Risk Factor -- Not Having Family or a Friend to Help Out

• Family, friends, neighbors, and volunteers are key when you need help and want to stay living at home.   
  
  
• Older adults without this kind of help or who refuse offers of help find it hard to live at home. These can lead to a “crisis” in the home and often cause people to move in order to get help and “be safe.”
  
  
• Older adults who buy help from family, friends, neighbors, or agencies are able to stay living at home.
  
  
• Getting services in your home can be less costly than moving to another place in order to get help.
  
  
• Having a strong group of social contacts -- friends, family, and neighbors -- is linked with better health and well-being in older adults.
  

KEY TIP:   Keep your social network alive.  If needed, accept help from family, friends, or neighbors.  Their help is important for staying living at home.

Other Tips