My article last month addressed the question, what is the top fear keeping seniors from making a move? The answer was fear of change.

I discussed steps you can take if fear has kept you from improving your situation. This week I would like to answer the question, what is the top reason for making a move. In other words, why would a senior want or need to move after living in the home for several years. The answer Maintenance! The many chores and back breaking work needed to sustain a home. Comments from the folks surveyed, were anything from snow shoveling, yard maintenance, home deterioration, lawn maintenance, to finding it hard to rely on maintenance or handymen, and worry as to how the work will get done.

A few months ago I received a letter from a client, Marion. She is a wonderful lady who lived in her home for over 30 years. Her husband had passed away a few years ago, and was alone in her home. She was left with the responsibility of (more…)

So many folks today are living in that uncomfortable position on the fence not sure exactly whether they should stay in their current home or move into a senior community, an apartment, or a condominium. Living day to day with uncertainty can take away from the freedom and independence one should enjoy in retirement years.

Taking a realistic look at your current environment is the first step. It is vitally important to be truly honest with yourself when assessing your current needs for comfort and security. One should not only look at your current situation, but try to project 5-10 years ahead, taking into account one’s age and future needs. The goal is to avoid a crisis situation where a move is made during a traumatic time in your life. Too many folks wait until a change in health occurs or a loss of spouse. Decisions are then made in haste, and too often by children or relatives on behalf of the senior. When I ask my senior participants at seminars, would you want your children deciding where and how you will live, almost 100% shutter at the thought! It is not fair to the senior or to their children.

Therefore, early planning and (more…)

Last month I told the story of a woman who had lived in her home for 50 years. Her husband had passed away five years previous to my visit. Martha shared her feelings of isolation, fear of her future, and feelings of being overwhelmed with a decision to move. She had become a prisoner in a home that previously afforded her with happiness and joy. Her health had changed to the point where the stairs were an obstacle, she couldn’t drive at night, and she felt afraid being alone.

Martha and I worked on a game plan to find new housing closer to her daughter, and better suited to her current and future needs. She was so reluctant to begin this process of downsizing from a 2500 square foot home to a senior apartment. Martha researched the senior housing market by talking to friends and relatives who had previously moved to a senior apartment or senior community. She narrowed down the location to (more…)

Some of the most important decisions we will ever make in our lives come at a time when we are least prepared to make them…or do they? Think about it. For many of you in your 20’s and early 30’s you may have decided on a life long partner, a career, bought your first home, decided to have your first child, buy your first car, or went into the military. All of those huge life altering decisions made when you had little data to go on. Many of life’s lessons hadn’t happened, and your savings (if any) were minimal. Some of you sought help from your parents, but for the most part, you just “winged” it! You had no guarantees of any of the above actions ever working out. You went with logic, but mostly your “gut”!

Can you imagine having to make this many crucial decisions today? As we age, our thinking process can become more intense and (more…)