Now that the weather is cooler, spending time outside gardening or walking may not be as appealing. But we all need a chance to get outside and explore. Why not take a field trip and explore the different housing choices that are in your community?

The growth in housing choices for older adults is impressive. People are no longer limited to staying in their home or living in a nursing home. Choices range from senior apartments with some services, assisted living facilities which provide meals, cleaning and transportation to continuing care retirement communities which typically provide a wide range of services.

Have you visited the housing choices close to your community? If not, recruit a friend and visit a few. You may be pleasantly surprised. The best time to explore is while you have lots of time to plan. You know what you like and don't like in housing; take the initiative to evaluate the different places . Once you've decided which housing option you like best, be sure to talk to your family so that they will know your preferences.

Perhaps you're thinking "I don't need to do this. I am going to stay in my home as I age." When asked, most people say that they want to stay in their homes, and that can be a good option. However, the place we lived when we were 25 years old may not have suited us when we're 50, and in a similar way, our best housing choice may be different when we're 80 years old. As we age, our changing needs mean that our housing may need to change to acoomondate us.

Modifications can be made to make a home easier to live in as we age. For example, some modifications that cost little or no money include:

• removing unnecessary clutter or furniture that makes it difficult to move around,
• adding more lighting including night lights, and
• changing doorknobs to levered handles.

Sometimes more costly home modifications are necessary to allow an older person to safely age in place. A ramp may neeed to replace stairs so that a person in a wheelchair can enter the home. Or, grab bars may need to be added to bathrooms and handrails added to staircases. It's worth thinking about which home modifications might help you.

However, even with modifications, a house that suited us well at one time may not be be the best housing choice later in life. Household tasks, such as shoveling snow or cleaning gutters, may become difficult to do. Are you willing, and able, to pay for others to help with this tasks?

Necessary maintenace on older homes can be costly too. When deciding whether or not you wish to remain in your current home, think about the expenses that may arise in the next few years. Will the roof need to be replaced or repaired? Will home appliances such as a new furnace or air conditioner need to purchased? There are pros and cons to aging in place.

Where we live is important. Our homes provide much more than just shelter from the wind and cold.Choosing where to live as we age requires careful thought and investigation. Luckily we do have choices. A field trip may be the first step to exploring those choices.