Making your own housing decisions

My family want me to move as they think I can’t manage in this house anymore. I appreciate their concerns but don’t necessarily agree with all of them. I’ve got a lot of friends along the street, and I love it here. What can I do?

1. Take a piece of paper and draw two columns down the page.
2. On one side make a list of the things that are a problem with your current situation. (If you want to, ask your family to contribute to the list too.) Examples of what you could put in the list include: poor bathroom design, narrow doorways, uneven or slippery paths, garden too difficult, clothesline access is tricky, too many steps etc.
3. You could rank them according to how worrying each of them are.
4. In the second column, match each problem with a possible solution e.g. remodel bathroom or get some rails fitted, widen important doorways if possible, redo paths, put large parts of the garden into grass and get a gardener, take a different route to the clothesline or use a rack dryer, install a lift or ramp etc. (If you rent you'll need to talk to your landlord about most changes to the house.)
5. Turn the paper over and write down all the things you love about where you live. Include things like memories, friendships, proximity to important places and shops etc.
6. Look at both sides of the paper. What does the overall picture look like? You may well find you have your answer in front of you.

Find providers of support that will help you stay at home on Eldernet's Making Life Easier at Home pages.

You will find New Zealand's most comprehensive list of retirement village units for sale on Eldernet's Retirement Villages pages

See also: An overview of housing options