Poll shows wide variation in older adults’ preparations to age in place

(Press-News.org) Overall, 46% of adults age 65 and older have taken steps to “age in place,” according to a new poll. This includes 31% who have made modifications to make their home more age-friendly and 26% who have already moved to a place that can meet their needs as they age. Some older adults have done both. 

That’s even though most older adults polled – 84% – said it’s very or somewhat likely that they’ll live in their current home for the rest of their life. This includes 80% of those who have not yet taken any steps to age in place. 

The new findings from the National Poll on Healthy Aging and Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging also show wide variation in what older adults have done, or intend to do, to make their homes meet their needs as they grow older – a concept called aging in place.  

Those who say they have disabilities, problems walking or climbing stairs, or poor physical or mental health had a higher rate of taking actions or intending to take steps to age in place, compared with those who haven’t faced these issues.  

But those who have health, disability or mobility issues were also more likely to say it will be difficult to make changes they’ll need in future.  

The poll, based at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, is currently supported by Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center, with support for the Michigan poll from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The National Poll on Healthy Aging last looked at aging in place in 2022, among adults age 50 to 80.  

The new poll focuses on those aged 65 and up and breaks them into two age groups: ages 65 to 74, and 75 and up. Building off the previous work, it delves deeper into the actions and intentions of older adults.  

“Our new poll shows variation in age-in-place preparations that suggests major opportunities for older adults and their families, as well as for policymakers,” said Erica Solway, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.H., the poll’s deputy director. “Taking proactive steps to make homes safer and more comfortable, even before that’s urgently needed, may help older adults fulfill their goal of aging in place.” 

Current and planned age-friendly home features 

The poll asked about some specific home features that have been shown to reduce the risk of falls and other incidents that can lead to major injuries, hospital stays and even accelerated death.  

Currently, 49% of adults age 65 and older have grab bars in their bathrooms to help them navigate slippery surfaces, and 56% have a walk-in shower. When it comes to reducing stairs as a barrier, 38% have a stair-free entry or ramp and 80% have a first-floor bedroom. In addition, 38% have lever door handles, which can be easier for people with arthritis and other conditions to use. 

The poll also asked those whose homes don’t already have age-friendly modifications if they planned to add them. Of this group, 25% plan to add a walk-in shower and 36% plan to add bathroom grab bars, while 12% plan to make their home entry stair-free or add a ramp, and 12% say they’ll add a first-floor bedroom.  

Cost is the top concern about making modifications for aging in place, with 38% saying cost barriers are something they’ve faced or think they will face. 30% said that being unable to make modifications themselves is an issue, and 29% said finding people to do the work is a challenge.  

Differences by home ownership status 

One key group that the poll highlights is those who rent their homes, which describes 14% of those age 65 and older. Although 31% of them said they had already moved to a place that better meets their needs as they age, overall renters less frequently said it’s likely they will live in their current homes the rest of their life (40%, compared with 59% of homeowners).  

Renters were also less likely to say they had made home modifications to help them age in place (22%, compared with 33% of homeowners), and more likely to say it will be difficult to make modifications they will need as they age (42%, compared with 25% of homeowners).  

In all, whether they rent or own, 7% of those aged 65 to 74 and 11% of those aged 75 and older live in a place specifically designed for older adults, such as a retirement community, continuing care community, or assisted living facility. The poll sample did not include older adults who live in nursing homes. 

Differences by health and ability status 

The poll shows that 20% of people 65 and older rate their physical health as fair or poor, 12% rate their mental health as fair or poor, 18% report mobility issues (serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs), and 30% indicate that they have an activity-limiting disability or health problem. 

In all, 37% of those who say their health is fair or poor have made modifications, compared with 30% of those who say they’re in excellent, very good or good health.  

And 40% of those who have a disability that limits their daily activities say they’ve made modifications, as have 45% of those who have mobility challenges – compared with 27% of those with no activity-limiting disability and 29% of those with no mobility challenges.  

Those with mobility challenges were more likely to say they had moved to a place that meets their needs as they grow older (30%) than those without such challenges (23%).   

In all, 38% of adults age 65 and up say they’ll need to make modifications, or additional modifications, to their home in order to age in place. The percentage was higher among those with mobility challenges or a disability that limits their daily activities (48% of both groups), those who say their physical health is fair or poor (53%), and those who say their mental health is fair or poor (61%).  

But concerns about the difficulty of making these changes also varied. Nearly half (46%) of those in fair or poor physical health and 63% of those in fair or poor mental health, say that it’s somewhat or very difficult to make sure their home has what it needs for them to age in place. 

In addition, 39% of those with a disability that limits day-to-day activities and 40% of those with mobility challenges said that it’s somewhat or very difficult to make sure their home has what it needs for them to age in place. 

“These findings show the importance of patients and healthcare providers talking proactively about home modifications that can improve safety, and about assistance programs from state and federal government, and nonprofit organizations, that may be able to help with modifications for those who need them most,” said poll director Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., a primary care physician at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and associate professor of internal medicine at U-M.   

He recommends that older adults and their loved ones reach out to the Area Agency on Aging that covers their community; these can be found by contacting local or county governments or senior centers, calling the United Way 211 helpline, or searching the Internet. 

Michigan-specific findings 

The poll shows that overall, Michiganders age 65 and older are similar to their peers nationwide when it comes to aging in place actions and preparations, with 44% having made home modifications, moved to a more age-friendly place, or both.  

In all, 87% of older Michiganders say it’s likely they’ll stay in their current home the rest of their lives. In fact, 24% have already moved to a place that will better meet their needs as they age. Among those who have not yet moved or made home modifications, 85% say they expect to stay in their current home the rest of their lives. 

Only 5% of Michiganders over 65 in this poll currently live in a place specifically designed for older adults, compared with 9% of people over 65 in the rest of the country.  

In all, 30% of older Michiganders have made age-friendly home modifications, and 37% anticipate they will have to. The percentage expecting to have to make modifications was higher among those aged 65 to 74 (43%) and those in rural areas (46%).  

Michiganders were similar to their peers in the rest of the country regarding age-friendly features already in their home. They were also about as likely to say that cost is a challenge to making home modifications (40%), but less likely to say that finding someone to make those modifications is a challenge (23% in Michigan vs 29% nationally).  

Just 25% of Michiganders say it will be difficult or very difficult to make sure their home has what they need as they get older, but that percentage was much higher among some groups, including 47% of Michiganders with mobility challenges, 47% of renters, 44% of those who say their health is fair or poor, 62% of those who say their mental health is fair or poor, and 34% of those who say they have a disability or health condition that limits their daily activities.  

Michiganders aged 65 to 74 were more likely to say this would be difficult (31%), compared with 16% of those aged 75 and over.  

Older adults and their families in Michigan can learn about services available for aging in place and at-home help from the state’s Aging, Community Living, and Supports Bureau  and local Area Agencies on Aging. Later this summer, the state will launch a single number and website for older adults and their loved ones to use to find out what public services and programs are available to them. 

The national poll findings come from a nationally representative survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for IHPI and administered online and via phone in February 2025 among 1,614 adults ages 65 to 97. The Michigan poll includes data from 681 Michigan older adults and 1,410 non-Michigan adults ages 65 to 97. The sample was subsequently weighted to reflect the U.S. population. Read past National Poll on Healthy Aging reports and about the poll methodology. 

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