of Items to Keep

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wall art SEE in reference to downsizing

Over the past few months, I’ve learned a lot about “stuff”. Translation: I’ve learned a lot about material possessions. 

If you follow Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method, then you know that you’re supposed to surround yourself with items that bring joy. I completely understand the rationale behind this philosophy when downsizing, but there are other items we need that don’t necessarily spark joy. And I don’t know that I would have come to this realization if we hadn’t recently put all of our belongings in storage.

Readers of Unretirement Project know that we’ve been building a home for the past year. At some point in the process, the lease on our rental house was up and we didn’t want to commit to another year. The builder said, “Oh, it’s only going to be a few weeks until closing.” So, we put everything we owned in storage. And a “few weeks” turned into a “few months”. 

During those “few months”, we didn’t have our stuff. And it made me realize how much we rely on things to bring us happiness, make us productive, and help us feel safe. In fact, I’d say that when it comes to decluttering or downsizing, it might make sense to put belongings in one of those three categories. 

Items that bring happiness or joy. Like the KonMari Method, I totally believe that there are things we have because they make us happy. It might be a picture, stuffed toy, or an old worn book. It’s possible that the item has a utilitarian purpose, but my guess is that the item is more sentimental in nature. To me, the challenge with these items is that we’re always accumulating new items that bring happiness and joy. When downsizing, we might need to discard items that brought us joy at one point in time, but today…not so much. Or not as much as other things. And it’s okay to not feel guilty about it.

Items that make us productive. With all of our belongings in storage, we found ourselves wanting little things like chip clips. Any other time, I could find a zillion free logoed chip clips at conferences. Now that we needed them…nowhere to be found. Would I say that a chip clip sparks joy? Not really. It has a utilitarian purpose to keep potato chips fresh. But this is just an example of an item that most of us have and use on a regular basis. On some level, we take having it for granted and maybe we shouldn’t.

Items that help us feel safe. When we put all of our stuff in storage, we were wearing shorts. Thank goodness we got all of our stuff out of storage before we needed to deal with winter (or what passes for winter in Florida). While I like my sweaters, I’m not sure they make me happy. They do keep me warm. Another thing: while our things were in storage, we were faced with the threat of a hurricane. All of our hurricane supplies? Yep, in storage. It’s a real dilemma. Do you go out and buy all new emergency supplies knowing you have everything you need…but it’s in storage?!

Thankfully, we didn’t have to repurchase too many things and we learned to live without. And that’s the point. As we talk about decluttering and downsizing, it might make sense to think about not only what we want to surround ourselves with but what we need to surround ourselves with. 

Of course, it’s possible that items fulfill more than one purpose and they’re both something we need as well as want. An example for me would be my phone. I need it to send texts and occasionally make calls. And I want a certain brand with certain features. Another example would be the hair products I use, I need shampoo, conditioner, etc. I might want to try a certain brand. We might want to apply this to the other things we own. While I’m not advocating hoarding stuff, I would be careful not to discard something you need too soon. The last thing anyone wants to do is toss a memento only to regret the decision later.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Washington, DC 

What We Are UP To: The Old School Edition

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old school Reykjavík Iceland city street

I’m a big fan of technology and have lots of it. I love technology gadgets and test-driving new tech toys. But loving technology doesn’t mean that I have to give up some old school activities or items. This month, I find myself gravitating towards things that are a bit more classic or old school. 

Watching | Bad Boys for Life

> I’ll admit it. I loved the first two movies. It’s a classic cop buddies action flick. And every once in a while, that’s really okay. I don’t subscribe to the theory that every movie needs to be Academy Award winning material. In fact, lately I’ve been gravitating toward fun, entertaining movies over serious, somber ones. 

Reading | Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore

> Full disclosure, I’m not finished with this one yet, but I’m loving the juxtaposition between old books and new technology. The book is about a marketing executive who loses his job during the Great Recession and ends up working third shift at a bookstore. Then strange things start happening. So far, it’s a nice example of how old school and new school can work together nicely.

Remembering | MAD Magazine

> Talk about old school! I remember reading MAD Magazine when I was much younger. It was my introduction to satirical content. Last year, the publisher announced that MAD was basically shutting down, except for the occasional special collection. Well, I ran across a special collection in the grocery store this month and couldn’t resist. I haven’t opened a MAD Magazine in years. I hope I’m not disappointed. 

Working On | Car Research

> We’re a research family. We do spreadsheets to plan our vacation. LOL! You can imagine what it’s like trying to figure out what car to buy. Keith and I downsized to one vehicle a few years ago, so having a reliable mode of transportation is important. It will take us a while to sort this out. Our current vehicle is almost 15 years old and many of the fancy new items we added back then are now considered to be very old school. GPS? Pfft. Just use your phone.

Feeling | Settled

> We’ve managed to unpack all of the boxes inside the house. Can’t say the same for the garage, but we’re declaring it a win. We’re in phase two of moving – rearranging where everything goes around the house. The nice part is that we’re settled. All of our stuff is in one place and we don’t have to wonder where we’re going to live every month. That was a terrible feeling and one that I hope no one ever has to experience.

Planning | WordCamp Miami

> Unretirement Project runs on a WordPress blog. WordPress is considered to be the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world and used by about 75 million websites. WordPress users hold regular events, called WordCamps, where users help other users learn more about the system. Old school sharing and networking. We’ve been going to the one in Miami for years and even though we live in Gainesville, we’re still going to it. 

Loving | Coconut Water Cold Brew

> I’m a big fan of cold brew coffee. I make my own at home after finding this recipe via Jaime Oliver. It’s very easy to do. My latest experiment is using coconut water. It does make a subtle difference. Not overpowering but very mellow. If you like cold brew, it might be worth a try. 

Geeking | Light Box

> Light boxes are basically plastic boxes with a translucent surface that you can place shapes/letters/etc. on so the messaging is seen via contrast. Growing up (and still today), many businesses use very large light boxes to let customers know the latest specials or advertise help wanted. Today, companies are making smaller versions of light boxes for personal use. I have one in my office so I can post my own motivational messages. It’s fun!

What’s UP with you? Got a favorite old school item or activity? 

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the old school streets of Reykjavík, Iceland

Older Drivers: Learning Technology Can Extend To Your Car

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drivers and their old cars on the streets of Havana, Cuba

At some point, Keith and I are going to have to think about getting a new car. Years ago as drivers, we became a one-car household. And our current car is over 15 years old. Having a reliable vehicle is important so we shouldn’t wait until we have to buy a car.

But you can see where I’m going with this. Today’s automobiles have a lot of technology! Our old car has a GPS system. Which of course we don’t use because it’s easier and more accurate to use our phones and Google Maps. But 15 years ago, GPS technology was fancy and a luxury! Since we tend to keep cars for a while, it’s important that we get the right technology that’s going to help us have a better driving experience. And what I mean by that is drive more safely.

If you’re not aware, AARP has a 90-minute self-guided online workshop about today’s smarter vehicles. It covers technologies like assistive parking systems, blind spot warning systems for drivers, and crash mitigation systems. The purpose of the workshop is to help people understand what these technologies do (and don’t do) so we can make educated decisions about the types of technologies we want to include in our vehicles.

As we age, one of the things that remains important to our wellbeing is having the ability to still get around. I think it’s fair to say that we don’t want to have to rely on people to drive us around for errands, etc. While those activities aren’t the most exciting, they do represent being mobile. And I’m sure we want to be independent as long as we can.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) talks about how older drivers need to be aware of the changes that happen to our driving skills as we age. Falls and motor vehicle crashes are the two leading causes of injury and death in older adults. The good news is that the latest technologies can help. They’re not designed to be a replacement for our driving skills, but they can offer assistance. If you know about them and you know how to use them properly.

While we’re talking about driving, there are other resources out on the Interwebs that can help you with your driving skills as you age.

  • AAA has a Senior Driving site which includes each state’s licensing laws, a driving health check-up, and how to have a conversation with an older adult about their driving.
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers something similar to AAA with videos and resources to support older drivers including how certain medical conditions can have an impact on driving abilities.

Having a conversation about driving is very difficult. Many of us have been driving for decades. Maybe we haven’t had a traffic ticket in years. That doesn’t mean we can let our guard down about our driving skills – or those of other drivers on the road. And when it comes time to replace our current vehicles, we need to understand the latest automobile technologies so we buy features that make sense for our situation.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Havana, Cuba

What We Are UP To: Holiday Edition

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Christmas tree ornament pink holiday flamingo with Santa hat

Disclosure: Occasionally we receive free products for review or include advertising links in posts, but no one impacts the honesty of our opinions. 

The holiday season is upon us. It’s a time to be thankful and giving. And when I say giving that doesn’t necessarily mean buying gifts. There are so many no-cost things we can give to others like our respect and attention. Keith and I are excited to be spending the holidays in our new home. And with a new place I’m sure we will start some new holiday traditions. 

Working On | A New Christmas Tree

> Our last home was a little smaller than this one and a full-size tree just didn’t look right. For the past few years, we’ve had a tabletop tree. In this house, we have a bit more space, so we’ve decided on a full-size Christmas tree. It’s decorated with our favorite things like donuts, pizza, and tacos. LOL!

Watching | Once Upon a Deadpool

> I will admit that Deadpool movies are a guilty pleasure. After the release of Deadpool 2, the movie was re-released in a PG-13 format with the addition of Fred Savage and a holiday theme. We can get our Deadpool fix and some holiday cheer at the same time. I fully expect the debates about whether it’s a holiday movie. Just like Die Hard, which is definitely a holiday movie. 

Reading | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

> I finally got my hands on book number three in the Harry Potter series. Just started the book (no spoilers, please!) We’ve also been playing the Harry Potter Wizards Unite game on our phones, so I’ve been very curious about the character of Sirius Black. Can’t wait to see how it turns out! 

Planning | 2020

> I can’t wait to start saying it’s the year 2020! When I was younger, the year 2000 seemed so far away. Remember Y2K?! We thought the whole world was coming to an end. The good news is that we survived the turn of the century. And now we have a new decade to celebrate. 

Feeling | Excited

> The thought of a new year is always exciting to me. I spend time thinking about my accomplishments and set goals for the New Year. Now that we’re settling into our new place, we have no excuses. It will be fun to see what the year has in store for us!

Loving | Uten.Silo

>  The Uten.Silo wall storage unit was created by Dorothee Becker in the 1960s. She said it was inspired by her father’s drugstore. There was a hanging bag full of fascinating things waiting to be discovered. I’ve been fascinated by the piece ever since I saw it. Now I’m thrilled to have one hanging in my new office. 

Geeking | Amazon Echo

> We have several Amazon Echo devices. It’s been fun setting them up for the new house. If you have a few Amazon Echo devices and haven’t checked out the routines feature, it’s quite cool. You can set up your device to do a series of commands – like turn on the lights, tell you the weather, and then play your favorite music station. 

Remembering | Self-Care

> It’s easy during the holidays to over-indulge. While I certainly don’t want to damper anyone’s holiday celebrations, do take time to rest, relax, and take care of yourself. It might be having a cuppa tea and reading a good book. Or sleeping in late. Self-care is important. You will be thankful that you did. 

What’s UP with you? Keith and I wish you the best of holidays. Thank you so much for supporting Unretirement Project and cheers to the New Year!

Smart Home Technology Helps Aging in Place

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Las Vegas sign robot waiters cheers to good times with smart home technology

I ran across this article in ReadWrite about “The Key to Smart Home Success; Safety and Security”. It’s an interesting read that you might want to check out. Even if you’re not thinking about aging in your home.

Keith and I still have a few years before we’re of official retirement age (i.e. meaning we can sign up for Medicare and Social Security). But that doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about the home we plan to age in and how we can make that home as “senior” friendly as possible.

Obviously, that includes things like downsizing and making bathroom renovations to include grip bars in tubs and showers. But another area that we’ve been reading a lot about is using smart home technology. Hence, my mention of the ReadWrite article above. We’re using smart home technologies now to make our lives easier. Why not think about how smart home technologies can help us age in place?

But here’s the thing. We need to be deliberate when it comes to using smart home technologies. This isn’t simply about buying some gizmo and hooking it up to our home internet. Here are a few things to consider:

Learn how the Internet of Things (ioT) works. The Internet of Things (aka IoT) is a system of interrelated devices that connect with each other via the internet. A common example would be that I can view what’s happening in our home on my Apple Watch and iPhone using my Amazon web camera. The idea is that all of these devices work together to give me – the user – a more valuable experience. 

Think ecosystem. Keith and I were big holdouts when it came to the Apple ecosystem. We had iPhones and iPads but held back on iMacs and other devices. We had no idea how great the benefits were of being in the ecosystem. I’m not saying you have to buy Apple products but do think about how your devices will “speak” to or work with each other. Remember, the goal is to make things easier.

Research companies and services. Once we know how IoT works, then it becomes easier to identify those companies that might provide products and services that will be helpful. We can research who has ecosystems and who doesn’t. I hate to say it but the last thing we want to do is invest in products and services that won’t get along with other technologies. Or they sound cool, but they might be out of business in a couple of years.

Know how your home network is set up and functions. Getting internet at home is so easy today. Just call a service provider and they show up with a box and some wires. Just a couple hours later…poof! We have WiFi. But if you’re planning to use smart home technology to help with your aging strategy, then it’s important to know a bit more. Get educated on how the system is set up and how to do basic troubleshooting.

You don’t need to get a degree in engineering to become proficient with smart home technologies. But for all of those people who might be saying, “Ah, who needs the internet?!” keep in mind that smart homes are the wave of the future. It’s what people want. And it’s what companies are making. At some point, it is possible that all we might be able to buy are smart home technologies. No one wants to age behind a steep learning curve.

What We Are UP To – The Grateful Edition

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sign saying this is a good day next to a graffiti heart being grateful

Thank you so much for being an Unretirement Project reader. We’re grateful for your support. We’ve been UP to lots of exciting things in November. 

Feeling | Excited (and Exhausted!)

> Five years ago, we decided to move from Fort Lauderdale to Gainesville. Three years ago, we put a deposit on a house. Last week, we finally started moving into our forever home. To say it’s been a rollercoaster is an understatement. But we’re grateful to be spending our first Thanksgiving in our mess of a new home. 

Working On | Unpacking

> Needless to say, it’s all about the unpacking right now. And we’re tackling a few boxes a day. After having most of our belongings in storage for the past few months, it’s quite a treat to open a box and say, “Yea! I found it.” And “OMGosh, I forgot we owned this!” When we put our things into storage, we were wearing shorts. Today, we’re grateful to find our sweaters. Ha.ha.

Watching | Football

> Thanksgiving is a day for being grateful. But it’s also a day of celebration. We like to spend ours watching parades, football, and the Turkeys Away episode of WKRP in Cincinnati. We lived in Cinci years ago and always loved how the city embraced this wacky show and episode. 

Reading | Warranties and Manuals

> It’s not the most exciting reading. But it’s essential. While appliances are usually very intuitive, they also have more features. The hardest part is figuring out how to store all of these documents. In our last home, we created a file for each room and stored the manual for the item in the room’s folder. Very efficient and easy to locate the manual when necessary.

Remembering | Past Thanksgivings

> I don’t know why but holidays are always a time for remembering past holidays. This one will be particularly special since we’re in our new home. But last year, we took a cruise and it was fun. I guess what makes a holiday special is who you spend it with not where you spend it. 

Planning | Alton Brown’s Aged Eggnog

> I read an article recently on the Serious Eats blog about Alton Brown’s aged eggnog. We like eggnog. It’s a once a year treat. So now that we have a home and a new refrigerator, I thought that I would break it in by making fresh eggnog and aging it for one year. Ask me this time next year if I’m grateful for it. LOL!

Loving | Versed

> I’ve mentioned before that taking care of my skin is important. Especially as I’m aging. But I will admit that I’m not interested in having a 20+ step skin care regimen. Thankfully, I recently discovered Versed. It’s a Target-exclusive skin care collection that’s free of toxins, added colors, and fragrances. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free. Lastly, each item is under $20. 

Geeking | MOTILE Backpack

> I love traveling with a backpack and recently found one with a charger. Walmart’s MOTILE brand includes a laptop backpack with a wireless powerbank and a wallet with a Qi wireless charger. I decided to give them a workout on a recent trip and loved the storage. It’s great when form and function come together. 

We are truly grateful that you join us in this project. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And let us know, what’s UP with you?