Approaching Retirement

As you drift into retirement years, life should be relaxed and enjoyable. Unfortunately, for millions of seniors, this is not the case. Approaching retirement can be difficult, confusing, and downright exhausting. Because of this, many senior adults fear making difficult decisions associated with aging and some even begin experiencing phases of withdrawal and depression. In fact, there are probably more major decisions to be made after retirement than any other time in your life. Writing a Living Will, deciding which retirement community to move into, and should you invest in a long-term care insurance plan are to name a few. Then, there are more difficult decisions like which Medicare plan is better suited for you, which nursing center will you choose, and which hospice will help you live while you are dying. Although these decisions can be burdensome, it is your right to make them.

I have found one of the biggest obstacles for senior adults is finding health-related services that will be the right fit for you. For senior adults with a strong spiritual connection, a church-affiliated senior living community rich in ministerial services is probably a better fit than a hotel-affiliated senior living community. For those who wish to maintain an active lifestyle, a retirement community with a variety of physical and social activity programs will be the best choice. Whatever your personality, financial situation, physical or emotional limitations, or however prosperous you are, I cannot emphasize the importance of making those decisions for yourself.

I have also found making some of the tougher decisions occurs when older adults are more vulnerable. Sudden medical events such as strokes and heart attacks can cause older adults to fall victim to having a nursing center or physical therapy program chosen for them. Have you ever let the car salesman decide which kind of car you will buy? For most of us, the answer is no. But, for those who answered yes, how did you feel afterwards? Did the car salesman know you well enough to know exactly which car suited your personality, met your budget and fit your needs? Probably not. The same can be said about health care. Although having to make one health-related decision can be burdensome, having a stranger make your health care decisions can lead to displacement and can jeopardize your health and happiness.

After contacting Medicare, Social Security and your retirement plan administrator to determine your financial capabilities, use this checklist to consider when making those difficult retirement decisions:

- Familiarize yourself with senior adult services and their accepted payor sources.
- Tour several retirement communities and inquire about fees, services, and amenities.
- Choose a community that is physically, socially, and financially compatible with your expected retirement lifestyle. You may want to consider communities that offer multiple levels of care to accommodate unexpected needs such as Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing Care, Physical Therapy, and Memory Care.
- Consult with an attorney for estate planning and establish a Living Will as well as a Last Will & Testament.

Finally, this is the nursing center checklist to consider when sudden medical events occur:

- Make a personal visit or request a family member or friend to visit.
- Ask yourself, are the residents well-groomed?
- Visit during meal times to see if the residents are offered choices.
- Observe the center’s activities program. This is a good indicator how active residents the residents are.
- Look to see if there is an overall sense of happiness with both residents and employees.