Aging in Place: The Shift Toward Highly Personalized Solutions

For years, the concept of aging in place has centered around helping older adults stay in their homes safely for as long as possible. As an occupational therapist, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful that goal can be, but also how much it’s evolved.

Today, aging in place isn’t just about grab bars, shower chairs, and ramps. It’s about creating personalized solutions that fit each person’s unique lifestyle, values, and routines. The “one-size-fits-all” model is being replaced by care plans that reflect who someone is, not just what they need help with.

Moving Beyond Basic Adaptations

In the past, home modifications often followed a standard checklist — improve lighting, remove trip hazards, add adaptive equipment. These changes are still important, but they’re just the starting point.

Now, OTs are digging deeper to understand the person behind the environment. We’re asking questions like:

• What parts of your home make you feel most comfortable or joyful?

• Which daily activities matter most to you?

• What small frustrations get in your way?

• How can this home make you feel calm? Or Connected?

It’s amazing what you learn when you take the time to listen. A client who loves cooking might need reorganized kitchen storage and a supportive mat underfoot to help them remain the hub of the family. Some may benefit from kitchen gadgets  that make it easier for them to live independently and age comfortably at home.

Another who enjoys gardening might need raised planters or a stable seat for tending to flowers instead of just tools that accommodate arthritis.

The goal is to create solutions that feel natural and enjoyable to the person who is using them.

Designing for the Whole Person

Personalized aging-in-place planning is about seeing each person as more than their physical abilities or limitations. It’s about recognizing emotional connections, personal routines, and the rhythms of daily life. When solutions reflect someone’s individuality, they’re more likely to use them consistently, and that keeps people engaged and confident in their independence.

What makes us thrive won't be a cookie-cutter design.

We have desires, hopes, and dreams that can be impacted by the quality of sleep we had that day, the number of people we plan to see, and how motivated we are to make lasting changes. All these parts of us directly relate to how successful we feel when we are making changes to our homes.

Aging with Independence — and Joy

The future of aging in place is deeply personal. As OTs, we’re moving beyond simply adapting homes to helping people design lives that feel authentic, fulfilling, and empowering.

Because at the heart of it, aging in place isn’t just about staying home, it’s about staying you.