What does aging in place require?

Start with the house. Falls are the main risk. The CDC's basic fixes: remove things you could trip over, add grab bars in and outside the tub or shower and next to the toilet, put railings on both sides of stairs, and add more or brighter lights. A bedroom and full bath on the main floor matter more as time goes on.

Then services. The Eldercare Locator, run by the Administration for Community Living, connects you with your local Area Agency on Aging and services such as home-delivered meals. Reach it at eldercare.acl.gov or 1-800-677-1116.

Then the cost. CareScout's 2025 survey put the national median for a non-medical caregiver at home at $35 an hour, or $80,080 a year at 44 hours a week. Adult day health care was $95 a day. By comparison, assisted living was $6,200 a month. Medicare and Medigap do not pay for long-term care such as help bathing and dressing. Medicaid may, if you qualify in your state, or a private long-term care policy.

Example: 10 hours a week of in-home help at $35 an hour is $350 a week, about $18,200 a year. Price the hours you might need, not the full-time figure.

What the rule of thumb misses: aging in place also depends on transportation and people nearby. A safe house far from family and services can leave you isolated.