AARP. Older homeowners overwhelmingly prefer to age-in-place, which means living in your home safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age or ability level, says AARP. But if you haven’t hit your retirement years yet, it actually makes sense economically to build now with products and services that can accommodate aging in place later.

NAHB. The National Association of Home Builders says if you’re like a majority of Americans over the age of 45, you want to continue living in a familiar environment throughout your life. It says aging in place is the fastest growing segment of the residential remodeling industry as it reacts to meet the increasing demand by seniors and baby boomers for barrier-free, safe living environments.

NCOA. The National Council on Aging reports that falls are the leading cause of serious and/or fatal injuries among people 65 and older. It says one third of people over the age of 65 fall each year; the incidence increases to 50 percent for those over the age of 80. And these falls are costly: NCOA has estimated direct medical cost for falls at almost $20 billion annually.

Despite all this, aging in place precautions don’t seem to be taking hold, oddly, in Southeastern North Carolina, where more than 77,000 residents are older than 50.