Living independently can make a world of difference to quality of life and wellbeing, and like all major decisions, the decision to age in place requires careful planning.
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So how can we live at home for longer? The Senior talked to two industry experts to ask for their tips.
Mable aged care and disability support service professional Pieta Manning helps manage her mother's home care, while also caring for her daughter, who lives with disability.
While it may sound contradictory, Pieta said one of the best things people could do to support independent living was to make sure they had a good 'team' around them.
"To be as independent as you can be, you need to have people around you...it may be paid support, or it may just be a neighbour... someone to take the bins out, or do a bit of cleaning," she said.
Having a friend or family member to help prioritise healthcare needs and provide transport to and from appointments and activities was also crucial, she said.
Ms Manning also stressed the importance of having honest conversations about changing care and support needs.
"It could be a conversation about how you're going physically, your mobility, things you're finding hard - there's lots of places you can go to get support.
"It's about having those honest conversations with the people around you about how your life is changing."
Finding new interests, staying connected virtually and making sure you know your rights and what support services are available were also key pieces to the ageing in place puzzle, she said.
GemLife group director of sales and marketing Andrew Coulter said making the right decisions while downsizing could be key to helping people age in place.
He said it was important to ensure homes have the capacity to be retrofitted with accessibility upgrades.
"People may not need a grab rail today, but in 10 years time, they might need a bit of support in the bathroom," he said.
He also advised downsizers to make sure retirement villages or resorts were amenable to residents bringing carers or other support personnel on site before moving into a new property.
"We want people to live in their resorts as long as they can." he said.
Mr Coulter said staying socially active was another key to ageing in place, as mental and physical wellbeing could help people live independently for longer.
"We see people who come into the resort who have lost a husband or wife, and years later they are making friends, joining committees, meeting new people. It really helps them to bounce back.
He said GemLife's resorts had many facilities encouraging active lifestyles and socialisation, including pools, bowling alleys, movie theatres, grand ballrooms, hairdressers, spas and games rooms.
Visit mable.com.au, www.gemlife.com.au.
