Insights Into Independence

Aging alone is challenging and scary! “Solo Elders” is the term used to describe older individuals who have no partner or children. This can also include seniors with children who are estranged. Often, estate planning and long- term care are the biggest issues they face. They do not know who to leave their estate to and they are concerned about who will care for them. In addition, they face fears of isolation and loneliness. [...]

Image a retirement that is all it’s hoped to be – fun trips, time with grandkids, long afternoons, gardening, and walks. Then it happens. A fall, an unexpected death, an illness, a slow but certain cognitive decline. The independence and freedom of a healthy retirement is gone. In the elder care world, we call this a “trigger event.” We have seen this happen over and over again. There is little [...]

As published by Independence Advisors, May 14, 2018. We have all heard the story about: The grandmother who fell victim to a financial scam The widow’s house that fell into disrepair The son who had to take Dad’s driver’s license away because he crashed the car These costly mistakes may have been avoided had the individuals relinquished responsibility for the tasks before they were no longer capable of managing them. [...]

For many older adults, life after retirement is busy and full of meaning. Grandkids, volunteer work, travel and hobbies keep them active, engaged and full of life. But inevitably, something happens — an illness, a fall, the death of a spouse, or even a mild cognitive decline — and life becomes more stressful and difficult. Daily tasks that were once easy to manage start to slip through the cracks. Bills [...]