Living longer creates new challenges even as it provides increased longevity, especially for caregivers and medical providers charged with taking care of us as we age. Living longer increases the likelihood of having multiple chronic conditions which over time can lead to functional decline and difficult decision-making. 

“Our end of life chapter has changed,” says Maria Torroella Carney, MD, chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Northwell Health. “Caregivers today are in new territory, providing care like we’ve never witnessed before.”

Because we’re living longer, Dr. Carney explains, medical care has greatly expanded to consider aging individuals holistically and psychosocially. In an effort to improve quality of life while minimizing suffering, geriatric medicine focuses on the importance of healthy aging and age-friendly care that uses a 4M framework - evaluating mentation, medications, mobility, and what matters most to the person and family.

“What we’ve found,” says Dr. Carney, “is that aging well has huge benefits, not just for the individual, but for society as a whole.”

Healthy aging is the key to unlocking aging in place, what many experts see as the gold standard of growing older. As more of us reach an advanced age, aging in place – or growing to older years at home with minimal assistance from outside care – offers immense quality of life rewards and is now a crucial component of longevity. Aging in place is cost effective and is often preferred by the individual, while also beneficial for caregivers at large because it conserves caregiver resources for those who need them. 

But beware the myth of aging in place. It’s not something that just happens. To effectively and safely age in place requires planning, addressing factors like finding a home in a community with access to grocery stores, health care, walkability. There is good news. It’s a process that can be started now, in preparation of living longer.

According to health experts like Dr. Carney, the important factors of healthy aging pertain to both personal health and environmental factors. You may not be able to do anything about your genetics, but there are behavioral choices you can make to age healthily. For example, you’re never too old to start exercising. The axiom “move it or lose it” applies. Physical activity helps us retain mobility. Meanwhile, social connections help keep the mind sharp and engaged. Combined, the longer we’re mobile and mentally engaged, the longer we can age in place, the longer our quality of life remains at a level we can enjoy. “Remaining active, both socially and physically, is important for one’s cognitive and physical health,” says Dr. Carney. “Because the brain and the heart are connected, maximizing circulation has a potentially significant effect on your long-term longevity.”

Other factors under our control include eating well and managing caloric intake, getting plenty of sleep, consuming alcohol only in moderation, quitting smoking, and managing stress. Environmental factors matter, too. For example, living in a space that promotes safety and security — one without stairs or other potentially dangerous hazards and with proper guard rails to prevent falls such as grab bars in places like the bathroom — can decrease the likelihood of injury in the home.