Whenever you think of lifes big moments, its hard to find one without Mom and Dad. Theyve been an unwavering source of comfort, inspiration and strength. So when its time to talk to your parents about assisted living, you might find yourself overwhelmed with emotions.Youre not alone. Many adult children face the arduous task of finding a safe place for their parents to age. However, you can make the transition a lot less stressful for everyone by following these 4 steps in planning for assisted living with your parents.1. Hold a family meeting.The choice to transition into assisted living is life-changing, which is why its essential for your parents and supportive family members to be involved in the process as much as possible. The best way to get the conversation about assisted living started is by holding a family meeting.Here are some tips on how to hold a family meeting about transitioning your parents to assisted living:Include everyone who will be part of the caregiving team for your parents. This could include family members, close friends, neighbors, their minister, or a paid caregiver.Prepare an agenda to keep communication successful and the group focused on supporting your parents. Be sure to stick to a clear timetable, so you dont overwhelm those attending the meeting.Choose a comfortable setting to keep tension low and positivity high. Find a location that has adequate seating and few distractions.Make sure everyone is heard. Moving your parents into assisted living can stir up emotions for everyone involved. People are more willing to talk about the situation if they feel they have a safe place to speak.2. Evaluate their needs.An in-person visit with their primary care physician is the ideal way to accurately evaluate the needs of your aging parents. Not only will you get a comprehensive evaluation of their functional abilities, youll get an assessment of their physical health, too.In order to provide the right level of care, their doctor will evaluate how well your mom or dad perform Activities of Daily Living, or ADLs . These are activities in which your parents engage on a day-to-day basis, such as:BathingEatingDressingGroomingOral hygieneClimbing stairsWalkingUsing the toiletYou also need to evaluate how well your parents perform Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, or IADLS. Adults need to perform these activities in order to live a successful, independent life. Evaluating IADLS is also a way to measure what level of care your parents might need when they enter assisted living. Examples include:CookingDriving or using public transportationDoing houseworkKeeping track of financesDoing laundryUsing the phone and looking up numbersManaging medications3. Create a sound financial plan for assisted living.After youve determined the level of care your mom or dad might need, its time to take a deep look at what your family can afford on a monthly basis. Most families use private funds to pay for assisted living. Your parents may be able to pay for this by combining their  personal savings, Social Security payments, pension payments and retirement accounts; they may also be willing to sell their home. In some cases, adult children may contribute some of their own funds to supplement their parents resources.You may be surprised to find out the average cost of assisted living is about the same as the cost of at-home care, which is when you choose to spend retirement in your home. However, aging in place comes with a big caveat: major home renovations.To live safely at home, your parents will probably need rooms in their home, like the bathroom and kitchen, completely reworked. This could end up costing more money and stress than originally planned.Talk to your parents about their finances and discuss the difference between aging-in-place and choosing a community that offers assisted living. That way, you can be sure youre choosing the right path for your parents retirement.4. Delight in exploring the possibilities.Assisted living communities are not the dreary and sleepy halls you may remember at your grandparents nursing home. Upscale assisted living offers unsurpassed care, services, and amenities that help your mom and dad thrive through every stage of their retirement.Housekeeping and laundry services eliminate many daily concerns,  scheduled activities help your parents stay social, and state-of-the-art fitness facilities keep them active. Theyll also have convenient access to lifes little luxuries like a hair salon, restaurant-style dining, and scheduled transportation for fun-filled shopping trips.While your parents are spending their retirement in style at a luxury community offering assisted living, you can rest easy knowing their health is always in caring hands.LIVE LIFE THE SANTA MARTA WAY WITH LUXURY ASSISTED LIVING IN OLATHE, KSDiscover Tuscan-inspired views, top-of-the-line amenities, and world-class cuisine at Santa Marta. Not only will your parents  be able to enjoy the fabulous amenities and services we offer, but theyll be able to receive  uniquely tailored care as their health needs change.To schedule a tour or learn more about our assisted living neighborhood and other senior living options, contact us online, and a senior living counselor will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

Community Visit Questions The search for the right senior living community in Kansas City can be difficult because there are many great options. So we developed a list of questions to help you choose the right one for you.OverallWhat was your first impression? Do you feel comfortable with the location and overall presentation of the campus? Do they offer an apartment style that appeals to you? What is the travel time to restaurants, theaters, airports, etc.? Do team members smile and offer courteous greetings? Do team members address residents by name and show respectful familiarity? Are the residents friendly and welcoming? What levels of living does this community have?What they offerWhat levels of living are available?  Are transportation services offered? Is there a fee? What is the process for discussing your care needs if your health begins to decline? What is their CMS quality rating? Do they have recent customer satisfaction survey results?Community LifeWhat is the minimum age? Do they embrace cultural diversity and inclusivity? Do they host events? What do the current residents have to say about the services? What are their policies related to pets Are they tobacco free? How secure is the community? How does parking work? Are there crisis plans in place? Do team members undergo screenings and background checks prior to employment? Do they have a newsletter and activity calendar?  DiningAre the dining rooms inviting and clean? Are the tables, chairs and linens clean and in good condition? May residents invite guests to meals? How does the community accommodate special diets? Is there a dietician or nutritionist involved in meal planning? Have you sampled a meal? FinancesAre they a stand-alone campus or part of a family of communities? What happens if you outlive your resources? What does the monthly fee cover? What is not included in the monthly fee? What are their policies related to transitioning to another unit or level of care? How might that impact you financially? What are their policies related to refunds? Next stepsCan you envision yourself living here? If so, what is the next step in making the move?  Editors Note: This article was submitted by Jill Lamb. Jill Lamb is the Marketing Director with Colonial Village and may be reached at (913) 730-3700 or by email at Jill.Lamb@CLV-OP.com.  

REMARRYING SENIORS HAVE BIG ESTATE PLANNING DECISIONS TO MAKE9/5/2022 Second marriages are more common in the lives of seniors these days. Many seniors who remarry have enjoyed a life of love with a previous spouse whom passes away, and later discover love with someone new. Although they often feel like theyve lost the love of their life, remarrying as a senior can be exhilarating for these later years.Caught up among the excitement newfound love can bring are some of lifes most serious decisions, and evermore so for remarrying seniors. Many seniors choose not to plan when remarrying, causing unforeseen challenges for their loved ones. This also has the potential to break close relationships with others and cause infighting among other family members.Longer lifespans are accredited for the increasing numbers in remarrying seniors. And, as the years go on, this will probably have many marrying for the first time later in life, in increasingly blended ways. Questions about what to do with a lifetime of accumulated and still accumulating assets are ones that couples dont have to consider when they're young. However, these are decisions almost all seniors must make when remarrying. With 50% of seniors remarrying, these are questions elder law attorneys are starting to hear more and more, from existing and new clients. Meeting with an elder law attorney, can let you and your new spouse know what your options are.Prenuptial AgreementsThe biggest consideration for seniors remarrying is the prenuptial agreement. Whereas fictional stories in print and Hollywood often outline prenuptial worst-case scenarios and intentions, prenuptial agreements are the norm for seniors remarrying, and they often deliver the best protection for both spouses. Open communication is the most important factor when agreeing to a prenuptial agreement. Typically, each spouse has children or family whom they desire to maintain as beneficiaries on bank accounts, stocks and other assets. This may be important, so the first to pass away doesnt unknowingly and completely disinherit their children.For those with investments and real estate, trusts are important vehicles to keep finances where they are desired to be for seniors and their beneficiaries. If remarrying seniors pool their finances together, they can be even more vital to keeping everyones desires satisfied. Whether it comes down to a prenuptial agreement, a trust, or a combination of the two, it is most important both partners understand the full picture of their plans for one another and those they love.A Lifetime of AssetsPooling assets together and putting another name on a title can seem like intuitive decisions when remarrying. But these decisions often have better alternatives that can prevent the likelihood of disinheriting loved ones and hoping blended families can work it out after you pass away. Assets often have limitations with who and how many beneficiaries can be designated, and titling often has predetermined legalities that differ from state to state. Newlyweds should prepare for protecting their children and their spouse at the same time and, there is really no way of doing so without creating a trust.Taxes, Medicaid & Pension ConsiderationsConsequences of dying intestate or even with a will that assures going through probate and adds to the complexity of decisions to make when remarrying as a senior. Well, you can add taxes, Medicaid  and pension considerations to the list, because higher earnings levels may bump a couple up to a higher tax bracket, change Social Security benefits and even disqualify you from a pension and Medicaid. Elder law attorneys with financial planning experience are vital in understanding your full range of options surrounding these scenarios. This will ensure you are best prepared when the IRS wants to collect or another institution is ready to change their terms of service.TrustsTrusts give trustors (thats you and your spouse) the most flexibility and planning options. Amending wills, life insurance, investments and property can be cumbersome and evenly separating them out among beneficiaries is nearly impossible. Creating a trust allows benefactors the ability to distribute exactly how and when they desire. This is important to ensure a new spouse is well cared for even after the other passes.ConclusionThe sum of these relationships is different for everyone. Falling in love with someone new always impacts the others we love. These relationships may grow positively, or they may not. Remaining loyal to a new spouse might mean it is too difficult to maintain all the relationships we once had and enjoyed. While this is not necessarily estate planning legalese, its often a new reality after remarrying later in life. It is important to plan for these changes, and not to let them keep you from making the important estate planning decisions necessary when remarrying as a senior. Planning ahead can also keep you from making knee jerk decisions with your planning during emotional times. The benefits of finding love as a senior can bring an exuberance of excitement and joy into or lives. Dont let this decision result in unintended consequences for yourself and others. Make sure your most heartfelt desires are carried out for you and those you love for the rest of their lives.  If you want to ensure that you make the right decisions for your own family when considering life and estate planning decisions, feel free to sit down and talk with us for a free consultation by calling (913) 491-6332, visit our website berger-lawfirm.com or stop by our conveniently located office at 11233 Nall, Suite 140 Leawood, KS 66211 for more information. Berger Estate & Elder Law P.A. has been providing our clients with Trusted Counsel and Proactive Solutions for over 30 years, and we look forward to many more! 

Plan While You Still Can Do you know what healthcare treatments you would and would not want if you could not speak for yourself? Have you considered what wouldhappen if you were no longer able to make decisions for your healthcare or finances? These are hard questions to think about but taking time to answer them and make them official is essential. To make your decisions knownand give power to those you choose, you need legal documents in place; specifically, a Healthcare Durable Power of Attorney, an Advanced Directive,and a Financial Durable Power of Attorney. A Healthcare DPOA allows you to document who makesmedical decisions about your healthcare. The person designated as your agent is authorized to speak ONLY if you cant speak for yourself. An AdvancedDirective is a document that states your wishes for medical treatments at the end of life. These documents are essential for making your healthcare wishesknown and avoiding a Guardianship during incapacity. You can prepare these documents with an Estate Planning or Elder Law Attorney, or there are freeversions of them available with the Center for Practical Bioethics. A Financial DPOA is a document that gives authority from oneperson (the principal) to another person (the agent) for the agent to act on behalf of the principal. These are much more technical and require theassistance of an attorney to ensure they are prepared properly. Creating a Financial DPOA is essential for you to ensure your finances are in the hands ofsomeone you trust. If this year has taught us anything, its to plan while you can. Talk to your attorney to get started.Disclaimer: This is not intended to be legal counsel. The choice of an attorney is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.This article was submitted by Aaron L. Love, JD, an attorney with The Love Law Group, LLC and may be reached at 816-554-3330 or by email at planning@lovelawgroup.com.