Seniors Site

Healthy relationships, whether shared between family, friends or coworkers, are important. They play a very significant role in your emotional being, acting as one of the building blocks to make you stronger and be able to withstand whatever it is that fate has for you. Healthy relationships are your strongest support system, without them, you only have yourself to rely on.
At any age, healthy relationships are important especially with people you get to spend your time the most. Maintaining one involves a lot of emotional effort but at the end of the day, you know that it’s all worth it. Human nature has it that in order to live a happier life, you need to coexist with other people, and to coexist, you need to build relationships—healthy relationships, that is. For seniors, having healthy relationships, not just with their family, somehow eases the emotional pain that usually comes with aging. Seniors who are able to maintain healthy relationships won’t have to deal with isolation and loneliness later in life thus enabling them to have longer, stress-free lives.
Life coaches can’t stress enough how important healthy relationships are especially for seniors. However, not all people are willing to be your best friend. Obviously, some people were born to possess “toxic” personalities. Toxic personalities, as the words imply, are people who exude negativity and would gladly go out of their way just to extend toxic feelings to other people—you included. These people are way beyond repair so it won’t do you any good to reach out to them, better if you just avoid them altogether. Meanwhile, looking for your “match” would be very beneficial in building healthy relationships. As rule of thumb, make sure that when you receive, you should also give. Learn how to reciprocate as it is the only way to keep a healthy relationship going.
Seniors who have healthy relationships supporting them during the so-called golden years are benefitted tremendously. Some of the known benefits of healthy relationships are having someone who, you know, will be there no matter what, acting as a sounding board whenever you need one and best of all, someone you can actually trust—apparently, two of the most important things in a senior’s life. You can also count on their loyalty and respect if worse comes to worst.
Sometimes, just knowing there is someone out there who cares, means a lot to a senior. Sadly, some seniors still suffer isolation even if they are living with their families.

There will come a time in an adult’s life when he or she will start thinking of retirement. With it, you start preparing your nest egg which will support you during your retirement years and hopefully be able to afford you your luxuries in life. Your nest egg and how much should go into it is an essential part of preparing and planning for your retirement. You build it, let it grow and like a surprise waiting to unfold, you look forward to it. In other words, your nest egg will determine how grand your retirement will be.
This is the reason why it is very important for seniors and even for adults nearing retirement to constantly keep an eye on their nest egg. However, unexpected circumstances are bound to happen. Most of the time, these circumstances will force you to dip your hand into your nest egg and by doing so, put your retirement years into a great risk.
Especially now that we are still feeling the blow of the ever horrible economic crisis, I say it’s the senior group who suffers the most. We are the ones with the never ending responsibility of helping our adult kids to regain footing, we who have the obligation to care for our aging parents and provide for their needs, financially and emotionally and aside from that, we also need to set aside a little something for ourselves so we won’t have to end up as a burden for our loving sons and daughters. Can it get tougher than that?..
Before you give in to the whims of your family and friends, consider first if you can afford it. They may be in dire need but how about you? Remember that you don’t have much time left to save for your retirement and it is never a sin to prioritize yourself. You’ve been helping other people for too long, now is the time for them to take care of themselves and not bother you anymore. While it is not bad to still help, make sure you do it in a way that it won’t affect you or your future.
Your nest egg can also be an easy target for con artists and scammers. With that said, try to keep it out of sight as much as possible. Never boast about it especially when around people. Investing your nest egg might be the most logical thing to do to be able to double, triple or just keep everything moving but you need to be very wise when investing your money. As rule of thumb, never risk your money into something that promises you fast, enormous return of investment. That is just plain impossible and it can never happen. Instead, go for safer ones such as government issued securities and CDs. They may yield lower than desired but you’re assured that you still have your nest egg intact when the time comes.

For those who have been a slave all their lives, bound by adult life’s rules, retirement must be their second leash in life. A few may dread it due the number it represents i.e their age but obviously, a large number of seniors do look forward to it especially those who are able to reach this age with a healthy mind and body. Retirement is indeed liberating. Retirement, for most seniors, represents the time when we don’t have to think of anyone but ourselves; no children to consider, no jobs to keep and certainly, nobody expects us to abide by the rules anymore. To top it all, discounts and senior privileges abound!
I bet, when you think of retirement, the first thing that comes to mind is moving to another city and start anew. A burning desire to make life just the way it should be or something you have always dreamed of but failed to achieve due to adult-ish reasons. However, there are lots to consider before you pack your bags and move to some unknown lands. Consider this as your last task to accomplish to finally release yourself from the bonds that hold you. After this, you are certainly on your way to happy retirement, just to forget to write back when you have time! J
First you need to assess your financial standing. This is crucial since starting out means no job to sustain your existence for the first few months. You also have to consider the amount of time you’ll need to adjust to this newfound lifestyle. To do this, you must first, determine what type of lifestyle you want and plan on how to make it happen. In some cases, you might need to sell some of your stuff to raise money for this new “life” you are preparing for. This includes properties which are not yielding desirable income for you and your family, or perhaps some assets which you can no longer attend to once you move away. However, it is wise to have a backup financial source just in case your plans did not pan out so don’t just list everything on sale and be left with nothing. Take a moment’s time to determine whether a property or asset is worth keeping or not.
No matter how eager we, seniors, are with moving and all, as much as possible, take everything slow, just so you won’t miss anything important along the way. Anyway, you can always take a little step toward your retirement plan even before retiring such as moving to a smaller, more manageable house right after the kids flew out of the nest or moving to a community which is closer to the activities you would want to pursue upon retiring. This way, you got everything together by the time your retirement year arrives and would only require a little adjustment when that day comes.

Even in your golden years, your credit score still stands as one of the most important factors in one’s life. You will need a good credit score if you are planning to get a mortgage or perhaps a new car and, of course, loans—which tends to be a “jack-in-the-box” kind of thing in a senior’s life. Yes, obviously your credit score needs to be protected and nurtured as long as you live!
And indeed you have every responsibility to do so, unless you want to spite your stubborn son or daughter and give them a major headache in figuring out your debts! Aside from that, you need to maintain a good credit score if you are currently single in status and now looking forward to marrying again. This, you also have to check with your potential partner prior to marriage since it can seriously affect yours once married.
Alarmingly, according to a study conducted by AARP, the senior citizen group is the fastest growing in terms of credit debt. That alone shows how seniors are faring amidst the economic crisis and clearly, it’s not good. But, if you have been a good boy or girl and vigilantly keeping an eye on your debts and credits, chances are, you are now enjoying its benefits. One of the advantages of having a good credit score is of course, hassle-free loan eligibility which means you don’t have to wait too long for it and no need to forward 101 documents to have it granted. Also, keeping a good credit score means you will be able to enjoy lower interest rates as well as compared to those who are not too careful of their debts. These things should be reason enough for seniors like us to maintain a high credit score so that when the time comes that we need a loan, it won’t cost us heaven and hell to get that kind of money!
Contrary to public notion, your credit score does not depend on you being debt-free all your life. In fact, if you don’t own a credit card, now or even then, chances are, you don’t have any credit record in any agency. No credit history means no credit score for you sir, hence nothing to look at in case you apply for a loan. Chances are, your application will get rejected by the lender. Also, if you were a plain housewife and your husband did all the transactions in the past, don’t expect the authorities to be keeping track of your “neighborhood store” debts. In other words, these loans and debts need to be legal, binding and a pack made with authorities, something that can put you behind bars if you don’t pay up!
The easiest, most convenient way to improve your credit score is by using your credit card at least twice a month. This way, your name will be charged with a small enough amount that you can pay right on its due date. Just make sure you make the payments right on time or else, it will lower your credit score. As much as possible, stay within 25% of your maximum limit and keep old credit card accounts with you as it will prove you pay well. Small loans are also okay, just to keep everything running. Consider these things as an investment, even if you don’t really need them now.

There are situations which could sometimes compel us to make decisions and choose what’s best for us, no matter how it hurts. I can still remember when the kids were young and I used to dream about having our own house without worrying about the rent every month! That was the driving force which led me to gamble with mortgage the time I bought our very first home. Lucky for me, me and my spouse were able to tide our family over. Just imagine the sense of relief I felt after shelling out the last payment for the house which was then called officially and irrevocably OURS!
No, I am not on the verge of applying for reverse mortgage, thank God, not yet! But God knows how many times I’ve toyed with the idea when something tight comes around. I have some friends—a handful of them, I must say—who took the “reverse mortgage plunge” and so far, are not having any problems but there were indeed frantic calls from them ranging from the wee to ungodly hours just because they heard reverse mortgage problems and would require some level of comforting skills from yours truly.
Which led me to believe, not all people whose homes are now under reverse mortgage are aware of its pros and cons or how it really works, partly due to the fact that reverse mortgage is a fairly new way to get some cash out of your acquired home. For starters, reverse mortgage is only available for homeowners age 62 years and above. Moreover, the senior must physically occupy the house in question and it must be his or her principal residence. The greatest selling point of reverse mortgage is that you don’t risk getting kicked out of your own house and you are not expected to pay anything just as long as you live in that house. The downside however, would be, in the event you suddenly, unexpectedly die, the amount borrowed against your home should be paid in full including fees and charges, which if left unattended for quite some time can grow to astronomical proportions!
Reverse mortgages are calculated by month, just like any other mortgage. It means, from the time the borrowed money reaches your hands, its interest will also begin to run. Although there would be no pesky monthly collector, its unpaid monthly interests will automatically pile up, month after month.
In reverse mortgage, you still own your home thus making you responsible for its upkeep and other fees to be paid such as property tax and insurances. Failing to do so will only result to the lender’s demand of full payment for the money owed. Local and state governments offer reverse mortgage which has low fees and interest rate but they can only be used for paying property taxes. On the other hand, private loans are typically expensive and involve lots of charges and fees which will be charged against your loan balance. Another thing to consider when taking out a reverse mortgage against your home is that it can seriously mess up your taxes when filing.

Just a few more winks and we’re officially living under the year 2010! Isn’t it amazing how far we’ve come and how much we’ve accomplished in just a year? It seems like it was only yesterday when we put together our new year’s resolutions for 2009, planted the seeds, see it grow and harvested its fruits for the very first time. Of course, I was talking about money-making ventures which our fellow seniors might have started this year. I bet those who have jumped on the bandwagon are now having the time of their lives and have adjusted well to their new lifestyle—that, being proud business owners!

When putting up your own business, it is most recommended that you stick with the ones you are largely interested with. This may be something that you have been doing for ages or perhaps something that you’re interested to learn. This is done because ventures involve 100% dedication in making it work and of course, survive, considering today’s market climate. Putting up your own business is pure hardwork and it can be frustrating at times. Attention too, can waver, if you’re not really into it. Besides, if you have to work for money, then might as well do it while having fun!

In line with popular New Year’s resolutions for seniors, we are putting up together great business ideas that are perfect for our age group:

·    Staying fit and active:  Fitness centers that specifically cater to seniors and older adults; health stores, particularly natural and organic products; online resource pages for seniors’ health such as blogs and websites; personal training services; organic farm; sports equipment store.
·    Active participation in the community especially within your age group:  Adult day care centers; support and training for caregivers; planning and consultation services for senior housing; retirement and nursing facilities; recruitment agency for senior citizen; pet grooming shop/pet day care.
·    Socialize more:  Dating services; online niche dating services; matchmaking services; gift shops, both online and offline; call centers; outsourcing company or firm; events organizing services.
·    Save and earn:  Marketing consultancy; business planning firm; support and training facilities for business owners; home-based business; accounts assistance; business franchise; distribution center; repair/alter center such as auto, shoe or bag; collection services.
·    Learn new things:  Tutorial services; training facilities; seminars; web design services; DIY business such as organic soap making and beaded bags; bake shop; writing and proofreading services.

Back then, it’s common for seniors to acquire multiple homes by the time they reach their retirement years. Some even tag their homes as “vacation homes”, “weekend houses” and even their “city house” if they need to stay within the city for an extended time. These houses were considered as an investment, something that they can pass on to their offspring in due time. Those were the days when taxes were manageable and cash overflowed. Today, “manageable” means keeping your house and “struggle” means maintaining two.

Due to the economic struggle we all face today, having two houses at the same time is not practical and can definitely give a senior a hard time—more, later in life. For one, there’s the need to always set aside money for medical expenses and even if you live a healthy life, there will still be things you need to pay for in order to retain your healthy body. While retirement houses is not at all ridiculous to acquire nowadays, most seniors find themselves in a so-called “crossroads” where they need to choose between an adequate retirement community and your current house you’ve grown to love. Finding a new house is easy, even exciting at times but selling your home, even if it seems easy enough is also hard work and requires a lot of effort from your part.

When selling your home, you can either sell it yourself or use a broker. If in the past, someone expressed interest in buying your home, you can give them notice before deciding to go for a broker. Of course, selling the house yourself is the easiest way out IF there’s an existing buyer but for many others, the best route to go is using a broker especially if the house needs some more advertising. A broker can help you set a reasonable price for your home—enough to compensate for your lost, and also, he or she can help you pinpoint parts of the house that need “touch ups” . Try to get a broker that you are most comfortable working with and make sure he or she is indeed a broker who already sold homes in your area. To know this, you need to interview a couple of them prior to selling your house. Ask for referrals too, and check them.

Preparing your house for sale involves fixing things up and setting the place to make it more inviting to the eyes of the buyer. Your broker can help you with this by giving you a “third party” point of view and when they do, make sure you respect their opinions. Have house damages fixed even before a potential buyer visits the house. Remember, if you want the house sold in record time, eliminate all possible hindrance—defects are certainly one of them. Of course, keeping your house clean at all times is a must!

Research about how market value works. In a nutshell, it applies to family houses only. Do take note that the market value of your house may go up or down depending on the market’s pulse. There are three main elements in knowing your house’s market value: neighborhood, current condition of your house and the amount of time it stays “for sale”. The faster you sell your house, the better. Do consult neighbors and family members as well but always take their advises as a suggestion only. In the end, it should be between you and your broker—you being the seller and the broker being the “guy from inside”. After considering these elements, and more or less you have a reasonable price in mind, have a talk with your chosen broker to determine if indeed this can work. If somewhere along the line, you felt uncomfortable, it’s still your right to bail out. However, when a situation calls for your signature, make sure there’s another person on your side who can assist you in examining a paper for your own safety and protection.

Little do we know that retirement can negatively affect one’s marriage. For those nearing their retirement years, we actually look forward to many days of togetherness that was once impossible. Truth is, retirement can even cause stress to an otherwise healthy and peaceful marriage. Some even considered retirement as a test to one’s marriage.

According to studies made to married seniors, those who have retired at the same time had a higher success rate than those who belonged to one-working spouse household whereas, marital conflicts are expected to occur once retirement has been reached. Working after retirement, whether as part-time or fulltime, also has noticeable effects on how the marriage will fare. Bottomline is, everybody is expected to still be active in order not to be dubbed as a nuance in the house!

Gender-wise, women achieved greater satisfaction if they land a parttime job they truly enjoy after retiring thus a marriage that will still be satisfactory amidst all situations while it was reported that men are most happy if they will stop working altogether during their retirement years. This outlook alone poses a great challenge to many marriages regardless of age.

There are certain significant issues that come with retirement and marriage. For one, there is the financial stability that plagues many senior marriages. One study I found discusses why seniors prefer to cohabitate despite the fact that they really wanted to get married. It seems that as the years continue to pile up our personal calendars, the trickier the law has become. Now that everybody is experiencing financial stress, the more important it has become to be more financially secured come retirement. Another relevant reason why retirement is fast becoming an issue to a married couple is that retirement is known to disrupt established daily patterns for both spouses. Due to many years of living together under the same roof but never really knowing how to interact with each other every single day, your nonworking retirement years become so bothersome that sometimes you find yourself wishing you never retired! Another case in point is when the other half was forced to retire early to take care of an ailing spouse. Some professional, working women fear retirement just because they believe they will lose their identities when they do.

Responsibility plays a big role in a retired household. Before retirement, duties and responsibilities are clear but come big day, roles become as murky as mud. The responsibility of entertaining the other half will then fall unto the shoulders of the eversince-nonworking spouse which he or she will oblige—albeit hatefully. Also, as to where the financial side of things will come from proves to be an obstacle too.

Organizing a theme party is fun and exciting since it involves creativity and resourcefulness. Theme parties are almost always associated with dressing up and just having pure fun and nothing else. With theme parties, one is allowed to go as crazy as can be without hurting your reputation afterwards. This is the perfect opportunity to socialize, at the same time satisfy that inner urge to be a child again; like a license to second childhood!

Unfortunately, those parties organized by younger adults are more often than not, directed to their age-group and not so favorable to older adults. Maybe because it’s somewhat hard to decipher which themes work with us best. Also, many event planners just rely on what’s in fashion rather than spend actual time in getting to know what the participants need. It goes without saying that the best event planner for senior events should also be a senior or at least at the same age bracket of the participants.

Some of the most popular events which involve senior participation are birthdays and anniversaries. As you can see, every year is worth celebrating than the last so virtually, seniors won’t run out of occasions to celebrate. An average, boring day can even compel a senior to an impromptu get-together with minimal fuss. Why not add flair to these get-togethers then? Here are some theme party ideas for seniors:

·    Prom. This one I like best. Prom theme parties are great as it will require us to dress up, dance to “our” music and just relieve the glory days. Prom theme parties are great for class reunions and homecoming. Prepare activities that are similar to the ones you did way back then and don’t forget your king and queen!
·    Medieval Costume Party. This one’s a hit! Seniors will surely get a kick out of medieval costume parties as they get to dress up and feel supreme!
·    Poker/Casino nights. This can be done for a beneficiary or in other words, for fundraising purposes. Seniors love to play and feel the rush that comes with it. What better way to satisfy this urge than doing it for a cause?
·    Luaus. Well, one of the most popular themes for all ages, the luaus or Hawaiian parties.
·    Western parties. I truly believe western parties are the easiest to organize since we seem to have collected western-styled outfits through the years. Just have a quick look inside your closet and you’ll see.

Soon after retirement, there are retirement work options you need to think about. Actually, retirement work and everything else that comes with it should be prepared ahead of time just so when you have reached the big day, there will be no added surprises anymore. At best, your home office should be set up—and ideally “soft” running—even before you are held legally retired by the law. This is because setting up an office might sound so simple, but in actuality, it’s not as easy as it seemed.

Setting up an office takes time and planning, of course. Not only that, right after settling in and, for the very first time, working in this office, that will be the only time you’ll see how your “careful planning” has gone wrong. Like any other business, home-based also has its own set of challenges and will also require time to get on its feet. The only difference is the penny you’ll save as compared to renting a proper office space. Aside from that, some clients do prefer working with someone who operates from home.

If you are thinking of setting up your own home office then check out this step-by-step guide in making it as smooth as possible:

·    Designate a suitable room. When I say suitable, it means it should be as far as it can get from all potential distractions. If possible, it should have a great view of something soothing and/or refreshing. However, if you are living in the city and you don’t have this kind of luxury then choose a wallpaper that suits you best. Blue is known to stimulate the mind while light blue gives an illusion of a much wider space.
·    Floor planning or even a rough sketch of what you have in mind. If you have one in mind, this is the time to draw it down, if you don’t, consult the internet for many interesting ideas. While it is easy to lose yourself while doing this, you need to consider two of the most important factors that should exist in an office: comfort and functionality. Start with your essentials then add accents later.
·    Clear the room. As in zero. Nada. It is much better—and easier—to start with a blank space than keep moving things until they finally fit in. It will also give you a clear idea how much space you have in your hands rather than depending on your estimates.
·    Start with what you have right now. You don’t have to buy every single piece that goes into your office. With a little creativity, you can manage with almost 80% of your existing furniture and still be happy with your office.
·    Be on the look out for companies which offices are currently under renovation. Chances are, they are also offering their “old things” for sale!
·    One by one, fill your office up but be conscious of the remaining space when doing this. If you intend to spend lots of time in this room, it is easier to breathe when you have a lot of space to do so.
·    Lighting is very important. Choose a light that won’t strain your eyes. Neither too bright nor too dim would work.
·    Give it a test. After admiring your handiwork, it’s time to get down and dirty. Remember what I have said about soft opening? Every major business does a soft opening because this is the only way they will be able to see the office in action. Do this too so you’ll have time to fix or arrange things before a large transaction comes.