- About 90% of adults aged 65+ want to age in place, according to AARP.
- Nearly 46% of older adults changed their aging-in-place decision within six months.
- Health events and reduced social support are main drivers behind opting for long-term care.
- Long-term care facilities can cost upwards of $10,000 monthly, while home modifications are often one-time investments.
- Community design and accessible housing directly affect a senior’s ability to age safely at home.
For millions of older Americans, staying in their own homes lets them keep their independence in retirement. This way of living, called aging in place, feels familiar and comfortable and lets people stay in control. But health, movement, or social situations can change, making it harder to stay home. Families often have to think about the good points of staying home against the helpful and emotional reasons for moving into long-term care places. Cities like Las Vegas are getting more retirees. This fact, along with housing market changes, makes understanding the whole picture of aging in place versus long-term care more important now.
What Do “Aging in Place” and “Long-Term Care” Really Mean?
Aging in place is when an older person decides to live in their own home or a place they choose as they get older, instead of moving to assisted living or nursing homes. This way focuses on continuing a life that feels known and is self-directed, with the help needed to handle changes in health or how they move around.
In contrast, long-term care (LTC) includes many services—medical and not medical—meant to help people who cannot do daily tasks on their own anymore. This kind of care can be given in different places, such as assisted living homes, skilled nursing homes, and memory care units. While long-term care places can offer routine and lots of help, they can also mean a big change in how someone lives, especially if they are used to personal freedom.
There is no single right answer for everyone. Choices about where and how to live later in life depend on many health, emotional, money, and practical things. You need to be informed and willing to change your thinking.
The Numbers: Most Seniors Want to Stay Home
Data from the AARP shows that a large number, 90% of seniors aged 65 and older, really want to stay in their current homes for as long as possible. Looking at this number, it seems most older people would rather age in place than move to a facility.
Why do so many people want this?
- It feels comfortable and known
- They have friends and neighbors nearby
- They want to avoid how senior care facilities might feel or change their life
- They have money plans tied to owning their home
But this desire doesn’t always match a person’s health, how their home is set up, or the help they have. For instance, homes with stairs, narrow halls, or old bathrooms can make moving around hard. And for those needing more medical care, not having a caregiver nearby can make staying home hard to do.
Decision-Making Changes Over Time
As life changes, so do people’s choices. A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that the decision to age in place is not fixed. Researchers found that 45.7% of older adults changed their first decision about aging in place versus going into long-term care—in just six months.
This shows how much real events can affect long-term plans. Falling, getting a new long-term illness, or losing a spouse can quickly change how safe and able someone feels.
Other main reasons for changing decisions include
- Seeing a friend or family member have trouble with home care
- A spouse or main caregiver getting sick or passing away
- Living far from family who could help daily
- Feeling more lonely or cut off
These changes point out why it’s so important to build ways to be flexible in senior care and housing plans. It’s not just about what someone wants at age 65—it’s about what help they have or don’t have at age 72, 80, or 88.
What Leads to the Choice Between Aging in Place or Long-Term Care?
Deciding between staying home or moving to a long-term care place is not just about ideas. It often comes down to real, sometimes sudden, practical facts. Here are the main things that play a part
Health Status
As people get older, long-term health problems—like arthritis, diabetes, or memory issues like dementia—can make it harder to do things on their own. If someone needs more care than family or friends can give, assisted living or skilled nursing might be needed.
For example, someone with mild memory loss might be okay at home with reminders and a routine. But late-stage Alzheimer’s often needs special watching and help.
Support System
Aging in place can work for people with a good group of helpers, including family, friends, or home healthcare staff. This group can help with daily tasks like bathing, getting dressed, and taking medicine. But people aging alone, without family nearby, might need to move to places that offer help all day and night.
Home Changes
Homes are not often built for aging. Making changes like adding stair lifts, walk-in tubs, wider doors, and raised toilets can make it safe to age in place. But not all homes, or budgets, can handle these changes. For example, renting a place often limits what changes you can make.
Emotional Health & Isolation
Feeling alone is a main reason for a decline in thinking and mental health. Older people living alone are more likely to feel down or worried, especially if they don’t drive anymore. Long-term care places often have group meals, planned activities, and social time that help mental health.
Transportation & Where You Live
In cities like Las Vegas, where public transport is limited in many areas, not being able to drive can greatly limit freedom. Being able to get to doctors, food stores, places to exercise, and other things is important for a good life. Neighborhoods that are hard to get around or feel unsafe can make living at home not possible.
The Power of Social Support
Even if people can still do things physically, social connections can make or break aging in place. Being connected to others helps older people keep their minds sharp, feel balanced emotionally, and get practical help.
Important social parts of aging in place well include
- Family and friends visiting or calling often
- Taking part in senior centers or religious groups
- Connecting with home health aides or community nurses
- Having neighbors nearby who can help
When these connections go away—because people move, die, or have different lives—seniors often face more tasks and emotional weight. In these cases, moving to a long-term care place might feel like a helpful and steady choice rather than losing freedom.
Las Vegas: A City Changing for Its Older Residents
Las Vegas is best known for shows and fun, but it’s also becoming a place where people retire. The city’s dry weather, no state income tax, and somewhat lower home prices make it look good to retirees. Because of this, new housing looks are showing up that fit senior living.
Popular features that are becoming more common
- Communities for people aged 55 and older with health clinics, clubhouses, and staff for upkeep
- Homes on one level with wide entrances, walk-in showers, and emergency cords
- New buildings in city areas close to hospitals or bus routes
Real estate people like Steve Hawks see more buyers wanting homes built to “age well.” These homes meet what people need now and what they might need later. Smart buyers pick homes that can work for them over time instead of needing a big move later.
Designing Real Estate Plans for Aging in Place
Doing well with aging in place often starts with choosing the right home. Instead of staying in a house that is too big or not set up right, many older people choose to move to smaller homes that fit how they live now. These homes still let them stay connected to their community.
Key home features that help older people stay safe
- Bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor
- Floors that don’t slip and bars to grab onto in bathrooms
- Enough light that doesn’t cause glare or dark spots
- Door handles you push down and smart heating/cooling controls
- Wider doors for walkers or wheelchairs
Where a home is located matters too. Living near grocery stores, clinics, parks, or bus lines makes people more able to get around on their own and need less help from others or cars.
What About the Costs?
Aging in Place Costs
Aging at home might sound cheaper, but costs can add up. Common one-time costs include:
- $3,000 to $7,000 to change bathrooms
- $2,000 to $5,000 for stair lifts
- $100 to $500+ monthly for home health aide visits
- $50 to $100/month for medical alert systems
But these costs are usually smaller than the regular fees for long-term care.
Long-Term Care Costs
Costs for facility care differ a lot by place and the type of place. But average monthly estimates include
- $4,500 for assisted living
- $7,000+ for semi-private nursing home rooms
- $9,000+ for private rooms with high care needs (like for dementia)
It’s important to know that Medicare usually does not pay for long stays in facilities. Medicaid might be an option for people with low income, but getting in depends on meeting rules and if the facility has space.
Thinking about money ahead of time can help cover care costs. Think about talking with a lawyer who deals with elder issues or a financial planner about
- Long-term care insurance
- Reverse mortgages
- Trusts to protect money
- Ways to plan for Medicaid
Healthcare Professionals Are Very Important
Family members aren’t the only people guiding these choices. Doctors, nurses, and therapists often see signs of someone having trouble first. Whether it’s falling often, mixing up medicines, or having memory problems, having a medical provider you trust involved can help start talks about moving to a different care setting at the right time.
Healthcare professionals can
- Give a clear look at home safety and how well someone is doing
- Suggest therapy or nursing help that insurance covers
- Help families talk things through in a fair way
- Help you connect with managers for older people’s care
Their ideas are needed not only for better medical care but also for keeping a focus on safety as people age.
More Care Options Help Aging in Place
A Johns Hopkins University report points out that it’s important to have more long-term care services outside of facilities. Their suggested plans aim to improve things at the community level to better help people age in place.
Main ideas for help include
- Health checks that come to your home
- Therapy and help with moving around at home
- Help with getting rides
- Case managers who work within the community
- Adding mental health services into home care
These ideas help close the gap between being independent and getting help. They let older people stay in their homes longer without putting their safety or well-being at risk.
Planning for “What-If” Keeps Families Ready
Even if staying home is the plan now, it’s key to have plans for what might happen. Life can be hard to predict, and not planning well can make physical or emotional problems bigger.
Things to plan for include
- How to get short-term care after being in the hospital
- Paperwork for who handles things if you can’t and what medical care you want
- How money will be handled if thinking gets hard
- Having someone to drive if a spouse cannot anymore
These talks can be hard, but they are very important for avoiding stress during emergencies. Having the right papers and clear ideas helps caregivers act in a good way and with legal cover.
Community Design Affects Senior Living
A home might be good for an older person, but the area around it needs to be too. City planning is a big part of whether aging in place is safe and can last.
Communities good for aging have
- Sidewalks that are lit and clear of things that could cause falls
- Public transport routes that are easy to use
- Stores, pharmacies, and clinics you can walk to
- Emergency services nearby
- Senior centers or day programs close by
Cities like Las Vegas have a special problem because people mainly use cars. Real work is needed to make sure new neighborhood plans think about older people’s changing physical and social needs.
How Real Estate Agents Can Help Older Buyers
Not all real estate agents are ready to help older people, especially if they don’t think much about moving to a smaller place or needing easier access. Agents who know about senior real estate plans offer help that looks at the whole picture and thinks ahead.
They can help with
- Finding homes built with features for everyone
- Looking at properties to see if they can be changed easily
- Suggesting elder law lawyers or financial planners
- Connecting with people who run estate sales or help with moving
- Speaking up for clients on timing and price when moving to long-term care
In Las Vegas, agents like Steve Hawks understand the home choices and problems older people face. They combine knowledge about homes with caring planning.
Planning Smart, Living Better
Aging in place is a strong, personal choice, but it’s not the only one. Long-term care options offer respect and help when being on your own becomes risky or lonely. What matters most is not strictly sticking to one way, but making smart, flexible choices. These choices should be based on your health now, how ready your home is, your money, and your family situation.
Whether you are getting older yourself or helping someone else with this time, planning ahead is the best tool you have. Work with people in healthcare, housing, and money matters to build a plan that can change as needed over time.
Because no matter where you age, the main goal is the same: to live better, safer, and with peace of mind.