What is Aging in Place?
December 9, 2025
While aging in place has many definitions, most of us understand it to mean maintaining an individual’s independence in their place of residence while remaining connected to their community. This reflects what guides us at The Hickman, a Pennsylvania senior living community with Quaker roots. We aspire to be not just your personal care community, but your home.
Looking ahead to Aging in Place
To keep your independence as far into the future as possible, it’s important to plan ahead. Waiting until there’s an emergency can seriously limit your options. A better approach is to think about the kinds of challenges you’re currently experiencing and the ways you’ll need to address these issues in the future.
Your Overall Health
A natural place to start is to consider your overall health. If you have a health condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, you’ll need to account for the current care you require and what you can expect as you age.
Predicting the future is, of course, not possible. Realistically assessing your current health and the healthcare needs you are likely to experience as you grow older, however, is fairly simple. Ultimately, your current physical state is an excellent predictor of your future needs and can help you make carefully considered decisions about aging in place.
Your Resources
Your family situation, the level of support you expect to receive from loved ones, and your financial resources are unique to you. The following list of factors will play an important role in your plans to age in place:
- The support you receive and can expect to continue receiving from family members and loved ones
- The amount of help you currently need and expect to need in the future
- The degree to which your home is designed for independent living, such as having a single-story layout
Your Preferences
Your preferences are of primary concern when it comes to what happily aging in place will mean for you. For example, you might be invested in staying in your home, taking advantage of the community resources and home healthcare options available to you, and counting on those closest to you to help make that happen.
Another option is a senior living community with the necessary infrastructure for aging in place already built in. At The Hickman, we take an individualized approach to senior living that takes into account each resident’s unique preferences and situation. We not only foster a strong sense of community within our home-like setting, but we also have strong ties to our surrounding community. In other words, when you’re here, you’re home.
Consider Aging in Place at The Hickman in Pennsylvania
The Hickman champions the national trend promoting aging in place, and we share the same goals. If you’re exploring your options for living independently well into the future, don’t wait to contact us online or call us at 484-760-6300 for more information.