Beatitudes Community

State of the Campus – Jan. 8

At our regularly scheduled mass testing on Monday, January 4, 315 staff were tested for COVID-19 and all were negative except four (1% positivity rate). This week, we have had several residents and staff recover from COVID-19, and we are thankful for their return to health. We are reporting 70 cases of COVID-19 among staff and residents.

Helping Keep Aging Couples Together

One of the things that we are so often asked about by couples visiting Beatitudes Campus and considering their future is about what the future may look like as the years go by. About 70 percent of people over the age of 65 will need some type of long-term care during their lifetime, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). On average, women will need care for a longer period of time (3.7 years), compared to men (2.2 years), and 20 percent of those age 65 and older will need care for more than five years.

An active, healthy lifestyle can help protect your mind and body from disease and injury—which often leads to a need for long-term care. This is why we offer such a wide range of opportunities through the Life Enrichment department.Mike Smallwood and Jon Schilling are always eager to help you put together individual plans to support that healthy lifestyle. However, there are no guarantees in life and the question of whether—and how long—you or your spouse may need care remains unknown.

Since aging is an individual thing, a couple should not expect that both partners will have the same needs throughout retirement. As a couple ages, one partner may require assisted living or skilled nursing services, while the other partner remains able to live independently.

A continuing care retirement community (CCRC)/lifeplan community can help couples prepare for the challenges that an unknown future may offer. CCRCs provide a continuum of services—from independent living to nursing-home level health care—that is available if and when needed. I often hear Becky Black, our Director of Sales & Marketing, refer to it as “peace of mind” in your back pocket. If, after moving onto the campus, one spouse eventually needs a higher level of health care services, the couple can still be together here at Beatitudes.

Here is an example of how a lifeplan community such as Beatitudes Campus can meet the needs of both partners over time:

Jim and Jane move into an independent living apartment or patio home here at the campus. A few years later, Jane is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The couple continues to live together for a couple of years, but as Jane’s needs change, she moves into another section of the campus to receive additional care and support. Jim continues to enjoy the social benefits of living within the retirement community and can visit with Jane, who is just a short walk away, whenever he wants.

Those of you who are reading this article as residents – congratulations! You took one of the most significant steps you could in planning for your future. Those who are reading and still considering—our residency counselors can help you take a look at all of the variables and help you develop a plan. Couples who seek peace of mind in the face of uncertainty may want to consider a lifeplan community/CCRC as a viable retirement living choice to ensure that both partners will be taken care of now and in the future. And residents, don’t forget that you can be financially rewarded for sharing the good news with friends and family – your first successful referral will earn you $1,000 and the amounts go up from there. Stop by the sales center to get your referral form and begin earning!

 

Money Matters

Ever wonder how all the pieces of your financial puzzle fit together? Join us Friday, March 22nd at 1:00PM in the Agelink Great Room (AGR) for an informational panel to address the financial questions that are most relevant to residents.

Our panel features professionals on issues large and small that impact our daily lives and our long-term well-being. Panel members include Allen Bloch, Chief Financial Officer of Beatitudes Campus; Ellen Dean, Financial Planner; Laurel Hickok, CPA and Daily Money Manager; and Megan Selvey, Bivens and Associates Elder Law Attorney.

While money is important to us at any age, it can become even more so as we grow older. Demographic changes mean we are living longer after retirement, and funding those decades of longer life can be a challenge. Social Security is the primary source of income for many older adults, and about one-third of retired people rely on Social Security for over 90 percent of their income.

Additionally, questions about long-term care costs, money management, and frauds and scams have become part of our daily conversations. Concerns about escalating health care costs can also cause us to worry, which, incidentally, can negatively impact our health.

The format of our panel will include a brief self-introduction by panelists, to be followed with moderated questions that address central themes, and will conclude with questions from the audience.

Topics of interest will include:

Money and family: “How do I know if it is still ok to give money to my adult children? Should I add them to my bank account? Should I co-sign a loan?” 

Personal finance: “I expect to live twenty more years, but my money only expects to live about five more years. What is available to help people like me?” “Should I keep my life insurance policy?”

Long Term Care: “Why does my long-term care insurance premium keep going up? Are there ways to lower the premium without losing benefits? How do people afford higher levels of care on Campus?”

Legal issues: “Do I need a will even if I am not wealthy?” “I’m confused about what a durable power of attorney means. Should I have one?” “Should I file for bankruptcy?”

Our panel is brought to you by the Health and Wellness Committee and Success Matters. We hope you can join us on Friday, March 22nd, at 1:00PM in the Agelink Great Room.

 

Advocacy Action Alert: Save Medicaid

It is critical that Senators Flake and McCain hear from all of us! I ask that you share the information above and encourage them to oppose changing Medicaid to block grants or per capita caps when our senior population across the nation is rapidly growing. It is the wrong policy at the wrong time.