The 'Disrupt Aging' Where We Live Checklist

Adapted from Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age by Jo Ann Jenkins, published by PublicAffairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group (2016).

Your ZIP code shapes your destiny: from who your friends are, to your daily routines, to where you go for everything from the hair salon to the hospital.

How well does where you live suit you today? Is your home and community where you want to be as you get older? Are there things you can do now to make your home more age-friendly? Might there be a move in your future?

Asking questions now will help you make the most out of where you live — today and tomorrow. Here are some to get you started:

Choose Your Home

1.  What do you like most about your home today?

2.  What do you like the least?

3.  Will these factors matter as much in the future?

4.  What new things might become important to you?

5.  How much longer do you think you will live in your current home?

6.  If you broke your leg today, would your home work for you?

7.  What changes in your home would make it more age-friendly?

8.  If you move, what will you look for in your next home?

9.  Have you considered ...

• co-housing with friends and neighbors?
  
• connecting with people through virtual villages?
  
• sharing your house with roommates?
  
• renting rooms in your home through an online rental marketplace?

Choose Your Neighborhood

10.  Do you feel welcome in your neighborhood?

11.  Are you happy?

12.  What kind of relationship do you have with your neighbors?

13.  Do you have friends nearby?

14.  Are there opportunities for getting involved in your neighborhood?

15.  Are there ways for you to be helpful in your neighborhood?

16.  Are there ways to receive help from your neighborhood?

17.  Do you see people of different ages in your neighborhood?

18.  Do you interact with them?

19.  Are the services you need easily accessible to you?

20.  How well would you handle a change in mobility?

21.  How would you get around inside your home?

22.  How would you get around in your community and to the places you need to go?

23.  Can you afford to keep living in your neighborhood?

24.  Can you afford to move?

25.  If you were to move, what would you look for in your next neighborhood?

• cost of living?
• proximity to family and friends?
  
• access to shops and services?
  
• public transit?
  
• climate?

Read Another Excerpt

• "Disrupt Aging by Rethinking How We Live"      
  
• "Disrupt Aging with 'Green House' Nursing Care"
  
• "Disrupt Aging by Rethinking How We Get Around" 

^{Page published May 2016}