DON’T WAIT SIX WEEKS! GO ONLINE TODAY

Every year in early February, the world’s most famous groundhog receives a lot of attention. On Groundhog Day, the world’s furriest weather reporter, Punxsutawney Phil, pops out of his home to forecast one of two possibilities: an early spring or six more weeks of winter.

Regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil predicts, there’s no reason for you to wait six weeks to do business with Social Security. Whatever the weather, you can visit our online office from the convenience and comfort of your warm and cozy home or office. Just go to www.socialsecurity.gov.

You can do so many things online. And it’s so easy, even a groundhog could do it … if eligible. Below are a few of the things you can do at www.socialsecurity.gov.

• Get an instant, personalized estimate of future retirement benefits with the Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator
• Apply for Social Security retirement, spouse’s, or disability benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline
• Apply for Medicare at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly
• Request a replacement Medicare card at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicarecard/
• Learn about Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp, where you can find a link to apply

Punxsutawney Phil has called for six more weeks of winter 87 percent of the time. We suspect that’s because he just likes to stay in his comfortable home. You can too, on Groundhog Day or any day, by going online.

Whatever the weather, learn all about the things you can do online at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices.

A VALENTINE TIP FROM SOCIAL SECURITY

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, making this a popular time of year for proclamations of love. Such displays of affection can be as simple and sweet as a heart with a “be mine” message, or as life altering as a vow before the altar.

If you happen to be a newlywed who is head over heels in love, you may not be focused on things such as taxes or Social Security, but you should be. If you plan to exchange your maiden name for a married name — including hyphenated names such as Smith-Jones — be sure you let us know.

Telling us about your name change shortly after your marriage will help us accurately keep track of your earnings and will ensure that you and your family get the Social Security retirement, disability, and survivors coverage you’re entitled to. Also, if the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security records do not show the same name and Social Security number, your Federal income tax refund could be delayed.

If you continue to use your maiden name consistently throughout your working years, you do not need to contact us. However, if you decide to change your name at a later time, you should let us know, so that we can update your Social Security record and send you a Social Security card with your new name.

There’s no need to pay someone else to mail in the information for you. Changing your name with Social Security is a quick, easy, and free service. Just go online to www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber, learn what documents you need, and click on “Fill Out and Print an application (Form SS-5).” You also can call us at 1-800-772-1213 to obtain the form. We will need the completed application along with a marriage certificate or divorce decree verifying your old and new names. If you were born outside the United States, you also need proof of your U.S. citizenship or proof that you are lawfully living in the U.S. You can bring or mail these documents to us.

You may be focused on the one you love, and we don’t blame you. But if you like us (we hope you do) please click on the Facebook icon at our homepage and “like” us on Facebook. Also, you can follow us on Twitter too. Look for our Facebook and Twitter icons at www.socialsecurity.gov. We share information daily that can help you and all your Valentines.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Social Security.

BE IN THE KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

We’re in the dead of winter. In many areas of the country, that means that we could be in for some rough weather. When severe weather strikes, parents of young children are well aware that they need to check for school closings as they prepare for the day. But sometimes inclement weather can be severe enough to close down government buildings and offices as well — including Social Security.

If the weather outside is frightful, you should check our website before making a trip to a Social Security office. The place to go to find out about emergency office closings is www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency.

Social Security’s office closings and emergency page provides information on specific offices that are closed due to weather and emergencies, as well as reminders about upcoming Federal holidays during which government offices are closed. The website also offers a link to a comprehensive list of Federal holidays throughout the year.

To the right side of the page, you’ll find helpful resources from other government agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service. They can help you to prepare for weather emergencies before they happen.

We also provide information about alternatives to visiting an office, helpful even when offices are open. For example, many of our most popular services are available online at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Find out what types of benefits you may be eligible for by using our benefits eligibility screening tool and then apply online. If you are already getting benefits, you can use our website to sign up for direct deposit so that your payments won’t be interrupted during weather emergencies. You can learn about these and other services available on our secure website by visiting our Online Services page at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices.

If you’d like to be alerted to office closings, that’s easy to do. Just visit www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency and subscribe to the page by selecting the “Get email updates” link next to the red envelope. Then you’ll get an email alert any time there is a change, such as an office closing.

Is the weather outside frightful? Never fear, Social Security service is always so delightful at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Jan and Don were life-long athletes. During high school, both played several team sports, and they continued to feed this passion with church and community teams as they aged. In addition, when their children were younger, they took turns serving as coach, cheerleader, snack parent and equipment manager.

With these years of experience, they understood a great way to achieve a goal was through a team, cooperative effort. So, it was no surprise that when it came time to create their estate plan, they again assembled a team – a team of legal and financial professionals, ensuring their financial goals meshed with their estate plan goals.

Like Jan and Don, you can assemble your own team of professionals to create and maintain your estate plan, ensuring you have a cohesive strategy for both your financial and non-financial wealth.

In building your team, you can include:
• A qualified estate planning attorney. As with most areas of law, estate planning requires specific language and the laws change frequently. An attorney that focuses his or her practice in estate planning will have a thorough understanding of the current laws and updates. In additional to the financial aspects of the plan, an attorney will ensure you have additional important documents such as powers of attorney and health care directives.
• A financial planner. While they may focus in a number of areas, a financial planner can help you coordinate and track your financial assets including retirement accounts, making sure you are on pace to meet your financial goals.
• An accountant. Many estate planning techniques are associated with tax planning. An accountant can help you navigate multiple tax issues and, where appropriate, business accounting and planning issues.
• Your family. Sharing information about your estate plans now can eliminate discord and arguments later. Not only will your family not have to argue about who should get grandma’s dishes, they also will have a better understanding of your wishes for
medical care and end-of-life issues.

Like Jan and Don, you may have questions about how to assemble your team. If you are not currently working with any of the key players, you can begin by asking trusted friends or family members for recommendations. If you do have an advisor in any of the areas outlined, they may already work with advisors in related fields and may be able to make a recommendation for you.

Nash Nash Bean & Ford are members of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. To receive a copy of our most recent newsletter, “Your Estate Matters,” or for a free consultation on Estate or Long Term Care Planning, call (309) 944-2188, (309) 762-9368 or 1-800-644-5345. You may also contact our firm by email at info@nashbeanford.com or visit our web site at http://www.nashbeanford.com.

The firm devotes its practice primarily in the areas of estate, business and tax planning and related areas of the law, as well as elder law and trust administration and probate. We offer guidance and advice to our clients in every area of estate planning.

This column is designed for general information purposes only, and is not intended, nor should be construed or relied upon, as legal advice. Please consult your attorney if specific legal information is desired.

Seniors today are fortunate that there are so many choices in senior housing today.

The choices for senior housing have changed significantly over the years. Back in the 1990s, seniors had basically two choices; either live at home or move into a nursing home if their health declined. Twenty years later, there are now many choices for seniors. Home Health Services allow seniors to stay at home and have a visiting nurse come in and assist them. Another option is to move into an independent/assisted living apartment. In this environment they rent an apartment, have home-cooked meals served to them in a dining room, and a nurse supervises their medication administration and activities of daily living.

There are now some independent/assisted living facilities that now accept Medicaid, which is a plus for those seniors on limited incomes.

Nursing homes are now seeing their population change. Seniors, who come to a nursing home, for the most part are in their 90s, compared to in their 80s years ago. Residents, who live in nursing homes, have increased medical needs that require 24-hour supervision. And naturally, the cost of living in a nursing home is greater compared to independent/assisted living due to the increased needs of the resident. Today, the average cost of nursing home care in the Quad-Cities is $5,500 to $6,500 per month. And Medicaid does cover the cost of nursing home care should the resident deplete their assets.

Seniors today are fortunate that there are so many choices in senior housing today. And in the Quad-Cities, there are many facilities to choose from.

At Bettendorf Health Care Center, we provide skilled and intermediate nursing care. We offer private rooms, semi-private rooms and suites. We participate in both Medicare and Medicaid programs. If anyone is looking for long-term care in a homelike atmosphere, they can call us at (563) 332-7463 and ask to speak to Kelsey Snyder for a personal tour.

Alternatives for the Older Adult is the only agency designated by the Illinois Department on Aging to assist seniors with care planning and is a nonprofit organization.

Care Coordination: Developing a plan of care especially for you. Your Care Coordinator will start wherever YOU are – whether you are in your own home, in the hospital, or in a nursing home.

Your Care Coordinator will:
• Meet with you and get to know your needs
• Gather information, do the footwork, make phone calls, and figure costs for support and sort through it
• Find out if you can receive state-funded services; even if you don’t qualify, we can still find appropriate services for you
• Help you decide what works for you to live better, more independently
• Arrange for the services you prefer such as homemaker, in-home meals, emergency response, etc.

Bill Payer-Assistance: Begin here if handling your finances has become overwhelming.

Your Bill Payer will:
• Visit you personally to get to know your needs
• Become a bill payer or representative payee, if needed
• Help organize and pay bills and/or assist you in balancing your checkbook

Caregiver Support: Start here if caring for an aging loved one is stressful to you.

The Caregiver Counselor will:
• Learn about your care-giving role and provide individual counseling
• Guide you on setting realistic expectations
• Meet with your family upon request
• Link you with services to provide you with relief
• Connect you with a local caregiver support group
• Provide caregiver classes to give you the tools you need for handling any situation

Nursing Home Complaint Resolution: Begin here if you are having a problem with a nursing home or assisted living facility.

Your Advocate will:
• Provide information on your rights
• Investigate complaints and help resolve them
• Provide education to nursing homes about your rights
• Visit you in the nursing home

Protective Services: Start here if you are, or know an older adult who is being taken advantage of, abused or neglected.

The Protective Service Staff will:
• Meet with you about your situation and assist you in resolving problems
• Help with legal options or finding other services
• Provide supportive counseling

For more information on programs offered by Alternatives for the Older Adult, call (309) 277-0167 or 800-798-0988 or visit www.4olderadults.org.

Over 100 million Americans plan New Year’s resolutions to improve their lives over the next 12 months. While their goals vary from losing weight to spending more time with their children, most people make resolutions to gain more
control over their lives.

One of the best ways to take control of your life is to make sure your estate plan is in order. While it may not be a typical resolution, it is easier than losing 30 pounds, and with the attorneys and staff at your estate planning firm, it comes with a built-in support system, a key element to successfully completing a resolution.

Your estate planning firm will help you with several important documents including:

• A HIPAA document: Designed to prevent anyone from abusing another individual’s medical information, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act prevents medical personnel from releasing any patient information to unauthorized individuals. The HIPAA Authorization Form allows you to name the people you wish to to receive your medical information.

• A Health Care Power of Attorney: In addition to the HIPAA Authorization, a Health Care Power of Attorney legally allows a person you name to act as your agent in a medical emergency.

• A Property Power of Attorney: This document allows you to name a person to act as your agent on any property in your name if you are temporarily or permanently incapacitated.

• A Will: This document provides a framework for who will inherit your assets after your death. It also can be used to name a guardian for minor children.

• A Living Trust: In many ways, a Living Trust is similar to a will. It is a legal document defining the distribution of your assets following your death and naming who will manage your estate. However, it also can incorporate all the above documents, and it provides enormous protection during your lifetime – which a will cannot do – and continues to work well after you are deceased.

As you assess your life this New Year, you can resolve to gain control of your life. With carefully crafted documents working together to create a complete estate plan, you can protect yourself and your family, during your life and after.

Nash Nash Bean & Ford are members of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. To receive a copy of our most recent newsletter “Your Estate Matters” or for a free consultation on Estate or Long Term Care Planning, call (309) 944-2188, (309) 762-9368 or 1-800-644-5345. You may also contact our firm by email at info@nashbeanford.com or visit our web site at www.nashbeanford.com.

The firm devotes its practice primarily in the areas of estate, business and tax planning and related areas of the law, as well as elder law and trust administration and probate. We offer guidance and advice to our clients in every area of estate planning.

This column is designed for general information purposes only, and is not intended, nor should be construed or relied upon, as legal advice. Please consult your attorney if specific legal information is desired.

A little over three years ago, a group of five individuals met over early morning coffee to discuss ways to raise money to buy Christmas gifts for Quad-City seniors. Just two months later, the first annual Hat Bash was held at CASI. The event raised over $8,000, money that was used to make the holidays brighter for many of our Quad-City seniors.

Three years later, this “party with a purpose,” has become the Quad-Cities favorite way to kick off the holiday season. On November 17, the generous spirit of over 400 attendees brought in a record $18,000. Funds raised through the Holiday Hat Bash provided holiday gifts as well as gift cards throughout the year for critical needs. Proceeds were also distributed to Generations on Aging, Friendly House, Project Now, Martin Luther King Center, Bethel AME Church and the Vietnam Veterans Agency #71 to deliver Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day meals and gifts to homebound seniors. All of these programs help to make the holidays a bit brighter for those seniors in need.

During these difficult economic times, the aging service organizations often find themselves stretched to provide the needed services to their clientele. Recent statistics indicate that one in six seniors in our country live below the government poverty level. Single women are particularly vulnerable, as many of them were stay-at-home moms, who entered the work force late resulting in smaller pensions.

How fortunate we are to live in a community of individuals who value the contributions of their seniors and want to make life a bit better for them in their sunset years. How lucky we are to have CASI, Center for Active Seniors, whose mission is to provide services that meet the needs of older adults, and foster respect, dignity, and quality of life.

If you sponsored, volunteered, or attended the Hat Bash we thank you for your time and generosity. If you have not yet experienced this event, we invite you to join us next year. Every one of you reading this has in some way been positively impacted by one or more seniors in your life. They may have read to you when you were a small child, took you fishing, helped celebrate your birthday, or just listened when you needed them to. They may have been a parent, a grandparent, a neighbor, or friend, but your identity is due in part to their influence. In this New Year, honor them by remembering our Quad-City seniors!

Mary Schricker, a former educator and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, is the author of two books, “The West End Kid” & “A Labor of Love.”

ALL ABOUT RETIREMENT

Social Security is as American as baseball and apple pie. Not everyone likes apples or baseball games, but almost every American who reaches retirement age will receive Social Security retirement benefits. In fact, 96 percent of Americans are covered by Social Security.

If you’re ready to retire in the near future, this article is for you. We’d like to share with you a few important items about Social Security retirement benefits and how to apply for them.

When you work and pay Social Security taxes, you earn “credits” toward Social Security benefits. If you were born in 1929 or later, you need 40 credits (10 years of work) to qualify for retirement benefits.

To qualify for retirement benefits, 10 years is the minimum. However, the amount of your benefit is determined by how long you work and how much you earn. Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benefits. If there were some years when you did not work or had low earnings, your benefit amount may be lower than if you had worked steadily or earned more.

Also, your age when you retire makes a difference in your benefit amount. The full retirement age (the age at which full retirement benefits are payable) has been gradually rising from age 65 to age 67. You can retire as early as age 62, but if benefits start before you reach your full retirement age, your monthly payment is reduced. Find out what your full retirement age is by referring to the convenient chart in our publication, Retirement Benefits, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10035.html. It’s in the second section.

Just as you can choose an early retirement and get a reduced payment, you also can choose to keep working beyond your full retirement age to take advantage of a larger payment. Your benefit will increase automatically by a certain percentage from the time you reach your full retirement age until you start receiving your benefits or until you reach age 70.

The decision of when to retire is an individual one and depends on a number of personal factors. To help you weigh the factors, we suggest you read our online fact sheet, When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits, available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10147.html.

You may want to consider your options by using our Retirement Estimator to get instant, personalized estimates of future benefits. You can plug in different retirement ages and scenarios to help you make a more informed retirement decision. Try it out at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

When you decide to retire, the easiest and most convenient way to do it is right from the comfort of your home or office computer. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov where you can apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes. In most cases, there are no forms to sign or documents to send; once you submit your electronic application, that’s it!

In addition to using our award-winning website, you can call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY, 1-800-325-0778) or visit the Social Security office nearest you.

Either way you choose to apply, be sure to have your bank account information handy so we can set up your payments to be deposited directly into your account.

To learn more, please read our publication, Retirement Benefits, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10035.html.

SOCIAL SECURITY RESOLUTIONS

Happy 2012 from Social Security! With the new year, many people put together lists of goals and resolutions. Allow us to share with you some new year’s resolutions that you may find worth keeping.

Think about retirement. Whether you’re 26 and beginning a career or 62 and thinking about the best time to stop working, give some thought to what your retirement plan will be. Social Security is the largest source of income for elderly Americans today, but it was never intended to be your only source of income when you retire. You also will need savings, investments, pensions or retirement accounts to make sure you have enough money to live comfortably when you retire. The earlier you begin your financial planning, the better off you will be. For tips to help you save, visit www.mymoney.gov.

Plan ahead. The best way to begin planning for retirement is by using the free resources provided by Social Security. Start by using our Retirement Estimator, where you can get a personalized, instant estimate of your future retirement benefits using different retirement ages and scenarios. Visit the Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

Make sure you have all your numbers. While tax season may seem far away, now is the time that many taxpayers start gathering records and documentation for filing tax returns. One of the most important things you need is a Social Security number for everyone whom you will claim as a dependent. If you don’t have a number for one of your dependents, you need to apply now to have the Social Security number in time to file your tax return. Learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.

Do a little light reading. The best way to learn more about Social Security, the benefit programs, and what they mean to you and your family is to browse through our online library of publications. You can find overviews as well as more detailed booklets. Our library at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs is always open.

Help a loved one. Sometimes we get the most satisfaction out of helping someone else. If you have a grandparent, parent, relative, or friend who could benefit from Social Security, share our website and online services with them. You can even help a loved one apply for retirement or Medicare benefits — or for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs — in as little as 10 minutes. Whether you forward a publication or sit down to help someone apply for Social Security, the place to go is www.socialsecurity.gov.

We hope you’ll consider some of these resolutions. Happy New Year from Social Security!

HELP SOMEONE THIS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY

January 16 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — a national holiday. To some, the day means more than an observance of the birthday of the civil rights leader. It is also a day to be of service to others. The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems.

A great way to be of service to others is to help someone you know who may need assistance applying for Social Security, Medicare, or Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs. Each of these is easy to do at www.socialsecurity.gov. Some people who need these benefits may not be comfortable with computers or may not even know applying online is an option. But now it’s easier than ever to apply for such benefits from the convenience of a home computer at www.socialsecurity.gov.

For example, it’s easy to apply for retirement benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline. It can take as little as 15
minutes from start to finish, and once the application is electronically submitted, in most cases, there is nothing more to do. It’s even easier to apply for Medicare, for people who do not plan to begin their Social Security retirement payments yet but who do want Medicare coverage. The application takes about 10 minutes and can be found at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly. People who already have Medicare coverage, but who have trouble meeting prescription drug costs, can apply for Extra Help online at www.socialsecurity.gov/extrahelp.

This holiday, you may want to make a trip to see the new Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington D.C. or listen to a recording of a memorable speech. You can also make your Martin Luther King Day a day of service to someone who can use your help. Lead them to www.socialsecurity.gov. It may be easy for you, but it may be a dream come true for the person you help.

WE’RE AN ONLINE LEADER IN SPANISH, TOO

We have good news for tens of millions of Spanish-speaking Americans. For years, Social Security has been at the forefront of providing online services for Americans, and we’ve provided a wealth of information in Spanish. Now, you can do even more with the expanded suite of services offered in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.

The most exciting enhancement: you can now apply online for both Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare in Spanish!

If you are ready to apply for Social Security retirement benefits now, you can do it quickly and easily on your home or office computer. The online application takes as little as 15 minutes. Once you complete the online application and “sign” it with the click of a mouse, your application is complete. In most cases there are no documents to submit or additional paperwork to fill out. Online is the easiest way to apply, and now you can do it in Spanish.

In addition to applying for Social Security retirement benefits, you can also go to www.segurosocial.gov to apply for Medicare. How’s this for convenient and easy: it can be done in as little as 10 minutes, from start to finish.

But you can do more than apply for benefits at www.segurosocial.gov. You can get a lot of information and publications written in Spanish. In addition, there are a number of online transactions that allow you to complete your Social Security business online, and in the language you’re most comfortable using. One of the most popular of all is our Retirement Estimator.

Get an instant, personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefits using the Retirement Estimator. Using the actual wages posted in your Social Security record, the Estimator will give you a good picture of what to expect in benefits. It protects your personal information by providing only retirement benefit estimates — it does not show the earnings information used to calculate the benefit estimate, nor does it reveal other identifying information. You can plug in different scenarios and future wage amounts to get estimates for different situations.

If you are already entitled to Medicare and are having trouble with the high cost of prescription drug costs, you might qualify for Extra Help from Social Security. The Extra Help can save you as much as $4,000 each year. You can learn all about it and apply online for the Extra Help at www.segurosocial.gov too.

Do you need a little help getting started on the computer? Ask your children or grandchildren to help you. Chances are they would be happy to spend a few minutes helping you.

If you prefer to do business online in Spanish, then our website is the place for you. Visit www.segurosocial.gov today. It’s so easy!

Patty Duke Turns 65, Applies Online for Social Security and Medicare benefits

After years of telling people they can apply online for Social Security in their pajamas, Patty Duke has taken her own advice. Duke, who recently turned 65, applied online for retirement and Medicare benefits from home at www.socialsecurity.gov.

“I had no idea this would be such a momentous occasion,” said Duke, who for three years has volunteered her time promoting Social Security’s online services in numerous Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and media interviews. In a new online video, Duke puts character acting aside and shows everyone what happened when she and her husband Mike Pearce sat down at the kitchen table, turned on their laptop, and applied for her retirement and Medicare benefits.

“All of us at Social Security wished Patty a very happy birthday,” said Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security. “She’s a Hollywood legend and an American treasure who has reached a very important milestone. True to form, she is the one giving us the birthday present by showing her fellow baby boomers the easiest way to apply for benefits.”

In 2009, Duke reprised her roles as the identical cousins, Patty and Cathy Lane from the Patty Duke Show, for a series of PSAs promoting Social Security’s online services. In 2010, Duke teamed up with the surviving Patty Duke Show cast members for an additional set of spots. Earlier this year, she teamed up with entertainment icon George Takei to encourage people of all ages to “Boldly Go” to www.socialsecurity.gov. In the three years since Duke has volunteered her time with Social Security, millions of people have visited the agency’s website and the percentage of online retirements has more than doubled.

“While I just applied for retirement benefits, I’m not retiring from being a Social Security spokesperson,” Duke says. “I urge my fellow baby boomers to go online to www.socialsecurity.gov. If you’re not sure how to get started on the computer, ask a loved one to help you out. I did, and it was so easy.”

Have you given much thought to your future care needs, or are you invincible, like so many of us feel? Have you ever had an opportunity to talk with someone 90-plus years old, and they refer to people as “those old people?” It is so true these days; we just don’t feel as old as we are. We look in the mirror and wonder, who is that older person looking back at us? When did your face change? Where did the wrinkles come from? I hear it time and time again, where did the time go?

You spent your youth working, raising children and contributing to the community. Time just flies by. Before you know it, you are over 50.

If you have reached that “over the hill” mark, now is the time to start thinking about your health and your future. Most likely, there will come a time when you won’t be as independent and will have to ask for some help.

Make it easy on yourself and your loved ones. Start now to educate everyone about the options that are available right here in your own community. You live in a community rich in medical experts, renowned medical health centers and with so many choices for your health and well-being. Take advantage of all these, and plan your future so you will have the quality of life that you desire.

We are so fortunate, and yet, we all procrastinate until it becomes a “do it now” decision. Can you think back to a time that you were put on the spot and had to make a quick decision that later you regretted? Do you wish you would have given more time to look for options and learn what your choices were?

Education is the key. Explore your options now, while you are healthy and able to make smart decisions. Below are a few steps to take that will help you get started:

Step 1. Find resources – Flip through this magazine, search the internet or telephone book, ask friends or family; start to gather information. Make phone calls, ask questions, and check out what your community has to offer. You might be thinking “I don’t even know what questions to ask.” You are not alone. Everyone feels this way when they begin to research future life options. If you have access to the internet, search for topics such as elder healthcare, retirement housing, independent living or assisted living. At these websites, you will find sample questions to ask healthcare providers. This is a good place to begin. Once you have spoken with a few places, you will be able to direct your questions towards areas that are important to you. If you do not have access to the internet, call some of our community resources; Generations Area Agency on Aging (563) 324-9085 or CASI-Center for Active Seniors, Inc. social services department. (563) 386-7477. They have information that will help you get started.

Step 2. Talk to your loved ones that might be involved in your decision making process. Ask them how they feel about your future lifestyle needs. Have they given it any thought? Do they want you to live close to them? Find out if they know what your wishes are, or offer to help them understand what is important to you. Remember, this is not going to be a quick, easy decision. Be patient with yourself. There are a lot of things to think about. You are going to need a sounding board. Get them involved from the start. Let them know that you are planning ahead, so that they will not have to make decisions for you.

Step 3. Tour the communities and see what they have to offer. Make an appointment and talk to someone. Ask questions, observe the people that are living there. Do they seem happy? Ask yourself, what was the feeling I got when I walked in? Follow your intuition. Remember, don’t make any assumptions about anyplace, go and tour. Give the different retirement communities an opportunity to present themselves to you.

Step 4. After your tours, arrange the communities in order of your preference, review the information, compare their amenities and services to your needs and wants. Does the community share the same values you have in your life? Are their dedications to your life style in harmony with your belief system? Are you going to get the care there that you will need?

Step 5. Pick the top three, tour those again, this time you will be armed with questions that will help you compare. You will be able to direct the meeting and focus on areas that are pertinent to your specific wants and needs.

Step 6. After touring them for the second time, arrange them in order again, pick the top two and go back again or call them.
Take the time to really investigate so you can make a well thought out and educated decision.

Step 7. Share this information with your loved ones as well as your Power of Attorney, anyone that will be helping you IF the time comes. Then give copies of your wishes to two other people you trust.

Remember, this is a gift for those special people in your life that are going to be there to support and help you if you ever need it. Your children and grandchildren will appreciate it!

Christmas time always brings back memories of the good old days for me, when the popular toys were Red Rider BB guns, Schwinn bicycles, board games like Password, Monopoly, Battleship, and Scrabble. Saucer sleds and the old wooden sleds were also popular. Today, the hot items are iPhones, iPads, and the list goes on.

Christmas means different things to different people, but we all enjoy getting together with family during the holiday season.

The staff at Bettendorf Health Care Center, like many other facilities, enjoy decorating the facility for the holidays with Christmas trees, garland, wreathes, lights, and poinsettias. But most importantly, we make sure all our residents receive gifts from Santa. Some of our residents no longer have family, which is true in many long-term facilities. Our employees purchase gifts with their own hard-earned money for these residents to ensure they have something unique to them under the Christmas tree come Christmas morning.

We are also fortunate that carolers stop in and sing Christmas carols, and the community and families bring in goodies for everyone to enjoy.

I will never fly anywhere over the holidays. It always seems that snowstorms always hit some major airport during Christmas, causing delays not only at that airport, but all connecting flights in other nearby cities as well. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in an airport when you’re anxious to get home to family over the holiday.

Our residents and staff at Bettendorf Health Care Center wish you all a happy holiday and a Happy New Year.