Page 80 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2015

GOLDEN YEARS let’s talk MEET THE
PARTICIPANTS
Cindy Habeeb
membership services director, Singing River HealthPlex
Jennie Moe
registered dietician, Memorial Hospital
Eric Smith
senior associate pastor, First Baptist Church of Gulfport
Nicole Nezat
realtor, Fidelis Realty
Nicole Nezat talks about the importance of initiating downsizing early.
Joshua Bruce: We lose caregivers far too often; they become burned out. If a friend calls and needs a break, it’s someone reaching out for reality.
Vivian Champaigne: Individuals don’t realize they have to go into the patient’s world; they will never come back into yours. If you push someone, argue with them, they will go deeper into their world. They say it takes a village to raise children, but really nobody prepares young people to take care of their parents.
Eric Smith: We need to focus on what is; not what was and have the gift of being in the present.
Downsizing
Nicole Nezat: An important aspect of senior downsizing is initiating the process before it becomes a necessity. It can involve the entire family to ensure heirlooms, furniture and sentimental keepsakes can
be divided between family members. It doesn’t have to be a negative thing. Often, the desire to downsize revolves around
a change of lifestyle or a desire to move
to a different climate. Most times seniors are looking for less home maintenance, lower living expenses, a vast array of local recreational activities and a residence that can meet their physical challenges.
Pat Seymour: Sometimes retirees move
to where their children live and then their children are transferred with their jobs. The question is: do we sell and move to
where we want to be and let our children come to visit us?
Financial planning, living wills and trusts
William Van Kirk: Financial experts say everyone should try to put 10 to 15 percent of their income into a retirement plan, but only 25 percent of people who’re retiring actually have the money to live through retirement. It’s a burden on parents and children. There are unexpected things that come up and we have to plan for those. Make sure your financial professional is talking to all your financial advisors. We try to get our clients from point A to B whether they’re 90 years old or young. The best time to start planning for retirement or a living trust is yesterday, but people don’t want to do it.
You have to plan for your future
no matter what your wealth level is. Establishing a trust that has limits is a way to keep your legacy going on, and you can have a rider on your insurance policy for long term care.
Eric Smith: How do you get parents to start these conversations? Get a third party to start it; clergy can do it.
Joshua Bruce: It’s always wise to contact someone with elder law. Golden Years is not just about retirement, but being ready for whatever happens; maybe it’s home service or assisted living. All of it has to be planned.
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