Planning for your aging years is a big part of what we do. Aside from increasing my clients’ budget to accommodate the costs of assisted living or personal supports, there are other considerations that we discuss in our meetings. Among these is the issue of whether the current home is suitable for “aging in place” (a term used to express one’s desire to age in their home rather than moving to a retirement residence) and how the client will stay vital and engaged when he or she steps away from the workforce. I often use a phrase that the authors used: “make sure that you are retiring to something and not from something”.
Perhaps the greatest takeaway from this article is the idea many of these decisions should be made years in advance – or “with a cool head” as I usually refer to it. This helps to avoid a crisis when someone suddenly falls ill. I also encourage family meetings on some of these topics so that the family members can understand what you expect of them and what is important to you before they are put in the position to make decisions for you.
