Here’s a question: if you’ve made it clear in your will which of your heirs should inherit money from your estate, how it is possible that those funds will end up going to someone else? The answer is simple: if you’ve forgotten to update the beneficiary information on a life insurance policy, retirement plan, or…
Here on the AgingOptions blog, we’ve written thousands of words about aging in place. Everyone seems to agree that growing old in one’s own home is the preferred plan for the vast majority of American seniors, and with good reason: “home” represents familiarity, security, comfort, and support. Even though many if not most U.S. houses…
Dying is a touchy subject, it’s true, but there’s one aspect of life’s end on which almost everyone seems to agree. When people are asked where they would prefer to end their lives, the number one answer is always the same: “at home.” Yet since the 1950s, people have been far more likely to pass…
Hoarding is one of those little-understood habits that people sometimes laugh about or make light of (or even feature on so-called reality television shows). But you are the adult child of a hoarder, you know the issue is no laughing matter. This article that appeared last year at this time on the NextAvenue website, written…
Frequently on the AgingOptions blog we’ve written about the struggles caregivers go through in taking care of loved ones. Even though the caregiver has the best of intentions and is motivated by a genuine love for the one needing care, there are times – especially as someone’s condition worsens – when the burden becomes too…
When we read tales of people taking financial advantage of seniors, it really makes our blood boil, doesn’t it? Few crimes seem more insidious and downright evil than the crime of defrauding a vulnerable elder. Yet sometimes, because we value an older person’s privacy, we may suspect something is amiss and yet fail to step…
The Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone and we’re well into December, which means holiday gatherings are finding their way onto the calendar. For the families of nearly 6 million Americans, these otherwise happy occasions come with an added emotional burden: they have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, and as much as they want…
Back in mid-2018, we found a pair of articles that shone a spotlight on a highly important but frequently overlooked aspect of retirement planning: spousal harmony. If you and your spouse have conflicting visions of the what, when and how of retirement, you could be on an emotional collision course. It’s far, far better to…
Here at AgingOptions, we often talk about how most retirees would do almost anything to avoid being forced into a nursing home as they age. Still, a large number of seniors will find themselves in institutional care someday. While the residents may have to sacrifice some of their independence and mobility, the nursing homes are…
Serving as a caregiver for someone you love is one of the hardest things any of us will ever do. But when the caregiver is also the spouse, the experience is particularly devastating. This article just published by Kaiser Health News, written by columnist Judith Graham, shines a revealing spotlight on the pain of caring…