3 Reasons Affordable Housing Promotes Healthier Aging
We all deserve quality, safe housing that is also affordable. Living in the right housing environment promotes better mental and physical health and a better quality of life for everyone. These positive outcomes, in turn, support healthier communities.
Affordable housing is especially important to the well-being of seniors. Housing instability–such as high housing costs or poor house quality–can lead to physical and mental distress, difficulty sleeping and depression. When housing costs take a significant portion from already-limited incomes, many seniors are forced to curtail spending on life necessities like food, healthcare, transportation or, in many cases, in-home assistance.
Affordable housing helps seniors achieve stability
A majority of seniors today want to stay in their own homes as they age. Moreover, having a safe, comfortable place to live is even more significant to older adults aging in place, since they will spend much of their time there.
Affordable housing can improve the stability of seniors living at home by freeing up their resources for food and in-home care. Ensuring that housing is easily accessible to in-home caregivers is also key to helping older adults age safely and comfortably.
Affordable housing helps seniors take better care of their health
It’s a fact of life that as we age, we develop more chronic illnesses. Heart disease, strokes, auto-immune conditions such as arthritis, asthma and diabetes are some of the most common chronic conditions faced by older adults. Unfortunately, living on a limited income causes many seniors to postpone essential medical visits or delay buying the medications they need to properly monitor and treat these illnesses.
Another too-common situation among this population is a high incidence of hospital readmissions. One contributing factor is the lack of an appropriate place to recover after a hospital stay. For seniors to recover adequately, accessible, affordable senior housing is a must. The right housing can also serve as a suitable place to receive wellness and therapeutic services during post-hospital recovery.
Affordable housing helps seniors live more safely
One of the most significant contributors to health care costs and emergency visits among aging adults is falling. About one in four adults over the age of 65 falls each year. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among seniors, and most of these dangerous accidents happen at home.
Safety and accessibility improvements in homes—such as shower and bath bars and non-slippery floor surfaces—can help prevent these injuries. Other safety features seniors at home can benefit from include fall monitoring systems and wearable emergency alert devices. Affordable housing helps put these safety features within reach for older adults living on small, fixed incomes.
Affordable housing is more than a place to live
The goals for seniors aging in place is to achieve good health and mental well-being so they can live enriched lives for many years to come. Some affordable housing communities, such as those offered by Graceworks Housing Services, are conveniently located near services and amenities that allow older adults to maintain their schedules and live more independently in their homes.
Graceworks Housing Services recognizes that affordable housing is more than just a place to live; it’s a place to thrive. With well-maintained apartment communities available throughout Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, there’s bound to be one that’s right for you or your loved one. For more information about Graceworks Housing Services, pleasecontact us today.
