Assisted Living Options

 

When many people think of assisted living, they think of a large apartment building where seniors live and receive help with activities of daily living or other care needs. While this is certainly not incorrect, there are other types of senior housing communities which provide assisted living type care in a different setting.

 

A large portion of the nation’s senior housing providers are small residential homes, often with live-in caregivers. These small residential care homes generally only have room for less than 10 residents, creating a significantly different feel than a large assisted living community. Often called adult family homes or adult foster care, these communities provide care similar to traditional assisted living communities in a home-like atmosphere.

 

Increasingly, assisted living care is being found on a large campus along with independent living and skilled nursing facilities. Called continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) these communities offer residents a way to age in place, transitioning from independent living, to assisted living to skilled nursing as necessary. The assisted living portion of a CCRC is often very similar to a stand-alone community.

 

Assisted living communities are a great option for seniors who may need some help with maintaining their daily routine. Knowing the different options available can ensure that seniors select a community that best fits their needs and desired lifestyle. Snapforseniors.com has an extensive glossary which can help you learn more about the different options for assisted living type care.

 

For further details about assisted living,senior living, retirement homes, assisted living and senior care services visit Snapforseniors.com

Returning to School after Retirement

Our society is aging at an accelerated pace and will continue to do so as we move further into the future. Hence, more and more citizens will be faced with the question of what to do with their time upon retirement. There is no single or uniformly right answer to this situation, as the choice must be a personal one and may be inclusive of a variety of activities.

Retirement need not be the nemesis that so many fear it will be. Rather it is an opportunity to reexamine one’s life and pursue new possibilities. It may even lead to the materialization of wishes harbored for decades, but which were not fulfilled for one reason or another. What follows is the story of one man’s solution — my own.

For the last thirty years prior to retirement I had worked as a teacher and writing academic books at a local health care university. I was a tenured professor and originally planned to work until age seventy. Increasingly, as my sixty-eighth birthday was approaching, I found my mind dwelling on returning to school as a student at Temple University’s Creative Writing Program, which offers an M.A. degree through the sponsorship of its English Department.

Would I be ridiculed for embarking on such an adventure because of my late age? Would I encounter ageism from my fellow students or even from the younger teachers? After enjoying so much autonomy on the job would I be able to adjust to taking instructions, carrying out homework assignments, and enduring examinations? Would my application even be taken seriously at such a late age? These are only some of the questions that plagued me as I contemplated my life-long dream that I had nurtured, but shunted aside for so long, of becoming a fiction writer, a novelist. Yet my desire to become a professional novelist outweighed these negative thoughts and I took the plunge.

The core classes were workshops, in which we shared our written work weekly for critiques by our fellow classmates. Each one was made up of twelve students. Such workshops were given every semester of the two-year program, in addition to electives in English literature, where we would be dispersed and integrated with students from other programs. Represented in the core classes were three generations of students.

About half of us comprised the youngest group, newly minted “kids” coming straight from their undergraduate studies. For some reason they were mostly males. Then there was a group of middle-aged women, including an engineer, a lawyer, a city water department executive, and a theologian, and one who had discovered a path to creatively cope with the empty-nest syndrome. That left one person older by far than all of them, and that individual was – you guessed it – me. Did the class accept me? Was I shunned, isolated, distanced, or seen as the wise old man; someone to turn to only with problematic questions? No, there was not one scintilla of ageism apparent at any time throughout the program. I was comfortable with all the members of the class and each of them seemed to reciprocate the feeling. In brief, I wasn’t treated any differently from any of the others.

What can be said about my reversal of roles, sitting now as a student in class rather than as the professor at the podium sharing his expertise and facilitating student dialogue? Well, for one thing, it was a relief. The primary burden of making the class successful was no longer mine.

Beyond that, the key to feeling quite at ease as a student sitting in the classroom learning from another professor was the fact that with very few exceptions all of my teachers were scholarly, personable, and competent. There prevailed an air of informality, yet always remaining within a professional framework. These instructors were able to teach me what I had come to learn and help me to acquire the skills sought.

The nearest I ever came to a run-in with any of the professors involved an exceptionally academic teacher who was also the editor of one of the foremost journals in his field. He did not give out a syllabus the first day of class and he told us orally, as well as rapidly, the many books we would be responsible for reading throughout the course. I politely asked if he could prepare a bibliography for us to hand out at the next session. His reply was a rather haughty statement telling us about his important editor’s role, which didn’t leave him much time for such things.

It was only on that occasion that I had to use consummate willpower to refrain from lecturing him that his primary commitment should be to his students. Such things as research, his own writing, and editing journals were secondary, as vital as they may be in creating new knowledge and furthering his career. This was an ethos I’ve always felt strongly about, but was realistic enough to know that many professors do not live up to. Anyway, he turned out to be human after all and I must admit to having learned a great deal from his expertise. Our last class session was held at his home where he served us a delightful lunch.

One of the pleasures of being the oldest member of the class was the exhilaration I experienced as I witnessed the youngest students at the other end of the life cycle. Their dreams and aspirations for a successful writing career were manifest, despite the difficulties of making a living as an author.

One of our professors, a famous novelist, was not shy about informing the class of the obstacles and statistical unlikelihood of success that lie ahead. I found myself championing the position that we shouldn’t see ourselves as statistics, but that we should believe in ourselves, work hard, and persevere, regardless of the chances. As a former professor I had had ample opportunity to play a role of my own in facilitating the growth of young people, but now I was experiencing that from a different perspective at an older age. Perhaps I had moved fully into the stage of generativity that comes toward the later stages of life that the popular psychiatrist, Erik Erikson had written about so profoundly.

In retrospect, I may have had more influence on the thinking of the younger students simply as a member of the class than I realized. I remember one day riding in an elevator with a young man in his twenties from my class, who ventured to ask my age. I was sixty-nine at the time and told him so.

He replied by telling me that his grandparents were retired and the same age, but all they did throughout the day was sit on the couch and watch television. He then went on to say how much he admired that at my age I was still actively engaged in the course of my life. (In truth, I really didn’t feel very old at the time, although I knew that I qualified.) So perhaps we older people who return to school in retirement send a silent message to the younger generation that there really is life and purpose after retirement.

In the second and third semesters of the program we were each assigned a faculty mentor whom we met with on a one-to-one basis regularly. Out task was to be working on a novel (or selection of short stories) and to hand in each week the work we had done. By then the mentor had read and critiqued the writing submitted the prior week and a full discussion of our strengths and weaknesses were discussed, with emphasis on the latter. Between receiving feedback from “peers” in the workshops every semester and my mentor I soon realized that one couldn’t survive without a thick skin and not personalizing the criticism, usually offered in a constructive manner. My mentor was tough and direct about her critiques, but supportive and encouraging at the same time. This was a necessary part of the process leading to the development and refinement of my creative writing skills. After graduation I continued working on my novel for several more years and finally had it published under the title of “Silent Battlefields.” Going through the creative writing program proved to be an excellent transitional first step in my retirement that prepared me to continue confidently, on an independent basis, the dream I had nurtured for so many years.

I don’t want to leave the impression that returning to school upon retirement is the preferred road to follow. There are so many human service organizations that need volunteers. My brother-in-law took up woodcarving and has become a superb craftsman. A woman friend of mine began painting and I see her artistry develop further each year. I have an aunt in her nineties who started making jewelry, deriving so much enjoyment from this activity. Regardless of your age, you are likely to face the decision one day of what to do after retirement. It’s a very individual decision involving an act of introspection and discovery. For me, returning to school after retirement was a transformative experience that I cherish. The value of doing so continues to unfold with each passing day.

The World’s Top Retirement Havens in 2007

The World’s Top Retirement Havens in 2007

By Laura Sheridan

Whether your retirement is fast approaching or just something you find yourself often dreaming about, you’ve probably imagined spending it in some far-flung tropical haven. But moving to a country that you know little about is a lot of hassle, right? It’s probably not worth the time and effort, you think. Besides, all your family and friends are here.

Take it from us: it’s worth it. If you look beyond your own shores you’ll find that many countries around the world offer far greater benefits and advantages for retirees than those offered at home.

One of the simplest ways to improve your retirement lifestyle is to choose the retirement destination offering you more of what you want at the best price. It’s a question of priorities. What’s important to you? Is cost of living Number One on your priority list?

Maybe for you weather is the key consideration.

Are your must-haves telecommunications and infrastructure? Proximity to the States and Canada may also be a factor.

Maybe you aren’t anywhere close to retirement. Nevertheless, it’s important to think about and plan for your future. Like every phase in your life, you’ll be surprised how fast retirement creeps up on you.

That’s why, once a year, in our Global Retirement Index, we look closely, specifically, at the best opportunities worldwide for retirement living. Where will the pensioner’s dollars go furthest? Which country is the safest? Where is the health care best? We give top priority to those things that matter most to anyone planning for retirement, including programs of special benefits for retirees (tax breaks, discounts, and freebies, for example, that various governments proffer to residents, sometimes specifically to foreign residents in an effort to attract investment and retirement dollars).

We can show you the opportunities and possibilities, the winners of our top retirement countries, but it’s up to you to decide what your main priorities are before you find your ideal retirement haven. The aim of our Index is to give you a good starting guide.

Mexico-our new winner

Moving up four places to take our top spot as the world’s top retirement haven this year is Mexico. Mexico offers the perfect mix of centuries-old traditions and contemporary lifestyles. Moving to Mexico means you can still have all of the amenities you grew accustomed to north of the border: cable TV, high-speed Internet, and modern home appliances. And if you prefer, when you move to Mexico you can even bring all of your favorite things with you without paying import taxes.

Goods and services cost less, so you can afford the kinds of luxuries only the very wealthy enjoy up north: a maid, a cook, and a gardener for example. In your retirement here, you’ll have time to volunteer at the local school, time to golf in the mornings, time to relax on the beach…time to savor life.

Whether your vision of the ideal retirement involves shopping, fishing, sunbathing, diving, biking, mountain climbing, parasailing, collecting crafts, visiting archeological sites, partying, going to concerts, attending the theater, or fine dining, in Mexico you can engage in all of these activities, and many more.

How our Global Retirement Index is scored

* Real estate. Countries where real estate prices are low and the purchase of real estate is relatively easy receive the highest scores. We use our own experiences plus reports from our contributing editors and real estate contacts around the world to rate each country. Weight: 15%

* Entertainment, Recreation, and Culture. This category considers the number of newspapers per 1,000 citizens, the number of museums and cinemas per capita, the number of university students, the literacy rate, and the variety of cultural and recreational offerings. Weight: 10%

* Cost of living. This score is based on statistics from the Indexes of Living Costs Abroad, Quarter Allowances, and Hardship Differentials, published by the United States Department of State, and on data published by Business International. We also use our firsthand experiences living and traveling in these countries. The lower the score, the higher the cost of living. Weight: 20%

* Safety and stability. This measure of unrest in each country is based primarily on Interpol data and State Department statistics. It also takes into account the civil liberties and political rights granted by each government. Our own experiences and reports from expatriates living in these countries also influence the safety scores. Weight: 5%

* Health care. Considered in this category are the cost of a typical visit to a general practitioner and the cost and coverage particulars of health insurance. Weight: 20%

* Climate. Countries with temperate weather throughout the year, moderate rain fall, and little risk of natural disaster come out on top in this category. We use data representing each country as a whole instead of favoring one region over another. Weight: 5%

* Special benefits. This category considers government provisions that make moving to and living in each country easier and more affordable for foreigners. Taken into account are property rights for foreign residents, property tax rates, duty-free imports on personal belongings, currency controls, employment restrictions, voting rights, and transportation discounts for seniors. Weight: 20%

* Infrastructure. This section considers the number of cars and telephones per 1,000 residents, the length of railroad track in usable condition, the number of airports, the quality of the country’s road and highway network, and the availability of telecommunications. Weight: 5%

If health care is a concern, you should know that in much of Mexico the health care is first rate. Private clinics and hospitals are staffed by expert physicians (many of whom trained in the U.S., Europe, or in Mexico’s own world-renowned teaching hospitals), and medical care and prescription drugs will cost you only a fraction of what you would pay in the States. In our Index, Mexico scores 79 out of a possible 100 points in this category.

Mexico is such a diverse nation that everybody can find exactly what they want. You don’t have to choose between water or mountains; here you can have both. And because of geographic diversity, you can also choose the climate to enjoy during your Mexican retirement: from hot and dry in the north, to hot and humid in the south, to spring-like temperatures all year round in the Colonial Highlands.

You can also own the home of your dreams in Mexico-for much less than it would cost you most anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. The real estate market offers endless possibilities for your retirement. Mexico receives a high score of 84 in our Real Estate category. Despite what you may have heard, it’s not too late to buy real estate here.

You can own beachfront-not just ocean view property-in Mexico for less than $100,000.

Once you decide to move to Mexico, it’s difficult to know where to go-it’s a big country. Below are the 10 places we think make the most sense for expatriate living in this country, based on criteria such as health care, climate, infrastructure, and housing costs. These are places our husband-and-wife team in Mexico, Dan Prescher and Suzan Haskins, have personally scouted and personally recommend above other options in this great big country. They are: Rosarito Beach, Puerto Vallarta, Quer?ro, Mazatlan, M?da, La Paz, Campeche, Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya, Ajijic/Chapala, and Sayulita/San Pancho (San Francisco). Of course, we’re not forgetting San Miguel de Allende, one of Dan and Suzan’s favorite places in Mexico. Suzan recently reported of this town: “San Miguel is one of the prettiest towns in all of Mexico. Stepping into San Miguel’s Centro is like stepping back in time…but with all of today’s modern conveniences.”

In second place…

Ecuador

Ecuador always does well in our Retirement Index, but this year it moves from 10th position last year to take second place this year. If you retire in Ecuador, every clich?ou’ve heard about living large on little money-about settling into the lap of luxury on even a pensioner’s budget-is true. Ecuador gets 85 points in our Cost of Living category, making it one of the world’s cheapest places to live. Take $250 out of the ATM Monday morning and your expenses are covered for the week. In fact, we ranked Ecuador as the world’s best retirement haven in 1999, after it weathered the earlier economic, political, and natural problems of the previous two years, and went on to prosper.

Of course, low prices alone do not make for an ideal retirement or investment destination. There are plenty of places the world over where you can buy cheap land, but where you wouldn’t want to live; not so in Ecuador.

It’s hard to pinpoint the best reason for retiring to Ecuador, but one thing’s for sure: this is an affordable-and beautiful-retirement destination. Ecuador also offers a high quality of life. This is no isolated backwater. It’s a land of opportunity, where a middle class is forming. After waking from a long economic slumber, Ecuador is preparing to join the global economy.

Retirees aged 65 or older have an extra incentive to consider Ecuador: airfares to North America and Europe are half-price on several airlines; all in-country transportation costs are 50% lower, and big discounts apply to a variety of other expenses such as taxes, utilities, and entertainment.

And remember: Ecuador is one place where the U.S. dollar is not losing value, which makes an Ecuadorian retirement especially appealing. Following the late-1990s’ debt default, Ecuador decided to adopt the U.S. dollar as its official currency, which eliminates currency risk. Inflation is less than 3% and most economic indicators are positive.

Top for Europe

Italy comes third in our Index this year with high scores across the board. It’s difficult to figure out whereabouts in Italy you picture yourself living-there is probably more beauty per square mile here than in any other corner of Europe. It’s no simple matter to hit on the ideal location, even if you know for sure that you prefer big city life to the tranquility of the countryside. Right now, International Living recommends two places: Umbria in central Italy, and Calabria-situated in the toe of Italy.

“The green heart of Italy,” Umbria is just as alluring as its more famous next-door neighbor, Tuscany. With expats seeking farmhouses and other rural properties, prices are catching up fast. Although Umbria doesn’t possess a coastline, everywhere you look you’ll see rumpled hills crowned with fortified towns and higgledly-piggledly villages. From certain vantage points, you can see several hill towns at a time.

Many parts of the province are within an hour’s drive of Florence or Siena. Towns like Assisi, Todi, Spoleto, Orvieto, and Norcia are every bit as beautiful and as historic as any small town in Tuscany.

To give you an idea of property prices in the region, in Monteleone d’Orvieto, there’s a 968-square-foot apartment in need of restoration. Selling for $85,000, it has two bedrooms and one bathroom, plus a ready-made vegetable garden. There’s another apartment in the same town that’s habitable: 807 square feet, two bedrooms, and one bathroom. Price: $100,000.

Calabria’s shores are lapped by the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west, and the Ionian Sea on the east. What about property prices here? In the Calabrian seaside town of Scalea, an attractive second-floor apartment of 430 square feet is selling for $50,000.

Why Panama fell from glory?

Panama won our Retirement Index for six years in a row. But, it’s fallen from the top spot in 2007 and is now in fourth place. Why? Panama still has the same great retiree benefits…this hasn’t changed since last year (see the sidebar on retiree benefits on page XX). Still, unless you have a verifiable pension or pockets deep enough to afford a $40,000 investment in a forestry project or a $200,000 investment in real estate or a government bank CD, it can be difficult to get a resident visa in Panama. Since the government of Panama recently put a 30-day limit on its tourist visa, it has become more difficult for anyone seeking to rent a home or apartment and stay in the country for any length of time.

And it’s true that this country’s popularity has driven up real estate prices. Once plentiful real estate bargains-from $100,000 apartments in Panama City to $40,000 lots in Boquete-are getting harder to find.

Panama still has much to offer, though. Whether you’re enticed by the friendly people or the tropical climate, Panama is a great retirement destination (remember, it’s still in our top 5).

We don’t have print space here to talk about every country in our Index, but you can access information on all countries featured here at our website. In the search engine, type in the name of the country of interest to you to find out more.

NEED TO KNOW

Countries with special retiree benefits

Mexico

If you’ve considered retiring to Mexico, you now have another good reason-foreigners who hold a valid residence visa for Mexico can now take part in Mexico’s senior citizens’ benefits program.

The program, for adults aged 60 and over, offers discounts on a wide range of services. These include discounts on health-related services (hospitals, doctors’ visits, lab tests, medical devices, pharmacies, and dental work); cultural activities like theater tickets and entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites; travel-related costs, including airline tickets, buses, car rentals and purchase, and hotel accommodation. Discounts can range up to 50% off the full price of the good or service. Non-Mexicans who wish to take part in the program must go to a local office of INAPAM (Instituto Nacional de las Personas Adultas Mayores) to request a membership card. See: http://www.inapam.gob.mx/DirecINAPAM07.pdf for more information (in Spanish).

Malaysia

Three years ago, the government of Malaysia launched “Malaysia-My Second Home” (MM2H), replacing the former “Silver Hair” program introduced in 1987. MM2H provides incentives for foreigners, particularly retirees, to live permanently in this country. Successful applicants initially receive what is, in effect, a five-year visa with unlimited entry/exit privileges. There is no minimum annual residence requirement. After the first five years, you can apply for permanent residency. While you’re not guaranteed it will be granted, you can expect automatic renewal of your original visa if you continue to meet its conditions. Within six months of approval, MM2H residents may bring in household effects duty-free, and import or purchase one vehicle locally, tax free. Savings on auto taxes can amount to thousands of dollars on expensive models. Other benefits include exemption from Malaysian income tax on pension and other income remitted into the country, plus that on the interest from any fixed deposit made under the MM2H program (a savings of about 29%).

In addition, residents may purchase up to two properties with a value of not less than $40,000 each. Banks may advance up to 60%. For information on cost of living and many other useful topics, including domestic help, see www.mm2h.com. Registration at that website will also bring you updates on MM2H.

Panama

If you can document a minimum monthly pension of $500 (plus another $100 per dependent), you are eligible for a long list of perks in Panama, including: Import duty exemption for household goods; tax exemption to import a new car every two years; 50% off entertainment anywhere in the country (movies, theaters, concerts, sporting events); 30% off in-country bus, boat, and train fares; 25% off in-country airline tickets; 50% off hotel stays Monday through Thursday; 15% off hospital bills (if no insurance applies); 10% off prescription medicines; 20% off medical consultations; 50% reduction in closing costs for home loans; 25% discounts on utility bills…and many more.

Ireland

If Ireland is your choice as a retirement haven, you can take advantage of the many retirement incentives this country has to offer, including free health care, free public transportation, a fuel allowance, and significant discounts on hotel and electricity bills. You’re even allowed to vote in local elections.

Belize

Expats can apply for status as a Qualified Retired Person (QRP), and, with that status, you can avoid Belizean income tax and also import your household goods tax-free up to a total exemption amount of $15,000. You can also bring in a vehicle (a car, light aircraft, or boat) tax-free. In fact, every five years you can import a new vehicle, tax-free.

The Top 10 Places To Retire

Well, the 100 most popular retirement towns for 2010 are — no surprise — mostly located in the Sun Belt states, according to TopRetirements.com. In fact, 68 of the 100 top positions were occupied by warm-climate towns. Florida dominated the list, taking 23 of the spots, followed by North Carolina (11) and South Carolina (8).

But there are 25 new towns on the list, according to John Brady, editor of the second edition of 100 Best Retirement Towns. Some of the 25 new cities on the list include Boulder, Colo., Eugene Ore., Santa Fe N.M., Chattanooga Tenn., Cheyenne Wyo., Portland, Maine, Smyrna Del., and Cape Coral, Fla.

According to Brady, the 100 most popular retirement towns list is compiled by calculating the 100 towns with the most online visits of the 450 cities reviewed at Topretirements.com. The list is essentially a popularity contest; it reflects the towns that site visitors are the most interested in for retirement.

“One thing is clear,” Brady said of the trends he’s noticed in this year’s list. “The Sun Belt is so dominant because people are interested in retiring to where it’s warm.” In addition, he said this year’s list is dominated by college towns. People are looking for place to retire where they have access to intellectually challenging activities.

That said, the towns with the most online visits include:

1. Asheville, N.C. Asheville is a long-time favorite, said Brady. Part of its ongoing appeal is its climate (it’s mild year round); its location (it’s in the Blue Ridge Mountains; there’s water everywhere for fishing and boating, and its downtown is walkable and dynamic); its housing stock (there’s a wide range of upscale housing opportunities for seniors). What’s not so special is that Asheville gets crowded in the summer and overdevelopment is coming.
2. Sarasota, Fla. According to Brady, Sarasota is the cultural capital of Florida. Part of its appeal is that is has one of Florida’s best downtowns, a downtown that includes an impressive array of cultural facilities such as the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. On the downside, there are a lot of tourists and traffic in winter, and summers are hot. Of note, the Ringling Brothers located the winter quarters of their circus in Sarasota.
3. Prescott, Ariz. An old mining town, Brady says retirees choose this location for its warm climate and interesting setting. The town, which borders the Prescott National Forest, features 525 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and Whiskey Row. On the downside, there are a lot of tourists. At an elevation of 5,400 feet, the winters are colder here than the rest of Arizona. Plus, there are watering restrictions, according to TopRetirements.com.
4. Paris, Tenn. According to Brady, retirees come to Paris, which is roughly equidistant from Nashville and Memphis, because they like living near one of the largest manmade lakes in the world. “People go there to fish and relax,” said Brady of Paris. (By way of background, the city also claims to have the world’s largest fish fry.) Plus, Paris has a low cost of living compared with other retirement hot spots. The median sales price of a home here in 2009 was well below $100,000. On the downside, big city amenities are two hours away.
5. Austin, Texas. Austin is becoming a popular retirement community for a variety of reasons, according to TopRetirements.com. The University of Texas and its array of cultural and other activities is perhaps the biggest draw for Austin, its cosmopolitan and high-tech, quirky soul is another reason. Plus, it has a relatively low cost of living, said Brady. On the downside, the summers are hot and humid and the city might be too big and fast-paced for those seeking peace and quiet.
6. Green Valley, Ariz. According to Brady, Green Valley, which is 20 miles south of Tuscon, has one of the largest active adult communities in the world. The average age, by the way, is 72. Consider: It has nine golf courses; two recreation centers with over 126,000 square feet of facilities; countless swimming pools and spas; numerous tennis courts, fitness centers, and classes; and every type of crafts and clubs. “There are so many things going on there,” he said. “There’s something for everyone.” On the downside, it’s a bit remote. In fact, it’s just 40 miles north of the border of Mexico. “… so close that there have been a few scenes with federales and desperados running through Green Valley,” reports TopRetirements.com.
7. Winston-Salem, N.C. Why Winston-Salem is the seventh most visited place on the TopRetirements.com’s Web site is a bit of a mystery to Brady. To be sure, there’s culture (Reynolda Gardens and the Reynolda House Museum of American Art) and a downtown that features the Wachovia Center. And the cost of living is low ($120,000 is the average home price). But on the downside, Brady’s Web site reports that development is proceeding very quickly, with attendant traffic. And some young professionals say there is not enough to do in the Twin Cities. Plus, crime is a concern in Winston-Salem.
8. Beaufort, S.C. Beaufort is a terrific place to love, not far from Hilton Head and Savannah, said Brady. What’s special about this city? It’s a charming old town in the Sea Island. It’s won tons of awards, including “Best Small Southern Town,” “Small Town Arts” and “Best Fishing Town.” It has plenty of golf courses. The city has 304 acres designated as a National Historic Landmark. And the winters are mild. What’s not so special, according to TopRetirements.com: It can be over run by tourists in season Not for people in the fast lane.
9. San Diego. To Brady, San Diego has the “most perfect weather in the country.” Its scenery, climate (there’s only 10 inches of rain on average per year), and lifestyle (the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Gas Lamp District and Torrey Pines Golf Course) are second to none and appeal to active adults 55+, reports TopRetirements.com. On the downside, it’s expensive and the traffic — well, it is California.
10. Ft. Myers, Fla. Now that the housing market has crashed, Ft. Myers has become a less expensive place in which to retire. The median selling price at the end of 2009 was $98,000, reports Brady. What else is so special about Ft. Myers? Well, there’s the beach, a charming old downtown area, the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter estates, world-class shopping. golf and fishing; and something for everybody. Plus, it’s the spring training home for Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. On the downside: Oppressively hot, humid summers; traffic; way too much development, now in a bust cycle; too many strip malls.

According to Brady, there are two other cities/towns that retirees might want to consider from the top 100 list. Those include Portland, Maine, which if you don’t mind winters is an up and coming retirement spot, and Smyrna Del., which is a small, former farming town of about 8,000 in north central Delaware midway between Wilmington and the oceanside community of Lewes. The latter town has plenty of active adult communities, beaches and land, and an attractive tax structure.

There May Not Be Much Left Of You When It Comes Time To Retire

What an awful sobering thought. You may work all those years and be looking forward to when you retire so you can do all the things you have not had time for because of family and career commitments. Even though you might feel you have done everything right in the end your body can let you down and prevent you from doing the things you had planned and looked forward to.

You may not be able to take that trip you always dreamed about. All that work around the house you had expected to do. What about the golf, swimming, hiking, tennis and the exercise program – maybe? Or even if you had no particular plans to be active in your retirement years what if they are spoilt by chronic back, hip or other joint pain? You may even end up with other health issues that will demand your time, money and attention.

It seems strange that many people plan financially for this time after the finish of our working life to make sure our needs will be taken care of. We write wills to plan for our families needs and even pay professionals to make sure it is done right. But how often do we even give our health and wellness a second thought?

Where does our health and wellness fit into this future planning of our life and our finances? Even if retirement is years or even decades away, it is useful to ask the question to ourselves: What are we doing today, tomorrow and the next day so we can be assured of a physically functional future?

You see, what you do now right throughout your adult years has an incredible impact on your health later in life. A proper exercise program not only benefits us today, but is an investment in our future. Unfortunately as many as six out of ten adults focus only on the present. Just getting through each day and each week and they don’t even consider how their exercise decisions (or lack of them) will affect them down the road.

Our modern society does not help as most of us simply are not required to physically do much anymore. We sit a lot – in our cars, at our jobs and back home on the couch maintaining our addiction to television. But our bodies are made to run, to lift, to reach and stretch, to jump, bend down and be active – very active.

Without this activity the human body goes into ’shutdown mode’ and decays and deteriorates far quicker than it needs too. And the older one gets the faster this happens unless something is done on a regular basis to prevent it. And that something is a proper exercise program that contains mostly strength training exercise.

If this is a new concept to you it will pay to have a fitness professional help you get started. It is important that you not only do the right exercises, but they need to be done at the right level of intensity (degree of difficulty) otherwise they will not work in the best way. Your program also needs to be changed regularly and monitored so it can be tweaked if necessary.

If you own a body that hurts it becomes an intrusion in our lives. If it hurts every time you go up or down stairs, or have to bend down to pick something up and you cannot be active it sucks the life energy from you slowly but surely. To avoid this happening action on your part is needed – it will not happen on its own.

What we are all after is a fully functional body that doesn’t hurt so we can easily participate in lots of different activities regardless of our age. A body that allows us to do all the things we enjoy and want to do for as long as we possibly can so we can enjoy our retirement years to the fullest.

Managing Retirement Changes

As we face the next phase of our life, we know that change will be rampant. Going into this change with eyes wide open and ready will help us lead a happy retirement. After all, retirement is a little like adolescence, with life changes, upheavals and physical differences.

Consider retirement as a blending of the stages of your life, a combination of the education of your youth, the productivity of your middle years, and the leisure of your latter years.

Leaving work and making a lifestyle change brings up many issues that need to be dealt with.  As we’ve said before, some people don’t really plan to “retire,” but rather make a career change into something that will fit their new standard of living. As Nancy Schlossberg, professor at the University of Maryland and retirement author, states: “Retirement implies that you’re just leaving something; it doesn’t reflect that you’re going to something. But it is really a career change. You are leaving something that has been your primary involvement, and you are moving to something else.”

In addition, she said, “You are changing so much about your life—your work role, your relationships, your daily routines, your assumptions about yourself.”

Let’s discuss some of the changes we can expect to see:

Income: Unless you’re extremely fortunate, you will see a decrease in money coming in to deal with bills, car payments, healthcare, and everyday living expenses.
Daily Routine: Those of us who have worked in a 9-5 work world will see a great change once we leave our jobs. No more alarm clocks, commutes, fast food lunches and noses to the grindstone.
Identity: We will lose something we may never have put much thought into—our work identity. Many of us describe ourselves by our paying jobs (architect, manager, accountant) rather than other life roles (parent, mentor, provider).
Status: Leaving the job means changing our status in life. As one senior executive put it, “I moved from being a big fish in a little pond to just a fish alone.”
Work/Colleague Relationships: While we probably won’t miss commuting to our jobs, we will miss our co-workers. Because so much of our time is spent at work, these people can be more than just our coffee break companions, but our primary support group.

Leaving work

As we leave our traditional working life, we may have:

Security issues: Can I survive on the money I have?
Emotional issues: I will get lonely without my friends around me every day.
Self-worth issues: No one needs me anymore.
Self-image issues:  Who am I if I’m not a XXXXX?

Many other changes may take place. Perhaps it’s a role reversal where the partner who usually stayed home with the house and kids is now doing either paid or volunteer work while the previously full-time worker stays at home and tends the garden. Or, you might undergo a metamorphosis of appearance, attitude and self-image through a new exercise regimen. And, while some of us will feel relief from the pressure of unrewarding work or physical labor, others may be giving up something precious to them.

The good news is that psychological studies show that as we become “senior citizens” we tend to regulate our emotions better than younger folk. We better maintain positive feelings and decrease negative feelings. One theory is that as we get older, we become cognizant of our mortality and the limited time left, and we direct our minds to more positive thinking, activities and memories.

Transition towards retirement

An important thing for us Baby Boomers to remember is, as the Nike commercial said, “There is no finish line.”  Whereas our parents worked toward a definite retirement age (the finish line) we Baby Boomers will just stay on the track. We may slow down a bit, but we will continue to run.

As we step on the next stepping stone to transition into this new life phase, we need to consider our psychological needs every bit as much as our income. We get lots of advice about saving for retirement, but, although there has been a great deal of research on the subject, we get very little help in dealing with the changes ahead. So, as we go forward, our main task is to construct something that will fulfill our psychological needs.

We need to create goals and grasp opportunities to reach those goals. It may be time to completely “rewire” our minds and lifestyles to fit this time. We need to open ourselves to anticipating new experiences and challenges. Some of us, for example, may want to physically reorient ourselves by travelling to a different country to create a new life. If “life is the sum of all your choices,” as French author and philosopher Albert Camus said, you still have a lot of alternatives to consider.

Dealing with Emotions

Everyone, of course, deals with retirement differently. But these phases of change are realistic when we think about how we cope with loss of any kind. We have to deal with the fact that we have “lost” our old lifestyle and need to adapt to a new one.

First thing to do is to dump the emotional baggage. How many times in your life have you fantasized about escaping from your current life and starting over from scratch? This is a good chance to do so! Leave your baggage at the door and start reinventing yourself. The opportunity is here to leave the worst of the past behind and concentrate on the positives.  Of course, this is much easier said than done.

Feeling emotional in some way is inevitable, and we may have particularly high-charged emotions if we are suddenly thrust into a retirement caused by redundancy, illness, or financial crisis. Our current recessive economy has given all of us pause as redundancies become commonplace, which among other things cuts us off from important benefits such as sick leave.

And, perhaps for some Baby Boomers, there is resentment that we can’t just relax on our hammocks during this next phase, but rather need to plan a new, active, money producing future. How we deal with this resentment will influence our success in adapting to retirement.

Relationship issues

One thing you can be certain of is that your relationship will change.  In this next phase, it is likely both partners will have different roles and responsibilities, plus spend a lot more time together.  Planning this next step can make this a time of shared goals, shared experiences and shared fun.

You need to work together now to ensure that your goals and your purpose are fairly similar.  Interests and passions don’t matter so much—those can be shared or not—but if you are pulling in different directions you are going to experience a lot of tension.  This is your chance to work through those issues and emerge with common goals, common purpose and a common expectation of the future.

Family issues

This is also an important time to make sure your family’s expectations and your expectations are based on common ground. For example, adult children may feel abandoned if you leave their area or may feel trapped if you move into their area. They may think that since you have “nothing better to do” you can be the on-call babysitter. If you find a new companion in your retirement years, your children may have trouble dealing with that.

Additionally, your aged parents may feel neglected if you go on more trips. In fact, they might resent your active retirement versus their very traditional one.

The best laid plans might change

Common sense tells us that all our planning for the future may change based on unforeseen events, such as the death or illness of a partner, our own illness or disability, the illness or disability of aged parents or adult children, or a personal financial crisis.

Your expectations

The disenchantment phase we mentioned earlier will probably be our biggest obstacle. Stress and anxiety can be caused by having high expectations of retirement that aren’t met by reality: finances, health, responsibilities or lack of access to services or opportunities. As life goes on despite our best laid plans, we must adapt and cope. You need to know yourself and manage your response to change. You will miss some of your old life: work role, routine, relationships and identity.  How will you compensate for these? You must take time to grieve the loss of the dream and then take time to rebuild a new realistic dream that fulfils your needs. Be open to new ways to achieve the same life satisfaction.

Retired and Still Need to Work?

With rents and property taxes increasing, along with medical costs and gas prices, many retirees are reentering the work force to make ends meet.
More senior citizens are searching for jobs because they can no longer afford not to work.
Retirees used to dream of settling back and living off nest eggs. For some, that’s no longer enough, I found that I could stay at home and make a few extra bucks.

If you want to keep your home, pay for your medication or have any type of life, you have to work.Take a look at online work,work from home.The playing field is level.

Some return to work because they miss their jobs or want to stay physically and socially active.
what we do know is that older workers are staying in their current jobs longer as a result of financial uncertainty,

The U.S. Labor Department reports that more than 5 million adults age 65 and older worked last year, or about 15 percent of all senior citizens.

There are people who are still hurting who are middle class.

When I thought of my retirement years, I envisioned leisurely trips to Florida and California. Those plans changed after I was the victim of a violent crime.Finding myself at home and unable to work,I looked for something I could do from home ,I still love to work and I needed the extra income.
you don’t get to go to the grocery store like you want to, you wait until peanut butter goes on sale, and the same thing with milk.
I never thought the cost of living would go up as much as it has. I really don’t know how some adults are making it.
More employers are recognizing the value of hiring senior citizens.
They’re reliable, and they have a work ethic. As you get older, you may get aches and pains, but that’s expected and you know you still go to work every day.

Still, for some who retire early, going back to work can reduce Social Security benefits, depending on earnings.

I once thought I could live off my retirement, The hard cold fact is its just not enough.I love that I can work from home and if I can do it any one can.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me,I may not have all the answers but I know I can help.

Guidelines in Choosing Retirement Housing

1. Determine if living in retirement housing is for you. Living in retirement housing requires a lot of adjustments and flexibility. Ask yourself if you can be flexible with your new environment. Your lifestyle may also change and you should be prepared that the place, the surroundings, the people and many factors may be far more different from what you have now.

2. Consider it early. Living in a retirement location may require you a lot of time to make a decision. However, you should consider it early. It will be difficult for you to decide when your health is already failing. You need to think about it and decide for it before your body starts to get weak. In addition, moving in to retirement housing will undoubtedly bring on physical and emotional stress because of the changes in lifestyle. Therefore, it is better to make your decisions while you are still strong and able to cope with changes.

3. Make a list on what you are looking for in a retirement location. Since moving to a retirement housing means living in a new place, shop around before jumping on a final decision. Make a checklist of what you like in a retirement location. Getting a handbook of every prospect will also help you make the job easier. Consider the houses, the neighborhood, the different amenities and accessibility of the place.

4. Visit the home. It is better to check on many retirement locations before you make the final choice. You can then narrow down your choices. Visiting the place will help you make the comparison and will make you also consider if the place feels right for you. That will also be the chance for you make a survey of the neighborhood. You can also ask them what they like about the place, the experiences and the things that they do not like about the place.

5. Know the legal structures involved in getting retirement housing. You should be aware of the legal issues, implications that are involved in getting a retirement home. Know the service charges; stamp duties, legislations, and capital replacements costs that will be involved. Read the files and documentations involved and consult with a lawyer.

6. Know the fees. Determine the fees involved in getting the retirement housing. Ask about the entry cost, service and departure fees. Also, consider the benefits and risks involved in the location for you to be able to assess if the charges are worth it. Do not forget expenses that will arise once you have moved in the place. You need money to live and that is why it important to have a financial plan before you make any permanent decisions about moving into a retirement location.

Savings for Retirement

Retirement is everybody’s business. Everybody expects to age and planning on the critical stage of your life may present too many challenges that careful thinking and planning, and following smart recommendations will help you put your self above the difficulties and win them.

Travel, retirement housing, health care insurance, and managing your budget all throughout your retirement age are just some the concerns that needs to be given enough attention and focus.

In 2000 alone, the number of private companies and employers, which provides health care benefits to their employees, decreases dramatically. This is a sad truth and something that you should be wary about.

These facts are a powerful encouragement to tailoring your present actions towards a successful retirement strategy. The recommendations listed below will help you decide and plan on this rather, critical stage of your life and beat all the odds beset to retirees.

Plan Early

Nothing beats the idea of planning early. No matter how young you are, planning right on the early stage of your life makes a perfect solution to all problems beset to you in the future.

Current statistics show that more and more young people are becoming aware of the consequences of unfocused lifestyle and career. A recent survey with 1000 respondents, more than 73% young professionals that it is best to get into the “retirement game” early on before its too late, while the rest are thinking on getting into the game much later in life and enjoy the present lifestyle.

Despite of this figure, records show that less than 10 % of American Retirees aged 64 above may not have saved enough money to cover expenses during the ensuing age.

Health Care Premiums

During your career employment, your 401(k) savings, retirement account savings where employee and an employer contributes, is another thing that needs much consideration and worth dealing with during your course of your current line.

There are reported cases of evasion on the part of employers so be sure that your monthly contributions are perfectly attributed to your account so as to ensure a smooth-sailing career and ensured retirement.

Lifestyle

Your way of life has a lot to say about the type of retirement benefit and services you will need in the future. People who choose to stay on a sedentary lifestyle basically needs lesser amount of money to put on during their course through retirement.

People who displays active lifestyle expects to be shelling out more bucks later. Retirement counselors usually advice retirees to invest money on stocks and some on bonds depending on how much you are willing to risk. In this way, your investment interests will be able to help you financially once you are locked on fixed financial allowance during retirement.

Retirement Planning Consultant Services

Approximately one third of your life will be spent in retirement. It is important to plan ahead to be able to provide for yourself and enjoy this time of your life. Retirement is never too difficult to handle. However, many still have the misconception that retirement is a burden and a very difficult situation.

Before you enter your retirement age, it is best that you plan. Starting your retirement planning early will give you less stress and less trouble. It is better to start early with a minimum amount than starting it late and be overwhelmed with the amount that you have to save.

Make an accurate assessment on what you already have. It is better that you assess with the exact figures rather than making estimates. Retirement planning does not only rely on finances but also on many factors such as, health, emotional aspects, retirement location and safety. It is better to consider these factors to help you sustain for yourself without depending on your children.

Planning is not only a one-time event. It is a continuous process and may vary depending on many circumstances. Make sure that you are ready for any circumstances that might affect your retirement plan so that you will be ready for necessary adjustments.

You may want to consider hiring a financial adviser to help you ease the complexities of retirement planning. Before you hire the services of a retirement planning consultant, determine first the areas where you need assistance. Is it the retirement plan itself or the methods you need to implement the retirement plan.

There are a lot of retirement planning consultants and you should choose the ones that are experienced and competent enough to do the job for you. You may seek the advice of your friends and families and they may refer you to persons who know the best retirement planning consultants.

You can do some selection process by interviewing the candidates about their background and experience. Make sure that you know the cost of the services they offer. Always remember that there is a tendency that they are selling their services and you should not believe whatever they say. It is still best to ask other people who have hired them to check their expertise.

Once you have made your final pick, determine if the person you hired is registered. You may contact your state securities to get this information. You have to make sure that the person is free from any illegal activities and could be trusted.

Retirement planning takes a lot of accountability. No matter how competent the retirement planning consultant could be, your planning still depends on your responsibility. If you become responsible with yourself, retirement planning is never a tough job. Make the little sacrifices now and reap the fruits when you retire. Retirement is a time to enjoy and relax and not to burden you.

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