Retirement Living
Retirement communities offer those entering retirement( or as young as 55 +), and beyond, a community designed to fit the lifestyle of older adults. Homes are typically fit to satisfy smaller families of one to two people, offer single-level living or condostyle homes, and are low- or no maintenance, offering several amenities.
Many people choose to sell their larger homes and downsize to a retirement community for the built-in neighborhood, making socialization easy and fun. The interaction seniors receive from living in a community provides them with a higher quality of life and even potentially reduces the risk of dementia.
When looking into a retirement community, ask friends or family who may already live there what they like about it and see if it’ s a lifestyle you’ d like for yourself. When deciding on a specific community, think about where you’ d want to live. Do you want to stay close to family or move somewhere warmer? Do you want to move close to the city or out to the suburbs?
You’ ll also want to look at the activities and amenities offered at each community to see what piques your interest. If your faith is what grounds you, you may find a retirement community that’ s rooted in religion. Or if you want to maintain your active lifestyle, look for a community offering outdoor activities, yoga, or walking groups. There is something for everyone; you just have to put in the time to search for a community that suits you.
When deciding on a new home, be sure to research costs. While the price of the home may fit nicely into your price range, the extracurricular activities associated with retirement communities may have additional fees. You’ ll want to know all costs upfront to make sure you’ re setting yourself up to maintain your quality of life.
Elder Law
Having a legal professional assist in elder law planning will set you and your loved ones up for success in later years. This planning helps ensure that seniors are financially prepared for their aging care and often helps navigate the complex legalities of state and federal regulations regarding their aging care decisions.
Attorneys who specialize in this type of law aid in anticipating future medical needs, financially preparing for long-term care solutions, protecting assets from Medicaid spend-down, and can assist with qualifying for long-term benefits.
When aging parents or loved ones are deemed incapable of making responsible decisions on their own, they may have a“ guardian” appointed to make decisions for them, as granted by the court. This guardian will take ownership of decisions including legal, financial, and health care and can work closely with an elder law attorney to make sure the loved one is well cared for.
There are alternatives to guardianship should a person be able to make some decisions, including power of attorney, representative, conservatorship, or revocable trust. These options should be considered if possible, since they are less restrictive to the aging individual than guardianship.
Creating a relationship with an attorney early on in your elder care can allow you to gain trust and a mutual understanding of your wishes as you age. This professional will be most apt to provide you with the knowledge you need to navigate the challenging waters of elder law.
Estate Planning
No matter your age, you should be prepared for what will happen to your assets should you die. Focusing on wills and trusts, estate planners can assist you in laying out a road map for your children, pets, home, and other assets to ensure that everything is taken care of the way you intend.
Estate planning starts with a solid relationship with an attorney who understands your financial state and your wishes for how your assets should be distributed. Estate planning is typically fluid and could change often with births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and other large life events.
Estate planning can also assist you in identifying a power of attorney who could handle your affairs should you be incapacitated, and creating an advance health care directive to name someone who could make health care decisions if you’ re unable to do so yourself.
Younger families may choose to focus their estate planning on building a living will and naming guardians and trustees should both parents die unexpectedly, while aging adults focus more on estate planning and Medicaid issues. Whatever your circumstances, it’ s important to find a legal professional you can build a relationship with and trust with your future.
Setting yourself up to be financially sound could make your golden years exceedingly more enjoyable. Knowing that you and your loved ones will be comfortable and secure makes the time and effort you put into researching and educating yourself on retirement planning, elder law, and estate planning all worth it. n
Aging and Elder Care SPECIAL SECTION
OAKMONT-PENN HILLS-VERONA | SUMMER 2025 31