tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655051502490014062024-02-08T15:39:48.805-05:00Retirement Plans, Fun and ResourcesPlanning for retirement? This site provides information and links regarding recreation, meaning in retirement - work and volunteering, magazine and book links along general thoughts about retirement.Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-9807905218580961412023-07-02T13:47:00.001-04:002023-08-15T21:21:22.483-04:00Settling Into a New Place <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear Friends,</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;">I haven't written on this site for some time. I have no excuses but plenty of explanations. </span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;">If you read other pages on this blog, you know I was helping with an elderly relative and I learned a lot about that process, health, medical needs, physical changes, asking questions and resettling someone who could not have done it alone. I wrote about this in previous posts and have had time to mull over the lessons we learned. </span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;">My sister died in March, 2020, and I'm still uncertain as to the reasons for her death. Was it COVID or something similar that caused the damage to her body? Her death was personally devastating for many reasons and it has taken me some time to </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">let my grief settle in and just become a part of me rather than the focus.</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;">We moved across the country in June, 2020 and live in a 55+ retirement community, something that for years I thought I would not want. Living in a neighborhood with families of various ages and seeing the children in the pool, playing outside, Trick or Treating, hearing them learn and practice their instruments (at times: eeeekkkkk!), and seeing them grow was wonderful.</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;">Until it wasn't.</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;">I noticed some of the older people in our neighborhood had a harder time connecting socially, some had a harder time taking neighborhood walks, some needed help and were searching for stair-assist devices. And then we had the experiences with "Terry" - the loved one I wrote about who we first helped move to a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community with independent living, assisted care and memory care) and then a specialized memory care facility. </span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;">It made us think about what we wanted for this stage when we're retired (at least I am, my husband still works). Where did we want to live? What's important to us now? What activities are of interest? Should it be a small or large community? And so on.</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;">We researched options based on the proximity to family and I'm glad that was a leading criteria. We have been able to visit quite a bit and it is great having a spontaneous gathering or family dinner without making plane reservations. So my first suggestion is to think carefully about what is most important to you at this stage and consider your plans for aging in place or moving again. More on that in an upcoming post.</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">Take care,</span></p><p><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;"></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">Marcia</span></span></p>Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-43942214137342129582021-05-03T20:32:00.007-04:002021-05-03T20:34:07.115-04:00Organizing Final Documents<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear Friends,</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I thought we were past death planning and then I got an email from a friend.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">We were discussing how people plan for end of life from a legal and financial perspective. She said there are ways to use these products as a comprehensive system, and I think there are some great ideas. Here's her note:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">"</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The major system is called "Get It Together" (there’s a pun there). It’s published by Nolo Press. They often have sales, so if you are not in a hurry, you can periodically check their site. I am on their mailing list and would be happy to alert you when they have a sale. You are welcome to preview my book before you decide whether it’s something you want to purchase. Here’s the link to Nolo Press: </span><a href="https://store.nolo.com/products/get-it-together-get.html" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe;">https://store.nolo.com/products/get-it-together-get.html</span></a></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> There is an optional Planner. It’s a large binder with pre-printed tabs. I use it for copies of most of the documents because many of the originals are in a separate binder that we may eventually put into a safe deposit box. In the interim, I keep original documents in a fireproof box and I update the binder as time permits or new documents are created. Here’s the link to Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Binder-create-your-personal-planner/dp/B079YZ5B1D"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">https://www.amazon.com/Binder-create-your-personal-planner/dp/B079YZ5B1D</span></a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next piece is the hardcopy (and e-file) system I use for related materials. It’s called <span class="a-size-extra-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">HOMEFILE: Financial Planning Organizer Kit. Here’s the link to Amazon: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076ZQ7X1F?tag=duckduckgo-osx-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076ZQ7X1F?tag=duckduckgo-osx-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1</span></a><span style="color: #0f1111;">.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"></span></span><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many of our documents are scanned into another computer software system I use (Paperless for Mac by Mariner Software). I create e-files that mirror the Homefile system and save the documents there. While that software has its own backup system, I am a belt and suspenders kind of gal when it comes to electronics, so all the scanned documents are also saved to a portable external harrddrive that can easily travel with me.</span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The last piece is to find what I call an electronic vault. Our broker and our credit union both have them, They offer free storage independent of your home system and presumably safe from typical home hazards. An added advantage is the ability to grant access to your estate Executor/Executrix or anyone you choose. We upload documents for various professionals we consult. The electronic vault is specially helpful if people live out-of-state. The remote log-in gives them a leg up so they can make plans and in some cases, take the necessary action. Given the digital nature of the world, it can also save time by sending documents to various third-parties who can decide whether they are sufficient for whatever needs to be done. Original documents can always be provided later."</span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope this information helps you as it does me. This is the year to organize!</span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(15, 17, 17); color: #0f1111; line-height: 1.2; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Take care,</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;"></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">Marcia</span></span>Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-11093297068697160002020-07-30T10:40:00.002-04:002020-08-12T22:58:48.534-04:00The Final Stage of Life, Part II (Ironic, right?)<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How are you in these difficult times?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have one last post on the topic of Terry and some lessons learned.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Money</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not everyone can save and invest as Terry could. She could have stretched her budget and lived in more upscale places, done a lot of shopping and travel but she grew up during the Depression and learned a lot about saving pennies, budgeting and investing. None of her investments were risky and she kept them for a long time, riding out the ups and downs of the American economy. She had money to enjoy retirement and money to use in those last years when she needed help. Continuous care residences are expensive and insurance doesn’t cover them.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Medical</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She had great insurance. This is not a political statement - it’s a reality of life that treatment is expensive and we don’t all have access. Get the best insurance you can and go to the doctor early before your condition gets worse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take the medicine you need and follow the instructions. Antibiotics don’t work if you take 1/10 of the recommended dose and then stop. Keep a list including your prescriptions, vitamins and over-the-counter medicine. If your list is getting complicated, long, and you are afraid you might forget, keep a copy of the list with your medicine and use pillboxes. Bring the list to each doctor’s appointment. They all ask for this information and if you are unwell, you might miss something.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you’re concerned about hearing the doctor properly and adequately giving them information, if you are ill and unsure you'll remember instructions, someone else should be in the room with you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Start to research where you would go if you think it’s time or listen to feedback from others who know you. Let your feelings be known and document if you can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Think about who would make decisions for your finances and health and complete the proper paperwork. Terry had a completed Power of Attorney form and that was helpful for banking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/living-wills/art-20046303" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic has a great post</a> about Living Wills and Advanced Directives to help you learn about these issues and processes. Have a frank discussion with your doctor and loved ones about what the options mean and which ones you have selected. The more paperwork and decisions in place, the easier it is for your loved ones to carry out your wishes. Different states have different laws and requirements, so if you move, find out if you have to make changes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make death plans. Some may donate bodies to medical science, others will choose burial or cremation. There are additional options such as headstone or plaque, ground or columbarium, scattered ashes or remaining in a container on a mantle. If you choose cremation, having a specified place to put cremains is a wise idea. If you want to be on a mantle, when your survivor dies, someone else has to decide what to do with your cremains. It’s burdensome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do you want a traditional funeral? Celebration of life? Obituary? These choices are to provide documentation and comfort for family and friends. You can present your wishes in advance in writing. One of the most interesting obituaries I saw was composed by the deceased who reflected on his life during a long illness. His humor, his proudest moments among is family and friends were noted. He expressed who he was in the years between the “dash” in his life, the dash being the mark between birth and death on the tombstone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whatever you decide, make those plans in advance. Loved ones will have enough emotion and details to tend to without sitting in offices reviewing options and do not need to guess about your wishes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have attended the funerals of my parents and both of my sisters. The stories I heard from their friends and other family members were a great way to celebrate their lives and hear what they meant to others. It is both comforting and inspiring to learn from others in a formal situation one last time.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your Stuff</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have seen and experienced this: no one wants your stuff. Furniture is one thing, but I want to talk for a minute about other stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mama didn’t have much paperwork. She regularly discarded paid bills once the checks cleared and didn’t keep things longer than necessary by law. My sisters had a lot of papers from work and home and sorting through all of that was very demanding for their adult children. I moved toward autopay and paperless billing several years ago and the convenience and the idea of not drowning in paperwork is great for me and my (very far in the future, I hope) survivors.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emotions and Grief</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I went to an Alzheimers Support Group and the leader mentioned “grief and relief” when someone dies of a disease that has tortured the mind and/or the body. I don't know what others feel but I experienced this with loved ones who had lingering illness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sudden loss is very different and in these COVID-19 times, survivors may not have those public services in person and may not have the comforting touch or hug. It's hard for mourners. Online services are helpful but no substitute for our needs as people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I found it helpful to identify online forums for certain illness and life situations and the information and support I felt (and gave) was priceless.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The heart has no clock and we can be triggered into loss, dismay and mourning when hearing a song, a joke you want to share, seeing old letters and photos or even some movies. If you experience this loss and mourning even years after loss, it's normal. It's also normal to remember your loved ones with smiles and even jokes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are times when you should get help from a support group or professional if you find you cannot climb out of your sorrow, if you're depressed. Seeking help is a good thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My friends, I've explored this unexpected topic of aging, accommodating, seeking help and ultimately mourning and it is quite a bit different from my original intentions of identifying resources for considering retirement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope these posts have been helpful and I will return to the other topic next time. I am eager to share our experiences of retirement (or not!) and a move to an active senior (age 55+) community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span></div>
Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-61624323815771678322020-06-19T16:39:00.000-04:002020-06-19T16:44:42.509-04:00That Final Stage of Life<div style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope you're well in these challenging and difficult times.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was going to be one long post but there is a lot to say so I am posting a section now and the next one when I can. This is a personal story along with some lessons.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I previously mentioned our elderly family member, ”Terry.” I chose a name not gender-specific so as to protect privacy. For this post, since Terry has died, I will use the pronoun “she” to make writing a little easier.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My husband has said that one of the last lessons we learn from our elders is how to live toward the end of life and how to die. I’ve thought about that a lot and this is why I decided to write about Terry and our lessons learned.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Terry was a professional. She started working right out of school and took time off when she had a child. She rose through the ranks due to her skills and ability to work with top executives and organize their work-lives. She was an avid reader with an extensive vocabulary and amazing memory for stories, names and places, and she knew how people and events shaped history. She loved to travel and did so for as long as she could.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prior to a terrible diagnosis, I saw some signs of change. We took a long ride together as we went for her hearing aids and for the first time Terry was searching for words, sometimes sounding close to her intention but not quite there. Her house and clothes were neat and clean and there were no stacks of papers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet something was wrong.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was not sure what was happening and I had not been around many people in their late 80’s. There were some other signs showing me she needed to live nearby and have more assistance. We started researching places to live near us as we have limited space and stairs leading to the bedrooms and full bath. I read a lot during this time and could see certain needs might arise for which we would be unprepared if we scrambled at the last moment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She had a health emergency and the decision was made for us. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We researched several facilities and together we looked at them, discussing pros and cons, reading reviews and helping her make decisions. Terry had a beautiful house and a lot of furniture doesn’t fit into those smaller places. {<a href="https://retirementonyourmind.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2017-01-08T16:13:00-08:00&max-results=7." target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Related post about “stuff.”</span></a>} </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Through the <a href="https://www.nasmm.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">National Association of Move Managers</span></a>, we found a great service and they helped sort through possessions without the emotional component and managed reminiscing respectfully. With a new floor plan, together they decided the layout in advance and the professional packed, moved, unpacked and placed items in the right places.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was a lot of resistance and heartbreak over letting go of a life of independence and decision-making without needing input from others. I can sympathize and cannot imagine how difficult this is for anyone making these decision.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Terry moved near us, and it’s a good thing we selected a local community. I learned immediately she needed help in a new environment and I made appointments for her and went to them, sitting in the room and reminding staff and doctors to speak a little louder and I provided information Terry did not share. With a vision problem and another condition making it difficult, I started managing the checkbook and would point to the line for Terry to sign. Good thing I’m honest!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Terry had good jobs and saved and invested covering the expenses of living in the facility. She had retired with a package supplementing Medicare and, having seen the bills pre-and-post insurance payments, it was a relief to know she had good coverage.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We saw Terry through many emergency room visits, hospitalizations, a care-worker in her home and finally memory care. I learned not to walk over to see Terry but take the car as I never knew what kind of condition she would be in. There were several times we thought “this is it” and then she rallied.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her geriatrician had started a home visit program as many patients found it difficult to go to the office. That final doctor’s visit, I arrived early and Terry had not eaten much so we talked and I used the fork and started feeding her and she took a few more bites. I searched for conversation to have and knew she had visited Florida. I asked if they’d ever gone and do you remember the trip. There was a flood of memories with places and sights they had seen along the way and the most coherent conversation we’d had in some time. Before I left I stroked her hair, kissed her forehead several times, told her I loved her. She was looking at me and I felt she went from fully present to maybe being half here, half slipping into haziness. I wondered did she still know this was me or did she think I might be her mom as I was doing motherly things: feeding, kissing, stroking her cheek and hair. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She died a few days later. We waited for the Neptune Society while in her room with her and talked about her life, her experiences, our great times together and all of her accomplishments. We were there about 4 hours. It gave us time to just sit together, take this in, celebrate her life and mourn her passing. We had selected a spot for the ashes in advance so we did not have those decisions to make.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next time I will write about planning for this stage of life and later I’ll talk about the emotional part.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take care, </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span></span></div>
Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-69704661120133180222018-12-24T20:15:00.000-05:002019-02-04T11:51:13.343-05:00Devices to Help as You Age<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although I never intended to write a lot here, mostly gather resources, I do like to add some information that might be helpful for others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve learned a few tips and tricks which may be useful whether you’re going to age in place or move.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have an elderly family member, ”Terry" [I wrote about this person in previous entries] and here are some things we got to help Terry at home. I’m providing some links to Amazon if you’d like to look at the items we bought or their latest suggestions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another website called </span><a href="http://www.elderstore.com/default.aspx" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">ElderStore</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> has all kinds of useful items. They also provide use recommendations and some are reviewed by customers. The <a href="https://www.seniorliving.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Senior Living</span></a> site has a <span style="color: blue;">good post about determining your needs </span>and reminders about using Medicare. Another useful site is </span><a href="https://www.aplaceformom.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">A Place for Mom</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span>and </span><a href="https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/must-have-assistive-devices-for-seniors/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">this link is for a blog post</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> on must-have assistive devices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you like some of the ideas, you might comparison shop at your local medical supply store or online. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>You should first check your insurance as some of these items may be covered. </b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are some items I can vouch for: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>For Impaired Vision: </b>Magnifying Glass - many options listed on <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Rh66yF" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tabletop/mountable large font clock</b> - I bought the <a href="https://amzn.to/2CyGzsR" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">American Image</span></a> clock (made in the USA) with the time, date and day, battery back-up and alarm options</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G79V1Q/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=li1&tag=silvalwominhu-20&linkId=5daf2df605a2025eed9b557c7409f08d&language=en_US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B019G79V1Q&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=silvalwominhu-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=silvalwominhu-20&language=en_US&l=li1&o=1&a=B019G79V1Q" style="border: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Large button simple TV remote control </b>- we bought the <a href="https://amzn.to/2RhICcS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Flipper Big Button Remote for 2 Devices</span></a>. Because the extra buttons on the bottom confused Terry, we slide up the bottom to cover that row. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flipper-Button-Universal-Remote-Control/dp/B002GR1YZ0/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1545675824&sr=1-1&keywords=Flipper+Big+Button+Remote+for+2+Devices+-+Seniors&linkCode=li1&tag=silvalwominhu-20&linkId=55a9953f78d05273c717818a274970bf&language=en_US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B002GR1YZ0&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=silvalwominhu-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=silvalwominhu-20&language=en_US&l=li1&o=1&a=B002GR1YZ0" style="border: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div>
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For bladder leakage</b>, a problem for both genders as we age, you can buy disposable pads to insert into underwear or use the adult “diapers” that look like underwear and aren’t detectable through clothing. An option suggested by the doctor was to buy washable underwear through <a href="http://www.iconundies.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Icon</span></a> or find a similar product on Amazon. They’re slim and provide different levels of protection. Although they are more expensive initially, they are better over time as you can launder them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Breaking glasses and plates?</b> We bought Corelle dishes, very pretty, lightweight, and although I'm clumsy and have dropped them, they don't break. You can explore designs on this <a href="https://amzn.to/2CHGqTD" target="_blank">Amazon</a> page and compare prices and items on the <a href="https://www.shopworldkitchen.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">ShopWorldKitchen</span></a> site. Terry had broken a few glasses and clean-up was a hazard. I bought her some acrylic juice glasses from <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.shopworldkitchen.com/tabletop-drinkware/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">ShopWorldKitchen</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span>and some 12-oz. plastic tumblers from<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="https://amzn.to/2AocSJt" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. </span><span style="color: blue;">These glasses all look pretty, look like glass, but they are lightweight and hard to break.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D1YLOME/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=li1&tag=silvalwominhu-20&linkId=90b0e057b02b97394a706823c09dd02a&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01D1YLOME&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=silvalwominhu-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=silvalwominhu-20&language=en_US&l=li1&o=1&a=B01D1YLOME" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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General Safety</b> - install handrails in the bathroom near the toilet and in the shower. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you need a shower chair, cane, walker, wheelchair or motorized chair, check with your local senior center. There may be a donation program. Be sure to get the right size for your needs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can ask at the doctor’s office to see if they have a social worker or a physical therapist who can come to your home to make specific suggestions. These are great services and will really help you maintain a comfortable and safe home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best wishes to you! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take care, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span>Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-45313685869143320762017-11-10T00:38:00.000-05:002017-11-10T00:38:12.851-05:00Caring for the Elderly<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been some time since I've written, and you might recall it wasn't my intention to write a lot of posts but concentrate on bringing you some useful websites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've found that addressing things that are popping up in our lives is one way to help illustrate what happens as we age and as we care for elderly family members.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few observations and I hope they help you. I should tell you I'm very pragmatic and wouldn't deny myself glasses when I need them or hearing aids or a cane or any other help I eventually need.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Physical Health</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many changes we hear about and others that are new and strange to us. It could be vision problems, maybe you've been pumping up the volume on the TV a bit too much. Are you having UTI's? (Urinary tract infections: see <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447" target="_blank">this link to the Mayo Clinic</a> for information.) Do you feel lightheaded or dizzy? Those ads about "I've fallen and I can't get up" are out there for a reason. There are other changes that lead us to need adult diapers. I took my relative to the urologist who said most women will eventually need these diapers and pads so if you notice changes, confirm with your doctor and go shopping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we age our bodies and various parts outside and inside change and you have to be attuned to your body to know when something is changing, and if you note something different, act right away. We don't bounce back as we did while in our 20's or 30's and the ramifications of waiting too long can be costly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mental Health</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a terrible memory and have joked that it'll be hard to know when my memory starts going! Observing my family member mentioned in early posts, we can see some changes such as searching for words, substituting other words, confusion over details, scheduling challenges, and feeling upset, angry, confused or upset about these challenges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read that distraction is helpful when your loved one is upset and my family member's experience is that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I was taking someone to the doctor and she was upset about the appointment, so I asked about her family members and what color eyes and hair they had when they were young. In that case, distraction worked and we passed the time talking about those early memories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people make photo albums with large pictures of family and friends and labels in large font, useful for reviewing prior to visits and nice to just reminisce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think that when we start to become more uncertain of recent memories and tasks, it's helpful and soothing to talk about things we know well such as childhood experiences. The person is on steadier ground than trying to remember everything a doctor says in a long appointment or any of the other demanding tasks one faces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Social Isolation</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each doctor, nurse, caretaker, social worker and other experts we met talked about the studies indicating how important being social is, especially as we age. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It isn't enough to greet another, we must join activities and make friendships with other people. It helps exercise your brain and keeps you in touch with other people. How many friends do you have? Do you get together often? Is it activity oriented or do you have real time to talk? We humans seem to decline when we don't have this stimulation and friendship. I should add that in one article, a house-bound gentleman said he learned how to use Facebook and now chats with people, enjoys learning about their opinions and activities and feels less lonely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope these short tips are helpful and encourage you to go to relevant websites and read more about specific conditions. I have links on the <a href="https://retirementonyourmind.blogspot.com/p/health-and-safety.html" target="_blank">Health and Safety</a> page and that's a start. You can ask your doctor for other tips and information, and I encourage you to add your own tips in the comments section.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span></div>
Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-85143068292881335232017-05-08T00:16:00.001-04:002017-05-08T00:16:21.379-04:00Change of Plans, Dealing with Disappointment and Moving Forward<div>
<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">How are you doing? Are you staying busy and engaged, having fun and seeing friends?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've all had changes and disappointments in life and it's a good thing. It teaches us how to cope with and overcome additional difficulties or disappointments.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We (me a little more so) had been thinking about our future and where we might want to live when we retire. Not only the physical location and home, but our activities and interests. I've been daydreaming about this for some time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mentioned in earlier posts about an elderly relative who needs some help, and this need comes ahead of everything else. This altered our timeline and therefore just about everything else you can think about.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am concerned and upset about this person's needs. I take "Terry" to all medical appointments and sit in the room to ask questions and take notes. I schedule appointments and help when asked with the checkbook and other needs. Some weeks it's a small amount of time and other weeks it's many hours and it's taxing emotionally. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was my decision to help in this way and I think it's the right thing to do and I want to be sure things are on track for Terry.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now having said that, I'm going to admit that when this all happened and our plans were suddenly changed, I went into an angry, resentful period in which I was grieving our delayed plans. I basically threw myself a pity party. Although I did not show this side to Terry, my husband knew from some comments I made how upset I was. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we age, and we're in great health now, there is an unpredictability that comes along with the process and our good health is not assured. I knew I could indulge myself for just so long and then I'd need to get past it and get on with life, a different life than I had in mind.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because of my earlier challenges in life, some much harder than others, I knew I could get through this cycle, reinvent the dream, find a way to be more content with life as it is. I had to give myself a little time and leaned on some dear friends. It helped a lot. </span><span style="color: #5b5d4e;">I have a way to go but think I'm on the right path. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #5b5d4e;">On one forum, someone wrote about a book called "<a href="http://amzn.to/2phA2sx" target="_blank">This is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live</a>" by Melody Warnick. Others in the forum also recommended it. One person wrote that she and her husband thought they needed to move to be closer to activities they enjoy, but they had to change their plans. Thanks to this book, they started exploring little shops and cafes nearby that they hadn't visited previously and they are finding themselves to be more content with their lives. It opened their eyes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though I'm feeling much better, I'm going to read this book after the 10 or so other books on my list. Let me know if you have read it or if you have other ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marcia</span></div>
Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-33743585412746420962017-04-07T15:58:00.001-04:002017-04-07T15:58:49.155-04:00Friendship Update and Two Videos for You<div>
<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope you're well.</span><br />
<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my last post I wrote about friendship. Recently, I attended a meeting for job seekers with an interesting speaker. I'm not looking but I heard he was great so I wanted to hear the latest. At my table sat a woman who, during lunch, asked the most interesting and best questions of another attendee. As I was leaving, she said she'd like to get together for coffee and gave me her card.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We later went for coffee and stayed for about 4 hours of talk! We had a wonderful time and I know I've found a new terrific friend. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It all could have been different. She might not have spoken up, maybe just given me her card, but she gave me an invitation and I accepted. Isn't it interesting how one small choice or the ability to take a chance can enrich you so?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've found loads of funny animal videos and some good ones with grown-ups, as well. Here's one that's humorous and it's called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrypU9uL5fg" target="_blank">Things Not to Say To An Old Person</a>." I also enjoy the TED Talks and am linking a top-rated talk by <a href="https://www.ted.com/speakers/amy_cuddy" target="_blank">Amy Cuddy</a> called "<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are" target="_blank">Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are</a>."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best wishes,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span></div>
Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-49862513300654090472017-02-21T23:36:00.000-05:002017-02-21T23:36:27.009-05:00Making New Friends and Losing Old Ones<div>
<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope you're well.</span><br />
<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When my aunt was in her 60's, I asked what she found hard about getting older. She said she could deal </span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">with</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> physical changes but losing family and friends was hard. She advised me to always stay busy and involved and keep meeting new people and making friends of different ages. As some move or die, you will still have friends to call.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This advice stayed with me and I've always enjoyed meeting people both in and outside of my age group.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I've always had only a couple of really good friends, a lot of nice friends but not as close, and then a lot of acquaintances I call friends. I've had some great friends who float in and out of my life, seeing each other rarely but enjoying the heck out of our time together. And I have had some great friends who just drift away, like our time together was intense and then done. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">And all of that is okay.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We've lived in a townhouse complex for years and our habit was to pull into the garage after long workdays and go directly inside. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't make friends here.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to a political dust-up with our homeowners association, I talked with various neighbors. One neighbor had lived 3 doors away from us for around 17 years. Let's call her "Sue." I guess because our kids were out of the house that we finally had time for ourselves and we hit it off. We shared a similar worldview and sense of humor, both of us crazy about the movies and other interests. </span></span><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">She became a dear friend.</span><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Sue and her husband had been thinking about moving and just didn't know where they would go until one weekend when they visited friends in another area of California. They loved the place and within a couple of months their house was sold and they were gone.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">During their last weeks here, Sue said she had told her husband she would miss me. He pointed out that one great thing this proved was that we are not "too old" to make new friends and we can find people right under our noses that we'd enjoy being around.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I've thought about that a lot and appreciate that her husband said the right words and I received them second-hand and they meant something to me. I also know that realizing they would be gone soon, we both talked about things that were deep in our hearts, worries and experiences, joys and hopes. It's rare to have those types of conversations.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I want to mention loss. I know a woman who developed memory problems at a far too young age. Her friends miss the person she was and will never be again. I know that this will happen to many friends and maybe family in our future.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #5b5d4e;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">A former colleague, mentor and friend died suddenly in an accident and although it has been a few years, I still miss him. Some people are so special and </span></span><span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">irreplaceable. And that's life, too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you go out on a limb and meet new people. Be brave and put yourself out there and see what you have in common and what you can learn from others.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish you friendship. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best wishes,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span></div>
Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-11936046112543283482017-01-22T23:49:00.000-05:002017-01-22T23:49:52.278-05:00Guest Minda Cutcher: Getting Prepared to File Your Tax Return<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi, Friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How's your year going so far? We've been busy, keeping out of trouble. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Minda Cutcher is a financial advocate for seniors in the San Jose area of Northern California. She gave us information that was very helpful when we were helping Terry move.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Minda's <a href="http://mindacutcher.com/" target="_blank">website</a> has a lot of great information about her services and some articles of interest on her <a href="http://mindacutcher.com/blog" target="_blank">blog page</a>. With her permission, I'm posting one of her articles as taxes may be on your mind.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<span style="color: #5b5d4e;">One of the things I do for clients is help them gather and organize documents needed to prepare their income tax return, or to provide to their tax professional. With April 15 on the horizon, I thought it might be helpful to do a little refresher on the basic documents needed for taxes, especially as it applies to seniors.</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since nearly 60% of taxpayers use professional help to prepare their taxes, I’ve also included some information about the different types of tax professionals, and resources where seniors can get free tax advice and return preparation.</span></i></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tax Documents</span></i></strong></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully, after my last two blogs about managing critical documents, you’ll be able to assemble these rather quickly. Everyone’s tax situation is different, so you may find you need additional documents to the basic ones listed here. A good place to start is by looking at your return for last year. Check with your tax professional if you have any questions or concerns.</span></i></div>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Income statements, including W-2s, 1099s, 1099-R, Form SSA-1099, Form RRB-1099, 1099B. These statements are supposed to be sent out by February 1. If you have misplaced your SSA-1099, you can request another one using your online social security account.</span></i></li>
<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Documents related to the purchase or sale of a home, such as closing costs, etc. Some moving expenses or modifications to a home to make it safe and accessible for an elderly person MAY be deductible as well. Gather the receipts, and check with your tax professional.</span></i></li>
<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Receipts for any tax deductible expenses, donations, etc.</span></i></li>
<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Records of deductible mileage, for example a log of miles driven for medical purposes or volunteer activity for qualified charitable organizations.</span></i></li>
<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medical bills – receipts for co-pays from doctors, dentists and other medical professionals; In home care agencies or private pay caregiver costs; patient portions (responsibility) for hospital stays, prescriptions, medical supplies, prescription eye-wear, hearing aids, etc.</span></i></li>
<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Health and/or long term care insurance premiums – don’t forget if your parent is living in an assisted living or skilled nursing facility some or all of their “rent” could be deductible as a medical expense</span></i></li>
<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Auto registration statement (a portion of your fees may be deductible)</span></i></li>
</ul>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Choosing a tax professional</span></i></strong></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best type of tax professional for you – Enrolled agent, CPA, or Tax Preparer (see each described below) – depends on your particular situation.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Enrolled agent.</strong> <a href="http://www.naea.org/" style="color: #4778bc; text-decoration: none;">Enrolled agents</a> are licensed to practice by the federal government (“enrolled”) and authorized to appear on behalf of the taxpayer (“agent”) before the IRS. Enrolled agents advise, and prepare tax returns for individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates, trusts, and any other entities with tax-reporting requirements. Enrolled agents earn their license by passing a comprehensive tax code examination, or by having worked at the IRS for at least five years in a position that regularly interprets and applies the tax code and its regulations. Additionally, to maintain their status, Enrolled Agents are required to complete 72 hours of continuing education, reported every three years. Prior to being licensed, Enrolled Agents must also go through a rigorous background check by the IRS.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>CPA</strong>. CPAs are licensed by state boards of accountancy and may or may not specialize in taxation. CPAs have completed a course of study in accounting at a college or university and have passed the Uniform CPA Examination. They must also have met the experience and good character requirements set by their state board of accountancy, and must comply with ethical standards and continuing education requirements to maintain their active CPA license. Like Enrolled Agents, CPAs have unlimited representation rights, which means they may represent their clients on any matters including audits, payment/collection issues, and appeals.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Tax Preparer.</strong> Unlike Enrolled Agents and CPAs, non-credentialed tax preparers have only limited representation rights for their clients. As of January 1 this year, only tax preparers who have completed an 18-hour voluntary program –the <a href="http://www.irs.gov/Tax-Professionals/Annual-Filing-Season-Program" style="color: #4778bc; text-decoration: none;">Annual Filing Season Program</a> – will have any representation rights at all. Participants who complete the program, which includes a 6-hour federal tax law refresher course with test, receive an Annual Filing Season Record of Completion from the IRS and are included in a public database of return preparers.</span></i></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Free tax resources for seniors</span></i></strong></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/vita/" style="color: #4778bc; text-decoration: none;">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance</a> (VITA) and <a href="http://www.benefits.gov/benefits/benefit-details/722" style="color: #4778bc; text-decoration: none;">Tax Counseling for the Elderly</a> provide free help for low-income taxpayers and taxpayers age 60 and older to fill in and file their returns. AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) also offers free tax assistance at their <a href="http://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/" style="color: #4778bc; text-decoration: none;">Tax-Aide sites</a>, located across the country.</span></i></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whomever you choose, keep these things in mind:</span></i></strong></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check their qualifications. All paid tax return preparers must have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). This is a number issued by the IRS that tax preparers must renew and pay a fee for annually.</span></i></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check for disciplinary actions and license status via the Better Business Bureau, state board of accountancy or IRS Office of Professional Responsibility (Enrolled Agents).</span></i></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Review the entire return with the person who prepared it before signing it. Be sure you understand everything. Ask questions if you don’t.</span></i></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be sure that the person you hire to prepare your return signs the tax form and includes their PTIN. This is required by law.</span></i></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember that you are legally responsible for what’s on your return even it if is prepared by someone else."</span></i></li>
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope this information is useful for you. Please check on Minda's site for additional articles. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best wishes,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #5b5d4e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marcia</span></div>
Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-22844122329832466402017-01-08T19:13:00.000-05:002017-01-22T23:37:25.387-05:00Don't Make Me Raise My Voice All Day<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How are you? Are you finding ways to learn new things, keep busy, stay active, meet new people and talk with old friends?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my October 2016 posts about Terry, an elderly relative, I mentioned some health issues. One thing we noticed for years was Terry's hearing problems. Terry misunderstood things we were saying and we had to repeat ourselves and project our voices. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Frankly, at the end of a visit, we were tired and aggravated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Terry had enjoyed a conversation with other elderly relatives who were happy to have hearing aids. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Following a family event where Terry sat quietly and didn't engage in conversation, we had a conversation that seemed to hit home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We talked about how much you miss in life when you can't hear people around you, have to have the TV at a very loud volume, miss out on music, can't hear sounds indicating danger such as a smoke alarm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although we thought that was enough to make one take action, nothing happened. We all went to lunch and Terry couldn't hear her son talk and had to have a lot more help than necessary just because of this correctable hearing issue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally Terry got a prescription and went to Costco for hearing aids. (Not all Costcos have this specialty department so check their website.) Terry had learned from a friend and the audiologist that Costco had the best prices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because I drove Terry to Costco for the selection and returned to get the hearing aids and learn how to work with them, I was in for a real surprise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are many types of hearing aids and Terry chose the smallest ones. These are expensive, but the real surprise was that the battery door has to be opened every night and batteries must be changed weekly. There is a small rubber tip at the ends of the wires that go into the ear, and those tiny tips accumulate wax and must be cleaned regularly. There is a tool that comes with the kit and there are replacement tips to insert into the device.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Terry's case and people of that age, you're giving complex instructions to people who may have cognitive issues, arthritis or trembling hands. I can't understand what the manufacturers are thinking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you or someone you know is going to get hearing aids, be sure to first understand the various device options and requirements, and see if the owner can remember instructions and take care of this device.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the batteries are changed and the tips are clean, Terry enjoys hearing conversation and being able to participate more fully in activities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is an excellent page about age-related hearing loss on the <span style="color: #551a8b; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/age-related-hearing-loss" style="color: #4d469c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders</a></span> page including<span style="color: #551a8b;"> a quiz to see if you may have a hearing problem. You can </span>click<span style="color: #551a8b;"> on the </span><a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">main page </a><span style="color: #551a8b;">for additional information. I've included the link on</span><span style="color: #551a8b;"> <a href="https://retirementonyourmind.blogspot.com/p/health-and-safety.html" target="_blank">this page</a> </span><span style="color: #551a8b;">on our site.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span></div>
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Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-78190528209288067302016-11-20T20:33:00.002-05:002016-11-20T20:35:31.618-05:00Are you lucid or losing it?<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I write, it's the Sunday before Thanksgiving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I know several people who keep lists and think every day about the things in their lives that are good. My family and I enjoy good health. We're fairly happy and content. We have a lot of great things in our lives, and one of those great things is that we're on top of our lives and current events. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of my big fears is that I'll start "losing it." That my mind won't function as it has, that I'll lose memories, that I'll not recognize people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have a funky memory. I have a hard time remembering names and I've joked that my family should wear name tags but they refuse. On the other hand, I can outline a 2-day training session including exercises and deliver most of it with a bare-bones outline. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've also told my husband it might be hard to know if my memory is slipping. I take a lot of notes and make checklists, and contacts and calendars are in my phone. I'm not exercising that part of my brain as I once did, freeing it up for writing and other tasks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I lost a lot of my childhood memories, and my suspicion is that some of it is tied to reminiscing with others. My parents were young when they died and so was I. Dad was 45 and I was almost 13 and Mom was 50 and I was 21. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When Mom was alive, we didn't sit around and talk about our family times that had passed. It was too sad to bring up and I didn't want to upset </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">her</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. My sisters and I did not often discuss our childhood and our parents nor did we look at many photos. It was too painful in the beginning and as time went on, we had other things to discuss: our kids, our travels, what movies we've seen and so on. Life moved on without those discussions so I did lose a lot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you have family or friends who would enjoy reminiscing, it would be a pleasant thing to do. I think it'd be good to find some balance between talking about the past and talking about the present.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've learned from my experience with "Terry" [I wrote about this person in previous entries] that socializing is so important to our well-being. Each medical care person talked about how important it is to be around and interact with others as we age. This helps keep our minds sharp and may prevent dementia. You can go to Google and search for "socializing as we age" to bring up a variety of links and articles about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.alz.org/" target="_blank">Alzheimer's Association</a> has a lot of information about dementia and Alzheimer's, and that is a great starting point to learn more about these issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Best wishes to you all, and happy socializing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span>Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-6512647686886567342016-11-12T12:45:00.000-05:002016-11-12T12:46:36.432-05:00Retirement Decisions Begin with Money and Health<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How are you? Are you feeling okay?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm finally seeing the end of a series of viruses and will likely have a cough for a while. I don't bounce back like I used to but I'm a pretty healthy person and grateful for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>It's About Money</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I started thinking more about retirement, I found so many links to articles about finances and calculators that my head was swimming. You only need a couple of those sites, a calculator, and a budget to figure out where you stand with retirement readiness. Our <a href="https://retirementonyourmind.blogspot.com/p/finances.html" target="_blank">Finances</a> page has a series of great links for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Knowing how much you will have to live on with help you decide if you need to work longer or if you're ready to retire. For me, there are some unknowns to explore. For example, I haven't yet explored all of the options in Medicare and supplemental insurance and whatever I learn about current options will have to be adjusted for possible rate hikes over the years. Math is not my forte (glad we got that out of the way) but there are websites to help with this. Having a budget is important, and <a href="http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/spending/T007-S001-budgeting-worksheet-a-household-budget-for-today-a/" target="_blank">Kiplinger</a> has a good budget worksheet. Think of your budget in the same way you would think of building a house: it's your foundation and you can only build once you know the quality and strength of that foundation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>It's About Health</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How's your health? Are you generally healthy and active? Do you have a chronic illness? Do you go to an annual physical? Do you have a good doctor who can be a "traffic cop" as you may need to see different specialists?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My fantasy death is that I live to an old age as an fairly healthy person and die suddenly and painlessly in my sleep - but I'm not counting on it. Many of my friends have various aliments and sometimes we have that stereotypical senior talk about what's going on with our health. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Weird or unfortunate things happen to our bodies as we age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our <a href="https://retirementonyourmind.blogspot.com/p/health-and-safety.html" target="_blank">Health and Safety</a> page has a list of resources for you. All of them are reliable and I never post any link with "miracle cures" or a vitamin that makes your skin like a baby's and restores you to your healthiest point in life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Understanding your finances and your health will help you make decisions about how you want to enjoy your retirement years. Maybe you'll age in place, maybe you'll go to an active living community, maybe you'll head for assisted living. Knowing where you stand now and planning for possibilities can take a lot of stress out of your life and relieve your family members.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you have some comments, you are welcome to share. If it looks like spam or advertising, I will delete so it's pleasant for everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span></div>
Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-46979767052320856212016-10-10T13:55:00.001-04:002016-11-23T20:10:26.431-05:00Will your next home be determined by someone else? Part II<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I hope you're well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With all of the events I mentioned previously, we've been on the run while I'm ill with one virus after another. I'm sure that's not a coincidence!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In my last post, I mentioned our family member "Terry" who has had to make a decision about moving to a new community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was such a difficult decision for Terry as there was a belief, as I suppose there is for many of us, that Terry's home would be "it." No more moves, no strange places, no details to tend to. Just death at home and the relatives take care of the details.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The problem with that assumption is that one's future really is unknown. It's hard to imagine needing to change every idea about your life and independence when you've been healthy and active.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We go through life accumulating stuff. [George Carlin had a funny bit about "stuff" so I'm providing a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">link</span></a>. His language can be a bit blue so if you're sensitive to that, don't click.] </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We save up or impulsively buy and treasure all kinds of "stuff" and eventually may have to downsize. All of those things you looked at and enjoyed for years may not fit in your new place. Cherished items like crystal glasses or china are expensive to buy but sell for a pittance. The younger generation doesn't want things you loved so much. It is a harsh reality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Terry is now going through some items and it's hard to weed things out and think about how little money those items will sell for, if they can be sold at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I asked Terry to think about it like this: if you buy an expensive sofa and enjoy having it around for 30 years, you've gotten your money's worth. A beautiful vase has paid for itself by decorating your place and maybe holding some flowers. Getting caught up in what you think it should sell for versus the reality will only depress you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you are able to age in place, you might still want to start going through papers and clothing, old photos and memorabilia. I spoke with a man whose parents died within weeks of each other and it was left to him to go through a house they lived in for almost 50 years. They kept every love letter and card, new and used gift wrap and all kinds of other items because you never know if you'll need them. That situation only compounded his grief and then created some anger that this was what his parents left for him to fix.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you have some comments, you are welcome to share. If it looks like spam or advertising, I will delete so it's pleasant for everyone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span><br />
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<br />Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-71242259688281820952016-10-10T13:55:00.000-04:002017-05-17T20:12:52.005-04:00Will your next home be determined by someone else? Part I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I hope you're well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We've been amazingly busy and somewhat overwhelmed lately. I'll tell you in vague terms (to protect privacy) why and then I'll write about living options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My husband and I are not yet retiring, but we have considered where we'd like to be for the next few years if we're in good health. What we were not thinking about was the possibility of a sudden need for other care - where would we go so we could both be in the same facility? What would we do with our home and possessions? How would we be able to make a good decision while under duress? Would our son pick a spot for us? If not, who will help us? My sister? A niece or nephew? The State?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We got a call that made it clear a close elderly family member (let's call this person "Terry") needed to go to the hospital, and while there, we learned it was not safe for Terry to go home at this time. Because Terry's home is a solo home in a retirement community almost 2 hours from us, it was best for us to have a houseguest while we gathered information so Terry could make some decisions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Terry told us about some things that had happened recently, and any of those items might have raised alarms for us and certainly would have sounded alarms for physicians. Raised in a time when people didn't complain, when people were fiercely independent and would not share information with kids or other family, it's very hard for that generation to share anything that is personal and scary with others including physicians. That makes it even harder to get the right diagnosis early.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We've gotten a good education as a result on possible options, and I've learned that several acquaintances are looking into the same thing. I hope this information helps you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have some links on my <a href="https://retirementonyourmind.blogspot.com/p/housing.html" target="_blank">Housing</a> page and some information about Continuing Care Retirement Communities, aka CCRC.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A CCRC is one where you can start in independent living, obtain assisted living care, move to rehab or memory care units, and some but not all facilities have hospice care. These facilities are expensive and many offer some information about how to afford them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The places we saw usually offer studio or one bedroom with a small living room. Meals are included and activities are plentiful. One of the hard parts is accepting that one needs help, that we are suddenly really one of "that" population. The other hard part for many people is that the things you saved for, bought, enjoyed and dusted for years are suddenly too many items for your new home. Things just have to go, decisions have to be made.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When you're a healthy person, it's hard to imagine yourself as one who really needs help, but it is important to think about your own options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As a result of this experience, we have determined where we will move as the need arises. This is too important to us to not leave this decision to others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you have some comments, you are welcome to share. If it looks like spam or advertising, I will delete so it's pleasant for everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span><br />
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<br />Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465505150249001406.post-42785959396338350952016-08-19T18:17:00.000-04:002016-09-20T19:35:12.699-04:00<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm one who likes to think of my readers as friends I haven't met and my style here will be </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">one</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> of writing letters to y'all. I don't intend to write a lot of posts but will update resources.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ADDITIONAL NOTE ABOUT VIEWING THE SITE. I recommend viewing this site on a desktop or in the desktop view, not on a mobile phone. There are several links and it can be confusing finding the navigation bar. If you must use the phone, there is an orange bar that says "home" and a small arrow to touch for a scroll-through menu. At the bottom of the screen, you will see the options available and you can select one then click "done."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At a career planning event, a speaker said that most people plan more for vacations than careers. We look up locations, attractions, where to stay, how to get there, how to get around, currency, weather, language, and so on. Most people don't plan as much for their careers and often fall into jobs or become complacent and remain at jobs far too long. This has stayed with me as I feel it is absolutely true.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It made me think about my own future: what would my career be? What should I add to my skills? Where do I go to learn the new skills? How would I find my next job?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it also made me think about retirement. I have read many articles about how ill-prepared many people are when it comes to their finances and interests.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't want to be one of those people! I've read quite a bit and thought deeply about how I want that next stage of life to look like.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's what we don't know: what's our "expiration date?" It would be much easier if we knew that in advance so we could plan accordingly. It isn't morbid to think about this: it's practical and will affect most of your own decisions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The best we can do is look at family longevity and personal health, eat healthy foods and do regular exercise. We can look at mortality tables on the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/life-expectancy.htm" target="_blank">CDC (Centers for Disease Control)</a> website for general information but we can't predict accidents, illness or other factors in your life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am making the assumption that I'll live to be at least 90 and be pretty healthy till the end. Is it practical? Maybe, maybe not. But it is a start in planning.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've run through calculators and looked at present/future estimated income and savings. With a spreadsheet, I listed our savings, bank accounts, retirement funds and listed our assets including our home and cars. I listed our usual budget based on a year's worth of checking account entries. That gives me a baseline from which we can make other decisions. Do we move or stay where we are? How much can we travel? Will we need to reduce expenses?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's the practical side of understanding finances so we can make some decisions about our lives.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now we are looking into an important part about thinking about retirement - how to use that time so that we are enjoying life, feel active, engaged and useful.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm one who loves to keep lists of resources and I am sharing them on this site. Along the way, I plan to add to the resource list and update you on my own progress. I welcome your comments and hope you enjoy this site.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All the best,</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marcia</span></span>Marcia Stein, SPHR-CA, PHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00837052411002977181noreply@blogger.com0