Steps to Take Now to Age With a Plan

young daughter and elderly father smiling at laptop

Creating an Action Plan for Successful Aging

Tips, Ideas, and Resources for Seniors and Their Families

 

As we approach our senior years, we should be thinking about what we want our lives to look like after retirement. Aging with a plan helps you and your family avoid the need to make more sporadic and reactionary decisions about your senior care and end-of-life needs later on. 

The idea of creating a plan for aging may seem overwhelming, but we recommend taking the first steps by simply gathering important documents, considering some key questions about your future plans and desires, and tapping into local and online resources for more information.

 

Consolidate important paperwork and legal documents. If you have not done so already, this is the time to gather and organize personal documents related to your finances, investments, medical history, and any other subjects that will be relevant as you assess senior living preferences and options. Your family should know where and how they can access the documents if needed.

Consider these key questions. To prompt your thinking, it can help to answer specific questions about your vision for life post-retirement. You might want to write down your responses for future reference.

  • Where do you want to live after retirement? For example, do you want to continue to live at home? Would you want to move in with a child or loved one? Would you consider moving to a senior living community?
  • If you do want to live at home, what modifications would be needed for you to age in place safely for as long as possible? Would those modifications be possible in your current home? What costs are associated with a potential remodel?
  • What are the costs of your mortgage compared to the costs of moving to a senior living community?

 

Take advantage of available resources. There are many resources available to you as you work to develop your aging plan. The following are a few of the most commonly used:


Map your next steps. We recommend, if you are not already doing so, working with a certified financial planner. He or she can help you evaluate your current savings and investments and project your future financial needs in retirement. It may also be time to invite immediate family members to join you for an end-of-life care conversation about your future plans and wishes. While these decisions may not be made and executed for some time, it is never too early to have the conversation.

If you are interested in senior living communities in the Greater Cleveland area, you can reach out to the McGregor team for more details on options and costs to inform your planning. We would be more than happy to speak with you and answer your questions.

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