Nobody wants to get old but since there’s no good alternative, at least we want to do it in our own home. The problem is that our home may not want us to get old, either.

Put another way: The Northeast has the nation’s lowest percentage of houses that the Census Bureau classifies as “aging-ready,” meaning they are built to let people live safely as old age limits our mobility and strength. Since New Hampshire has one of the oldest populations in the country, with a full one-third of residents projected to be over 65 within a decade, that’s not good.

“I think that the reason New England has fewer houses that are age-ready is that they were built a long time ago. Our housing stock is old and standards have changed,” said Christina FitzPatrick, director of the state chapter of AARP.

Only 6.7% of homes in New England get the aging-ready designation, even though it’s hardly a draconian standard: Houses must have a step-free entryway and a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor, because stairs are the biggest obstacle, as well as a few straightforward accessibility features like grab bars in the bathroom.

FitzPatrick brought up the housing issue on a recent podcast from the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute about the “graying of the Granite State” and the effect it will have on communities, caregivers, businesses and policy. The podcast is an example of how the increasing percentage of New Hampshire’s population that is of retirement age has been drawing official attention. One panelist was the director of the state Commission on Aging, which was established in 2019.

Aging-ready housing is important, FitzPatrick said, because otherwise seniors often have no choice but to go to a nursing home or similar facility, which can be expensive. Staffing shortages, caused by low pay and the Trump administration’s targeting of immigration, have also made viable facilities harder to find.

There are secondary effects if seniors can’t live alone. For example, Jessica Williams, a policy analyst at the Fiscal Policy Institute, noted that more than 4,000 state residents are no longer in the paid workforce because they are caring for an older adult, according to Census data from 2024. The effect on employment is probably greater than that.  

“Many more likely reduced hours or cut back on work to manage some of those increased unpaid care-giving responsibilities,” said Williams. 

Solving the problem is hard, of course. It’s expensive and slow to upgrade existing housing so seniors can stay put. Putting a ramp to the front door is one thing but redoing the first-floor plumbing to install a bathroom is another.

It’s not a problem that has drawn a lot of assistance, either. The Veterans Administration has home-modification programs, although their status might be uncertain due to Trump administration cuts, but in general there’s no big source of grants to make homes elderly-accessible.

FitzPatrick pointed to the increasing acceptance of building accessory dwelling units on existing lots — a concept once dismissed as “granny flats” — as an example of a way to cope. New ADUs can be made aging-accessible for the home’s current owners, who can shift over when the time comes and rent out the main house.

That’s an example of society starting to face the issue and develop some solutions. The Sandwich Community Nursing Association is another example of being solutions-minded. It has a part-time nurse who can do home visits for free to residents of that town, and these visits are supported by donations and grants, not tax money.

FitzPatrick said concern about housing is part of a bigger program.

“AARP has a big agenda on making communities better for everyone to live in and age, from housing and transportation to open spaces and civic engagement,” she said.

Improvements for one group can help others, she added, pointing to mandatory curb cuts.

“The idea was to help people in wheelchairs but it’s helpful for people with grocery carts, baby strollers and others. That’s the kind of thing that we’re working on,” she said.

“The changing demographics of the state are going to make this ever more relevant,” FitzPatrick said. “The population is getting older and increasing most at the most advanced ages. We’re not talking about people in their 70s, we’re talking about 80s and 90s.”

To find out more

AARP offers a HomeFit Guide with suggestions for improvements.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services offers Aging and Disability Resource Centers (formerly known as ServiceLink) with guides to what’s available in the state.

The Veterans Administration has a Home Modification Benefits Guide.

David Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@cmonitor.com