Is Independent Living for You?

Top Four Reasons to Move to an Independent Living Facility

There are many different reasons why retired adults decide to move into an Independent Living facility. Before making any specific decisions, however, be sure to explore all your options. Seek out the perfect fit for you or your loved one by considering these four advantages to moving to an Independent Living facility.

1. Neighbors.
At an independent living facility, you’ll meet lots of people your age since these communities are usually for retired adults. There’s a whole socializing aspect behind these retirement communities that can help improve the quality of life for those who are tired of living in the larger-scale home they’ve lived in for years and years. The neighbors you meet will become the friends you see regularly at all the events and activities the independent living facility has to offer.

2. Activities.
Think of an independent living facility as an upscale college campus. There’s lots to do and many clubs and activities to join. With various meeting, group activities, and frequent classes, you’ll be able to socialize and get to learn something you may have always wanted to know. The best part of this is that you may choose to be involved as much or as little as you’d like because it is independent living. The possibilities for involvement are endless.

3. Security and Freedom.
Since an independent living facility is one in which you may live in your own apartment while enjoying more social interaction, you can come and go as you please. This gives you the opportunity to still live like you would have at your previous house, going on vacations as you please. At the same time, independent living facilities have security services that create a safe community and place to live so there’s never a reason to feel like your personal belongings will not be secure while you’re away or even late at night.

4. Household Help.
Many retired adults choose to move to an independent living facility because they no longer desire to take care of that big house that once housed their larger family. All that space is no longer necessary. In addition to downscaling, many independent living facilities offer cleaning and dining services, on top of landscaping. It’ll give you the opportunity to really take advantage of your free time as a retired adult, rather than keeping you chained to daunting household chores.

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Community contact us today at 407-732-5800.

Turning 65? What You Need to Know about Signing up for Medicare

The first of the 78 million baby boomers turned 65 on January 1, 2011, and some 10,000 boomers a day will reportedly be turning 65 between now and 2030. If you are among those about to turn 65, then it is time to think about Medicare. You become eligible for Medicare as soon as you turn 65, and delaying your enrollment can result in penalties, so it is important to act right away.

There are a number of different options to consider when signing up for Medicare. Medicare consists of four major programs: Part A covers hospital stays, Part B covers physician fees, Part C permits Medicare beneficiaries to receive their medical care from among a number of delivery options, and Part D covers prescription medications. In addition, Medigap policies offer additional coverage to individuals enrolled in Parts A and B.

Medicare enrollment begins three months before your 65th birthday and continues for 7 months. If you are currently receiving Social Security benefits, you don’t need to do anything. You will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B effective the month you turn 65. If you do not receive Social Security benefits, then you will need to sign up for Medicare by calling the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly/. It is best to do it as early as possible so your coverage begins as soon as you turn 65.

If you are still working and have an employer or union group health insurance plan, it is possible you do not need to sign up for Medicare Part B right away. You will need to find out from your employer whether the employer’s plan is the primary insurer. If Medicare, rather than the employer’s plan, is the primary insurer, then you will still need to sign up for Part B. Even if you aren’t going to sign up for Part B, you should still enroll in Medicare Part A, which may help pay some of the costs not covered by your group health plan.

If you don’t have an employer or union group health insurance plan, or that plan is secondary to Medicare, it is extremely important to sign up for Medicare Part B during your initial enrollment period. If you do not sign up for Part B right away, then you will be subject to a penalty. Your Medicare Part B premium may go up 10 percent for each 12-month period that you could have had Medicare Part B, but did not take it. In addition, you will have to wait for the general enrollment period to enroll. The general enrollment period usually runs between January 1 and March 31 of each year. 

With all the deductibles, copayments and coverage exclusions, Medicare pays for only about half of your medical costs. Much of the balance not covered by Medicare can be covered by purchasing a so-called “Medigap” insurance policy from a private insurer. You can search online for a Medigap policy in your area at http://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/medigap-home.aspx. 

Medicare also offers Medicare Part C (also called Medicare Advantage). You must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B to join a Medicare Advantage plan, the name for private health plans that operate under the Medicare program. If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, the plan will provide all of your Part A and Part B coverage, and it may offer extra coverage, such as vision, hearing, dental, and/or health and wellness programs. Most such plans include Medicare prescription drug coverage. 

Finally, Medicare offers prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D. If you are not going to sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage, then you will want to enroll in a prescription drug plan at the same time you sign up for Parts A and B. For every month you delay enrollment past the initial enrollment period, your Medicare Part D premium will increase at least 1 percent. You are exempt from these penalties if you did not enroll because you had drug coverage from a private insurer, such as through a retirement plan, at least as good as Medicare’s. This is called “creditable coverage.” Your insurer should let you know if their coverage will be considered creditable. Visit the Medicare Web site at http://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/medigap-home.aspxto find a drug plan in your area. 

After you’ve signed up for Medicare Part B, you can schedule a free “Welcome to Medicare” exam with your doctor.

Article courtsey of the Law Office of Kathleen Flammia.

At the Law Office of Kathleen Flammia, we protect your future, your way. Kathleen Flammia is a board certified Elder Law lawyer, specializing in the areas of Medicaid and Long Term Care Planning, Probate, Estate Planning, Guardianships and other related services directed at protecting you and the distribution of your assets.

Our Orlando, Florida based legal counsel focuses upon the needs of seniors and disabled individuals and their families, especially in the difficult area of Medicaid issues. We help clients navigate the complicated legal system that is characteristic of addressing these needs.

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Communities contact us today at 407-732-5800.

Golden Gadgets

Think the high-tech market of the future is just teens, tweens and twentysomethings who want their iPods smarter, their Xboxes faster and their cell phones thinner? Consider this: in the next 10 to 20 years, 78 million baby boomers in the U.S. will reach ages when health care is a worry. That sizable number–and the billions of dollars it represents in potential sales–has sent companies scrambling for technology to help seniors cope with the infirmities that come with aging while maintaining their autonomy. Here’s a preview of some of the fascinating gadgets currently in the works:

AN ALERT WATCH

The elderly often land in the hospital because they’ve forgotten to take medication. Microsoft and Intel are developing a wristwatch that prompts the wearer to take his pills. The doctor types into his computer instructions on when medication should be taken, and the information is transmitted to the patient’s computer, which downloads it to the watch. Around the appointed hour, when the senior is near the location where the pills are stored, a sensor tracking the senior’s movements alerts the watch, which signals that it’s medicine time. The watch, which should be available in two years, can also alert the doctor if the meds aren’t taken.

NOT JUST A CANE

Intel has been researching a cane with a sensor that sends an alert when the cane hasn’t been used for several days, a tip-off that its user may be unable to move around. The company is also looking at sensors that in the next couple of years might be placed in canes or shoes to inform a doctor about the minute changes in a senior’s stride that may be an early indication of neurological problems such as Parkinson’s.

THE HEALTH-E-CHAIR

This recliner with electronic biosensors can measure things like weight and blood pressure when a person just plops in it to watch television. The readings are transmitted by phone line to a control center where a nurse reviews them and can chat with the patient about his condition from the screen of his TV set. Commwell, Inc., the Illinois firm that makes the chair, hopes to lease the system to customers for $150 a month beginning in 2007.

MEMORY-JOGGING GLASSES

This eyewear, developed by M.I.T.’s Media Laboratory, has a tiny name-storage device that picks up the identification signal cell phones emit and then searches its database to see if a name matches. A miniprojector on the stem flashes the name of the friend or relative encountered on the glass lens for one two-hundredth of a second–so fast it isn’t noticeable, yet lab tests have shown the subliminal prompt is enough to improve name recall by 50%. In the prototype, wearers must carry a battery wired to the glasses, but eventually a wireless system will be available.

THE SMART TABLE

The Microsoft-designed tabletop has an overhead camera that records a patient’s pill intake. There is also a projector that beams down a checkerboard image, allowing a virtual game between friends in different homes. Being tested: having the camera record the board moves and then feeding those images to a computer, which analyzes the times it takes a player to make a move and the speed and dexterity with which he shifts the checkers, to spot changes that might indicate a deterioration in brain functions.

AN ANALYTICAL PHONE

It has been nicknamed “caller ID on steroids,” and it helps Alzheimer’s patients in the early phases of the disease who stop calling friends for fear they can’t remember voices and names, a form of isolation that can lead to depression, accelerate the disease and put them in a nursing home. An Intel phone comes with a screen that projects a caller’s picture and name along with a note typed or recorded by the two parties after their previous phone conversation, describing what they had discussed. The memory joggers make the patient more willing to keep in touch with loved ones.

By DOUGLAS WALLER

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1562948-1,00.html#ixzz1C57eP3zo

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Community contact us today at 407-732-5800.

RENOWNED ACTRESS PERFORMS AT OAKMONTE VILLAGE SENIOR LIVING

Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary welcomes noted New York thespian Anna Berger to their stage on Thursday, February 20 for a single performance of her one-woman show titled “Absolutely Anna.”

Anna Berger may not be a name that rings a bell in most minds, because she is one of those superb, chameleon-like actresses that so become the part they play, audiences only remember the characters they bring to life. Anna has spent over fifty years as a successful working actress on stage, screen and television. She is now every directors’ favorite Jewish, Italian, Polish, you-name-it ethnic mama, aunt or grandmother, immortalizing such characters as Aunt May in Woody Allen’s “Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Most recently TV audiences know her as “Cookie” in The Sopranos, and she was the first to play one of the most famous Jewish mothers of all, “Golde” in “Tevye and his Daughters” when it was first staged in New York, before being transformed into “Fiddler on the Roof.” She has also appeared with Adam Sandler in his latest film “You don’t mess with the Zohan!” Anna is the recipient of a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from her peers of the Coleman and Smith Artistic Company (COLSAC- www.colsac.org.)

Anna was encouraged by her colleagues at The Actors’ Studio to collect and present her memories of the years during which Broadway, Hollywood and television were established, which she has done in the form of a one-woman monologue titled “Absolutely Anna.” It is a humorous, emotional and enlightening journey through time.

Anna lived through The Depression, World War II, The McCarthy era, and was a witness and participant in many of the milestones that made acting history. Her first important acting job was touring in “Diamond Lil” with Mae West, with whom she became intimate friends, and through her life worked with and was close to some of the most famous luminaries of theater, film and television, before and after they got their star on Hollywood Boulevard. These intimate “behind the scenes” memories are presented in a delightful and enthralling monologue full of wit, humor and touching recollections.

Anna will be a guest of Oakmonte Village as she visits her sister and brother-in-law, Dr. Merwin and Florence Adler, residents of Oakmonte Village.  Oakmonte Village is the area’s newest luxury senior living community nestled in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, FL.

For more information or to schedule an interview call Julie Fernandez at 407-732-5800

As Predicted, Social Security Closes Door on Benefits ‘Do-Over’ Strategy

As ElderLawAnswers warned in a previous article, the Social Security Administration has eliminated a loophole that had allowed Social Security recipients to start receiving benefits when they first became eligible without being permanently locked in to the lower benefit level.

Although you can collect Social Security benefits starting at age 62, if you do, your benefits will be significantly lower than if you wait until your full retirement age or even later. About half of Americans file at 62, but “in most cases it’s a costly mistake,” says retirement journalist Mark Miller.

A little-known provision of Social Security law had allowed beneficiaries to have their cake and eat it, too — to apply for benefits when they first became eligible and later withdraw their application for early benefits and reapply and receive full retirement benefits. The catch was that the recipient had to pay Social Security back all the money they had pocketed so far. But no interest was due on the benefits received, so the money was in effect an interest-free loan. The policy was designed to provide an escape hatch for those who took early retirement and then went back to work.

Under the new rules, retirees may withdraw their Social Security applications only once and only within 12 months of first receiving benefits.

Due to the payback requirement, the “do-over” strategy was available only to more affluent recipients and was little used, although word had been spreading. In 2007, Social Security processed only about 500 withdrawal applications, but that number had more than doubled to 1,015 in 2009 and processing the new applications was becoming an administrative headache for the agency.

Article provided by Kathleen Flammia.  Kathleen Flammia is a board certified Elder Law lawyer, specializing in the areas of Medicaid and Long Term Care Planning, Probate, Estate Planning, Guardianships and other related services directed at protecting you and the distribution of your assets.

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Community contact us today at 407-732-5800.

Do Surviving Spouses Have a Right to a 401(k) or an IRA?

When choosing a beneficiary for a retirement plan, it is important to understand how your spouse will be treated under the plan. Surviving spouses are treated differently under 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). While a 401(k) provides protections for a surviving spouse, an IRA does not.

Because the 401(k) is an employee-based retirement system, it is governed by a federal law, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Under ERISA, a surviving spouse is usually the automatic beneficiary of a retirement plan (There may be some exceptions. For example, the spouse may have to be married to the employee for a certain amount of time). The spouse must consent in writing if the employee wishes to name someone else as the beneficiary.

IRAs, on the other hand, are not governed by ERISA, so they do not include the same protections for spouses. This is true even if a 401(k) is rolled into an IRA. In a recent case, Charles Schwab v. Debickero (U.S. Ct. App., 9th Cir., No. 07-15261, Jan. 22, 2010) a husband rolled his 401(k) into an IRA with Charles Schwab & Company after he retired. He named his children as the IRA’s beneficiaries. After he died, his wife claimed that she was entitled to the account funds as his surviving spouse. She argued that because her husband rolled his 401(k) into the IRA, she should receive the same protections that the 401(k) gave her. The court disagreed, finding that the IRAs are excluded from ERISA coverage even if the funds originated in a 401(k).

If you have an IRA and want your spouse to be its beneficiary, you have to specifically name the spouse as a beneficiary. If you have a 401(k) and want your spouse to be the beneficiary, you should still fill out a beneficiary designation form, naming your spouse. And if you roll it over into an IRA, make sure you fill out a new beneficiary designation form. If you want someone other than your spouse to be the 401(k)’s beneficiary, you will need the spouse’s consent in writing, as noted above.

Whether you have a 401(k) or an IRA, it is important to regularly check your beneficiary designations to ensure they are current.

Article provided by Kathleen Flammia.  Kathleen Flammia is a board certified Elder Law lawyer, specializing in the areas of Medicaid and Long Term Care Planning, Probate, Estate Planning, Guardianships and other related services directed at protecting you and the distribution of your assets.

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Community contact us today at 407-732-5800.

Senior Survival Seminar with Elder Law Attorney, Kathleen Flammia

Please join us for this month’s Senior Survival Seminar at its new earlier time of 2:00pm – 4:00pm on January 26, 2011 in the Winter Park Library, located at 460 E. New England Avenue. Learn about the new changes to the Estate Tax, the basics of Wills and Trust and about Medicaid Planning to protect your assets if you or a loved one needs Long Term Care. Please call my office at (407) 478-8700 to RSVP. For more information on The Law Office of Kathleen Flammia, please visit our website at http://www.flammialaw.com/.

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Community contact us today at 407-732-5800.

Understanding Your Choices In Independent Living

Independent living is simply any housing arrangement designed exclusively for seniors, generally those ages 55 and over. Housing varies widely, from apartment style living to freestanding homes. In general, the housing is friendlier to older adults, often being more compact, with easier navigation and assistance in yard maintenance if there is a yard. You may also hear the terms retirement communities, retirement homes, senior housing and senior apartments applied to independent living.

Types of independent living facilities

There are many types of independent living, from apartment complexes to separate homes. They come in a range of costs, including subsidized housing for low income older adults. Continuing care retirement facilities provide independent living as well as other housing with more services at the same facility.

• Subsidized senior housing. There are senior housing complexes, subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for low income seniors. Keep in mind that depending on the area, waiting lists can take years, so it’s a good idea to plan well in advance for this option.
• Senior apartments. Senior apartments are apartment complexes restricted by age, usually 55+. Rent may include community services such as recreational programs, transportation services, and meals in a communal dining room.
• Retirement communities. Retirement communities are groups of housing units for those 55+. These housing units can be single family homes, duplexes, mobile homes, or townhouses or condominiums. If you decide to buy a unit, additional monthly fees may cover services such as outside maintenance, recreation centers, or clubhouses.
• Continuing care retirement communities. Continuing care retirement communities offer service and housing packages that allow access to independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities in one community. If residents begin to need help with activities of daily living, they can transfer to an assisted living or skilled nursing facility on the same site.

Information provided by Helpguide.org

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Community contact us today at 407-732-5800.

Rotary Club of Lake Mary Meets at Orlando Area Senior Community

The Lake Mary Rotary Club meets each Thursday morning at 7:30 am at Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary.

The world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA was formed on February 23, 1905 by Paul Pl. Harris, an attorney who whiched to recapture in a professional club the same friendlyspirit he had felt in the small towns of his yout.  The name “Rotary” derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members’ offices.

You can find that same friendly spirit each Thursday morning at 7:30 am at Oakmonte Village!   Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Community contact us today at 407-732-5800.