Beatitudes Community

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.

 

Solve the Puzzle

The puzzle of advance care medical planning has several factors working against it: while many of us have thought about what types of care we would – or would not — want if we were unable to communicate our wishes, only about one-third of adults have completed plans that make these wishes known. Of those over age 65, that number increases to just over half.

Like tax forms, these documents meet the needs of procrastinators nationwide. They seem, somehow, both complicated and boring at the same time, but are nevertheless essential to complete. Unlike taxes, there is no federal law compelling us to complete them. That is why April 16th has been designated as National Healthcare Decision Day, as a gentle nudge to move forward with this very personal task.

Barriers to completing this puzzle are typically either emotional or informational. We either simply don’t want to think about (or cannot imagine) a time when we are unable to exert control over ourselves and our bodies, or we aren’t sure how to go about making our wishes known ahead of time. However, the benefits of doing so far outweigh the minor inconvenience and forced introspection of putting a plan in place.

Not having documents such as Health Care Power of Attorney, Mental Health Care Power of Attorney, and Living Will compromise your independence when you need it most. We need to be able to assert our wishes so that our values can emerge even under difficult circumstances, should they arise. In this spirit, I invite you to attend the Advance Planning Puzzle 101 on Wednesday, April 12th, from 2:00-3:00PM in the Agelink Great Room. We will review the scope of these three documents, as well as how to complete them and what to do with them once completed. No need to RSVP for this event.

Upcoming Focus Group

In addition to helping you with your Advance Planning needs, I would love to hear from you about other issues or resource assistance you feel is relevant to improving your experience here at Beatitudes Campus. I will be meeting informally with interested residents on Tuesday, March 7th, from 10:00 to 11:00AM, here in the Success Matters office in the Agelink building. If you’d like to stop by, please let me know at x16117. If you can’t make it that morning, just give me a call to share your thoughts any time.

Town Hall Informant – February 2017

We’re sorry – this content is for community members who are logged in.

Please LOG IN, or REGISTER.

Navigating the Journey

Taking the “Scary” out of How To Pay For A Higher Level Of Care—Living at Beatitudes means having access to a Higher Level of Care as you need it. Most of you have thought (maybe even worried) about how to prepare yourselves and pay for the care you may need one day. Navigating the Journey is a one-hour presentation held by Daniel Nunez with Jackson and White. He offers insights from a social work perspective that discusses and highlights the importance of remaining proactive while on the journey through the continuum. Daniel will discuss the importance of POAs, How to avoid Probate and review State and Federal benefits that pay for long-term care (e.g. ALTCS). Please make time for this very important and informative presentation on Tuesday, June 14th at 9:00AM (LC). There is no charge and all residents, their family members, POAs and staff are invited to attend.