Alaska Offers Tips To Support Successful Aging In Place

In recognition of the cohort’s size and contribution to the state, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation is aiming to offer tips to older residents to make it easier for them to age in place in their own homes.

According to a 2024 report from the Alaska Commission on Aging, the state is home to more than 160,000 residents at or over the age of 60 representing 21% of the state’s total population. Between 2010 and 2024, this share of the population has grown by 77%, an increase which stretched across all of the state’s regions, the report found.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) also recently recognized the contributions of older Alaskans in his declaration recognizing Older Americans Month at the beginning of May.

“Alaska’s older people are esteemed members of our society, and their wealth of knowledge, practical wisdom, and vast experiences can be effectively shared through interactions with family, friends, and neighbors across generations which enrich the lives of everyone involved,” the governor said. “Alaska is committed to maintaining safe and healthy environments, providing access to important services, and ensuring individual choices for older Alaskans.”

To that end, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation recognized in public statements recently that older Americans increasingly prefer to age in place in their own homes. Jim McCall, the organization’s housing relations officer, described how important he has seen aging in place to be among the older residents he has served.

But success often requires home modifications, he explained.

“After working with older Alaskans for over two decades, one of the most common regrets I hear is waiting too long to make home modifications,” McCall said in a statement. “By the time seniors realize they need grab bars, better lighting, step-free entrances, lever door handles or non-slip flooring, it’s often after a fall or similar scare. Aging in place successfully is about creating a living space that works with you, not against you, as needs evolve.”

To that end, the publicly owned company offers perspectives on several do-it-yourself projects that can make a difference as people seek to age in place. These can include adding motion-activated lights to illuminate space being navigated in the dark; swapping a tall bed frame for one closer to the ground to make it easier to get in and out of bed; and exchanging door knobs for levers to reduce stress on wrists.

Larger-scale renovations can also be helpful including adding handrails or bars in a bathroom or hallways; smoothing flooring to reduce the potential for falls; and accessibility renovations like roll-in tubs or widening doorways to accommodate wheelchairs.