Aging in your own home requires preparation. It’s no secret that getting older might make it harder to live independently. You have to think about to your physical and financial security. If you plan ahead, you can spend less time worrying about your safety, and more time enjoying retirement.

Securing Your Home for the Future

You might begin to experience certain limitations as you age. But, this doesn’t mean you can’t keep living the life you love. It just means taking some extra precautions. Protecting yourself in your home often means adding safety features and maintaining a strong financial cushion.

• Set aside money for maintenance, mortgages, yard work, utilities and other household expenses. With a special fund, you often won’t have to worry about affording the home’s upkeep. Some homeowners even enlist financial advisers to help them manage retirement costs.
• Buy homeowners insurance. It can help protect the property and your belongings if they sustain damage. Ask your insurance agent what coverage is right for you.
• Make sure the homeowners insurance includes liability protection. Should someone get hurt or sustain property damage that is your fault, they might take legal action against you. Liability insurance might help you cover the resulting costs.
• Have regular maintenance performed on the home. Yard work, utility cleanings, pest removal—they are all necessary tasks to keep the home from deteriorating to uninhabitable conditions.
• As your needs change, consider installing assistance devices in and around your home. These might include:
• Automatic lighting
• Hand rails along walls, in the shower and at other locations
• Stair ramps or elevators
• Non-skid carpet mats
• Elevated or lowered surfaces
• A medical alert system to connect you automatically with police, fire or ambulance services

Ask your homeowners insurance agent how adding these features might affect your coverage.

• Install security systems around the property. The addition of burglar alarms can keep you safe from outside threats. Other alarms – such as weather scanners, radon and carbon monoxide detectors - might help you stay safer. You might even qualify for insurance discounts by installing these devices.

Aging in your own home doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be one of the best decisions you possibly make. As you age, your insurance agent and others can help you structure your assets to help keep you safe. Let one of our agents help you determine the coverage you need.