crylam

One of the toughest things many of us face is dealing with our parents as they age. Watching someone you love decline is not pleasant. I will tell you my parents' story because it is probably rather typical, and the one I know best. As my mom and dad started struggling with older age issues I had to learn as I went along. Since I lived within 35 minutes of their home, I became the primary caregiver. My brothers lived quite far away. They did what they could with occasional visits, but the bulk of the responsibility fell on my wife and me. We were just fine with that role and enjoyed a strong loving relationship with mom and dad. In 2006, my parents had the foresight to move into a retirement community. Dad was 82 and mom was 79. At that point, both were in good physical and mental shape, certainly well enough to be allowed into the community. It offered independent and assisted living options as well as a nursing care center. They wanted to avoid the situation where ...

A growing trend among retirees is the desire to remain in one's home as long as possible. In fact, a recent study quoted by AARP shows 87% of those 65+ want to age in place for as long as it is safe. Even among those 10 years younger, 71% would opt to stay put. Familiarity and community ties are the biggest draws. Even so, the market for retirement communities remains strong,  such as Jimmy Buffett's new retirement community approach . Sun City communities and other planned offerings have adjusted to a more active lifestyle and the positives of providing care that includes nursing home facilities.  The ability to choose between staying home or moving to a retirement community or coop housing setup is a new development. In part, it has occurred because there are more options available to receive medical care in one's home. With nursing facility costs out of reach for many retirees, it is good news that other choices exist. For purposes of this post, let's assume you woul...

A previous guest post, Downsizing To a Forever Home , generated some interesting comments about where to retire: an urban setting, long time home in the suburbs, smaller town, or in a more rural setting. Author, Barbara Hammond and husband, Dave, moved from Philadelphia to the seaside town of Cape May, New Jersey. She says the couple have found the perfect place to put down roots. It has a busy, resort feel in the summer and a quiet, locals only vibe during colder weather. That post prompted a suggestion to ask some follow up questions about the benefits and pitfalls of each retirement choice. Betty and I gave serious thought last year to a move to downtown Phoenix. After 30 years in our suburban Scottsdale home we liked the idea of a more vibrant environment, public transportation, and being close to restaurants, theaters, museums, and sporting venues. The smaller housing options were what we thought we wanted, too.  Well, that wasn't our final choice. Being close to fam...