From age 60 onwards: who is it best to live with in old age

One of the most important questions at this point in life is as simple as it is profound: who should an older person live with?

For decades, the idea took hold that the natural destination of old age is moving into one’s children’s home. However, today we know that this decision—when made without reflection or strategy—can seriously affect the emotional health, dignity, and autonomy of the aging person.

Aging well today does not mean depending on others, but consciously designing one’s own well-being.

Autonomy: the foundation of healthy aging

As long as physical health and mental clarity remain, living in one’s own space is the greatest act of self-respect. Maintaining autonomy is not synonymous with loneliness, but with freedom. Choosing when to wake up, what to eat, how to organize the home, and whom to welcome are not minor details; they are daily practices that keep the body, the mind, and the sense of identity active.