ADULT
RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES SITE
& NURSING HOME SITE
5
P's to Peace in the Golden Years
Most
people think that just having a will protects their wishes and their
families in a time of loss. Who looks after a person's wishes if
they are alive, yet unable to make decisions regarding their own
health? Nearly half of everyone over the age of 65 will need some
type of long-term care, and some 50% of people entering nursing
homes deplete their life savings in only six short months.
Kris
Miller, The Senior Life Coach, spends her life sharing simple easy-to-implement
ways to protect ones assets and family through Living Trusts and
smart planning. She has found a cost-effective way to plan for the
future, while taking the worry and expense out of the equation.
These
are "The Five P's to Peace in the Golden Years":
1.
Prepare
2. Preserve
3. Protect
4. Proceed
5. Pray
Prepare
Finding peace begins in finding simplicity. Estate planning and
long-term care decisions have been made so confusing to the every
day ordinary person, that most people spend more time worrying about
life than enjoying it. The first step toward peace in the golden
years is in the preparation. Did you know that if you have assets
and/or equity in real estate, your estate may need a Living Trust
to avoid probate? When one has a Living Trust, there are no 'middle
men' taking money out of the estate before the family or charity
for which it was intended.
The
estate goes directly from the life-long earner to the people they
choose. Remember, a good Comprehensive Estate Plan should include
Powers of Attorney for financial and health needs to protect a person
while living.
Prepare now! Preparation is always best when the sea is calm.
Preserve
Nearly half of everyone over the age of 65 will need some type of
long-term care, and 50% of people entering nursing homes will deplete
their entire life savings within six months. Medicare and HMOs do
not cover long-term care. The average cost of a nursing home is
between $40,000 and $80,000 a year. This is only the base fee for
care and boarding. This does not include doctors, drugs, or therapy.
Preservation of one's estate begins by simple planning. The first
way to preserve an estate is by paying less in taxes through good
record keeping, sound tax advice, and preparation. The second way
to preserve an estate is a good long-term care policy. Seek expert
advice on how to reduce and eliminate taxes on Social Security with
"Depression-Proof" safety.
Preservation begins with a good education. Knowledge is power!
Protect
A person could end up with a Medicaid claim on their home if they
receive Medicaid after the age of 55 and leave property in their
estate when they die and a Living Trust, joint tenancy, or tenancy
in common does NOT protect a person's home from an estate claim.
A person has the right to transfer their home to anyone, if the
home is exempt at the time of transfer. Here's where "protect"
springs into action! The home is exempt if "yes" was marked
on the Medicaid application indicating that the person applying
intends to return home. Take precautions however, because recovery
still may be possible after deathe, depending on state laws.
Assuming one is protected is assuring one is not. Learn the rules
by seeking a knowledgeable teacher.
Proceed
The time is now. Waiting until one is ready to move into assisted
living or a nursing facility is too late. Strokes, aneurysm, cancer,
automobile accidents, or an early onset of Alzheimer's can catch
one ill prepared to deal with a mate or parent who is permanently
disabled physically or mentally. If everyone is healthy, happy,
and has a full vibrant life, then NOW is the time to proceed with
planning for the future so that financial stress is not added to
unexpected trauma. Seek a certified senior planner in who can assist
in helping fill out necessary forms with guidance in the best ways
to protect loved ones and lifestyle. This is also very important
for those who do not have loved ones to protect or provide for.
What this really means, is there is no one to protect the assets
of the person in need. Single men and women without children who
are middle-aged need to prepare for their future because there is
no one else to step in when they are unable to care for thelmselves.
The
time is now to prepare for tomorrow. The foolish believe that good
health and great wealth are infinite resources.
Pray
It
is a long proven theory that people, who depend on Spiritual Guidance
and faith, find peace in life's troubled seas. Seeking a Power other
than our own, helps us mentally prepare for the worst while expecting
the best. Dr. Harold Koenig of Duke University completed a study
in the early '90s that he believes showed that "belief in God
helped fight off depression and anxiety." College students
who participate in religious activities are more likely to have
better emotional and mental health than students with no religious
involvement, according to a national study of students at 46 wide-ranging
colleges and universities. Faith and spirituality guide the lives
of three out of four American adults, according to a new report
by the Gallup Organization and the University of Pennsylvania. The
initial findings indicate that, in the face of war with Iraq, threats
of terrorism at home and an economic recession, the spiritual state
of the union is strong. High school seniors who consider themselves
religious have significantly higher self-esteem and hold more positive
attitudes about life than do their less religious peers, a new study
shows. Study after study shows the positive affect spirituality
has on people. Previous research has shown that spirituality can
give us hope, is a powerful antidepressant, and can help cure illnesses
such as heart disease and cancer. Now researchers have shown that
spirituality and the practice of religion may help slow the progression
of Alzheimer's disease as well. The research behind this finding
was presented at the American Academy of Neurology 57th Annual Meeting
in Miami Beach, Fla. (April 9 - 16, 2005). The study assessed 68
people aged 49 to 94 who met criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease.
Religiosity and spirituality were measured with the validated Duke
University Religion Index and the Overall Self-Ranking subscale
from the NIH/Fetzer Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness
/ Spirituality. These methods collected information on the patients'
practices such as attendance at religious events and private religious
activities.
"We
learned that the patients with higher levels of spirituality or
higher levels of religiosity may have a significantly slower progression
of cognitive decline," said study author Yakir Kaufman, MD,
who conducted the research as a fellow at of the Baycrest Centre
for Geriatric Care in Toronto, Ontario.
"Spirituality
and religiosity have been linked to better health outcomes,"
said Kaufman.
It
is very simple. When all the technical aspects of preparation, preservation,
protection, and proceeding with a goal of security and peace in
the golden years are underway, it is prayer, meditation, or even
a slowing down of the mental zoo that helps us contemplate joy and
the Divine Creator. It is in that prayerful place, peace finds us.
In
a world where anything can happen, radical dependence on spiritual
faith can help us WALK ON WATER!
