Answer:  If you are a professional who helps families plan for or deal with ANY of their elder care matters, then you owe it to yourself to be listed on America's #1 online source for "Elder Care Experts"….

ElderCareMatters.com

ElderCareMatters.com is where you will find more than 2,000 competent, caring elder care experts located across America, including:

• Elder Law Attorneys
• Estate Planning Advisors
• Financial Planners
• Investment Advisors
• Geriatric Care Managers
• Insurance Professionals
• Life Care Planners
• Professional Organizers
• Reverse Mortgage Lenders
• Senior Move Managers
• Senior Real Estate Professionals
•  Tax Advisors
• Aging in Place Professionals
• Daily Money Managers
• And other elder care experts with long and successful careers working with seniors and their families

This is also where you will find some of America's best:

• Assisted Living Communities
• Alzheimer's / Memory Care Communities
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities
• Home Care Agencies

Together, we provide families across America with:

• Unparalleled professional expertise
• Up-to-date elder care information & answers to your elder care questions
• Competent, caring assistance with a wide range of elder care services

So if you are a competent, caring elder care professional who helps families with ANY of their elder care matters, then request today an Application for Membership in the national ElderCare Matters Alliance and get listed on ElderCareMatters.com - America's #1 source for "Elder Care Experts" plus information and answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO
ElderCare Matters, LLC
ElderCareMatters.com

 

 

 

Answer:  It is my pleasure to provide you with the following list of the 87 different elder care services that are currently provided by the members of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance on ElderCareMatters.com:

1. Accounting Services
2. Adult Day Care
3. Advance Medical Directives
4. Aging in Place Services
5. Alzheimer's / Memory Care Communities
6. Annuities
7. Arbitration
8. Asset Protection Planning
9. Assisted Living Communities
10. Assisted Living Referral Services
11. Bankruptcy
12. Bill Paying
13. Budgeting
14. Caregiving Education
15. Companion Care
16. Conservatorship
17. Consumer Law
18. Continuing Care Retirement Communities
19. Cremation Services
20. Crisis Intervention
21. Daily Money Management
22. Dementia Care
23. Disability Income Insurance
24. Disability Planning
25. Elder Abuse Litigation Services
26. Elder Law
27. ElderCare Planning
28. Estate Administration
29. Estate Liquidation
30. Estate Planning
31. Family Law
32. Financial Planning
33. Funeral Services
34. Geriatric Care Management
35. Guardianship
36. Health Insurance
37. Hoarding Clean Up and Coaching Services
38. Home Care
39. Home Downsizing Services
40. Home Health Care
41. Home Modifications
42. Hospice Care
43. Independent Living Communities
44. Investment Services
45. Life Care Planning
46. Life Insurance
47. Litigation
48. Long Term Care Insurance
49. Long Term Care Planning
50. Medicaid Planning
51. Medical Services
52. Medical Alert Systems
53. Medical Claims Processing
54. Medical Equipment & Supplies
55. Medical Malpractice Litigation
56. Medicare Consulting
57. Medicare Supplemental Insurance
58. Medication Management Services
59. Moving Services
60. Nursing Homes
61. Personal Finance
62. Powers of Attorney
63. Probate
64. Professional Organizing
65. Public / Non-Profit Resources
66. Real Estate Services
67. Rehabilitation Services
68. Residential Psychiatric Care
69. Respite Care
70. Retirement Planning
71. Reverse Mortgages
72. Securities Arbitration & Litigation Services
73. Senior Housing
74. Senior Move Management
75. Senior Move Planning
76. Senior Relocation Services
77. Social Security Disability Services
78. Special Needs Planning
79. Tax Law
80. Tax Planning
81. Tax Preparation
82. Transportation Services
83. Trustee / Fiduciary Services
84. Trusts
85. VA Benefits
86. Wills
87. Wound Care

The goal of ElderCareMatters.com is to provide families across America with the help they need to plan for and deal with their elder care matters.  Let us know if there are other elder care services that you would like to have us list on ElderCareMatters.com – America's #1 source for Elder Care Experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO, ElderCare Matters, LLC
ElderCareMatters.com
1-877-379-4500

Answer:  ElderCareMatters.com is an elder care resource to help families across America plan for and deal with their elder care matters.  With this goal in mind, we will continue to add more elder care-related services to ElderCareMatters.com in order to make this online elder care resource invaluable for families looking for help in planning for and/or dealing with their elder care matters.

Below are the 72 different elder care services currently listed on ElderCareMatters.com (with more services soon to be added): 

1. Adult Day Care
2. Advance Medical Directives
3. Aging in Place Services
4. Alzheimer's / Memory Care Communities
5. Annuities
6. Arbitration
7. Asset Protection Planning
8. Assisted Living Communities
9. Assisted Living Referral Services
10. Bankruptcy
11. Caregiving Education
12. Consumer Law
13. Continuing Care Retirement Communities
14. Crisis Intervention
15. Daily Money Management / Bill Paying
16. Dementia Care
17. Disability Income Insurance
18. Elder Abuse Litigation Services
19. Elder Law
20. ElderCare Planning / Long-Term Care Planning
21. Estate Administration
22. Estate Liquidation
23. Estate Planning
24. Financial Planning
25. Funeral Services
26. Geriatric Care Management
27. Guardianship / Conservatorship
28. Health Insurance
29. Hoarding Clean Up and Coaching Services
30. Home Care
31. Home Downsizing Services
32. Home Health Care
33. Home Modifications
34. Hospice Care
35. Independent Living Communities
36. Investment Services
37. Life Care Planning
38. Life Insurance
39. Litigation
40. Long-Term Care Insurance
41. Medicaid / Disability Planning
42. Medical / Healthcare
43. Medical Alert Systems
44. Medical Claims Processing
45. Medical Equipment & Supplies
46. Medicare Consulting
47. Medicare Supplemental Insurance
48. Medication Management Services
49. Moving / Relocation Services
50. Personal Finance / Accounting / Tax Preparation
51. Powers of Attorney
52. Probate
53. Professional Organizing
54. Public / Non-Profit Resources
55. Real Estate Services
56. Rehabilitation Services
57. Residential Psychiatric Care
58. Respite Care
59. Retirement Planning
60. Reverse Mortgages
61. Securities Arbitration & Litigation Services
62. Senior Move Management
63. Senior Move Planning
64. Social Security Disability Services
65. Special Needs Planning
66. Tax Law
67. Tax Planning
68. Transportation Services
69. Trustee / Fiduciary Services
70. Trusts
71. VA Benefits
72. Wills

If you need help with your family's elder care matters, you can count on ElderCareMatters.com to provide you with the experts, information & answers you need to plan for and deal with your elder care matters.

Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder & CEO of ElderCareMatters.com
1-877-379-4500

Answer:  This is a tough and not uncommon situation.  Your parents may be “in denial” about their situation or they may be perfectly aware but fatalistic – that is, “we can’t do anything about our situation so we might as well live our lives and the kids will take care of us when the time comes.”  Of course, they may truly not understand the consequences.  You don’t mention whether this is new behavior or if your parents have always lived beyond their means.  Reading between the lines, I’m guessing that this is more “business as usual” than not since your parents don’t own their home, have a “small” retirement account despite your father’s profession, and seem to be carrying a credit card balance.  If that’s the case, the situation is especially tricky, because their “system” has worked for them up to now and they may simply assume that will continue.  If, on the other hand, this is new behavior, it may be an indication of cognitive decline and the best place to start may be to take each of them for a thorough medical check-up. 

One way to begin to address this is for you and your sister to sit down with your parents and have a discussion about where and how they would like to age and the resources they have available to them to facilitate that plan so that the two of you can be sure that you know their wishes and can try to follow them.  After having that general discussion, I’d suggest that your transition the discussion into allowing the two of you to document what they have and where it is “just in case something happens to them suddenly” and you have to step in to their shoes.  As a part of this process, you should eventually be able to identify their income, expenses, assets and liabilities.  The next step would be to forecast a couple of scenarios and show them what will happen if……  In other words, if nothing changes, they will run out of money in X years.  Or, if one of them needs care, they will run out of money in Y years.  Perhaps you can then use this as a starting point for discussion of some changes they can make in their spending habits.  I call this process developing a family transition plan.   I have an outline of all of the items that should be included in this “family transition plan” and if you email me using the contact information provided I will be happy to provide it to you.  In general, the more dispassionate and non-judgmental you can be, the better the discussion will go.  I find when I’m working with families like yours that working through “the math” is often the best way to change behavior. 

To find competent elder care professionals who are located near You and can help you with this type of elder care matter, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online resource to find elder care experts plus elder care information & answers to your elder care questions.

Sheri Samotin, President
LifeBridge Solutions, LLC
Naples, Florida  34108
239-325-1880
Member of the ElderCare Matters Alliance, Florida chapter

Answer:  One of the biggest stresses I’m hearing now from clients is the stress caused by some of their adult children. Usually it is in the form of “financial aid” to pay the mortgage or something, but your case is about as extreme as I have heard.  I don’t know how you can cope with this situation. 

I don’t have a simple plan to solve your problem because family dynamics are involved that can complicate rational decision making. I usually suggest that the parent get a “business plan” from the child outlining how and when he/she is planning to solve the problem. The “plan” would include dates so progress can be measured. I don’t think just waiting for the economy to recover is the answer. Stress could kill you by then. 

In your daughter’s case, if she is taking three or four years to get a degree, I assume accumulating a lot of debt along the way, hoping to land a wonderful job once she has a degree in hand, I think her “business plan” has a very low chance of being successful. First of all I don’t think you deserve to put up with all of them for four years.  Second, what she needs is an income stream right now, not in four years, maybe.  If she absolutely needs more skills, I suggest a vocational schooling that can have her up and ready to work in a matter of months, not years. And, I suggest she take this training while working whatever job she can find.

To locate elder care experts who are near YOU and can help you with elder care financial matters, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online source to find elder care experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Philip C. Benedict, CFP
Benedict Financial Advisors, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia  30328
770-671-8228
Member of the ElderCare Matters Alliance, Georgia chapter

Answer:  The key to retirement is “cash flow.”  If at all possible, you want enough monthly “cash flow” to exceed your monthly “cash outlays.”  So I would suggest you first write down all your sources of retirement income.  This is passive income that you can count on for the rest of your life…not wages or earnings.  Then take an hour or two and estimate what your expenses are going to be during retirement.  You can probably use the last three months spending to help give you some guidelines.  

If you are comfortable that your monthly “cash flow” is greater that your monthly “cash outlays,” then you can probably think seriously about retirement.  

Be sure to factor in the cost of health care into your calculations.  Medicare is available for most people at age 65.  You will be required to pay for the Part B and Part D coverage, which will be withheld from your social security check.  The total of Parts B and D will probably be in the $125-150 per month range.  Most people also like to purchase a Medicare Supplement insurance policy, which will probably cost in the $125-150 per month range.  

Remember; when you elect to take social security at age 62, you will receive 30% less in benefits, than if you wait for “full retirement age,” which is age sixty-six.  And, this 30% discount lasts for the remainder of your life.  

Two more big items are inflation and death.  If your retirement “cash flow” does not increase with inflation and your “cash outlays” do, this can result in some lean late-in-life years, if you have no “extra” today.  And, be sure to consider how much of your “cash flow” will disappear upon the death of you or your wife. 

Good luck with your retirement planning.  You might consider an in-between retirement, where you semi-retire and continue “working” doing something you really enjoy.  Work doesn’t have to be a four-letter word.

To locate experts in your state who can help you with these elder care financial matters, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - A FREE online source to find elder care experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Philip C. Benedict, CFP
Benedict Financial Advisors, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia  30328
770-671-8228
Member of the ElderCare Matters Alliance, Georgia chapter

Answer:  Unfortunately, in most 401(k) plans, your account balance is dependent almost solely on the overall market level. After you retire, you will be able to roll the balance into a self-directed IRA in which you can own individual stocks, especially stocks that pay dividends. In many cases the dividends a company pays are far more stable than the share price of the company’s stock.  

Think of owning a rental property that pays you $1,000 per month in rents. If the market value of that property drops in half, it doesn’t mean your rent drops also. The key is the stability of the rental income, not the market value of the property. Focus your retirement income planning on creating a monthly cash flow and try to put account values in perspective.

To locate experts in your state who can help you with these elder care financial matters, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - America's online source for elder care experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Philip C. Benedict, CFP
Benedict Financial Advisors, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia  30328
770-671-8228
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Georgia chapter

Answer:  Many of the companies that you want to own have Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs) in which you can accumulate shares with monthly purchases. You can find these by going to the company’s website, usually under “Investor Services.” 

You can set the plan up where you add the same amount each month and the company buys shares for you. It is a great way to accumulate wealth because it is on autopilot. I suggest if you can, that you consider doing this with at least five different companies in five different industries. 

To locate experts in your state who can help you with these elder care financial matters, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - America's online source for elder care experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Philip C. Benedict, CFP
Benedict Financial Advisors, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia  30328
770-671-8228
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Georgia chapter

Answer:  I guess you are at least aware. Now you need to develop a plan and take action. Your retirement lifestyle is dependent primarily on two things…your required spending and your monthly income or cash flow.  

Look at your current spending patterns and spend a little effort projecting those patterns into your retirement years. Then list what retirement income you will have.  

Obviously, if the spending is far greater than the income, you have serious work to do. If that is the case, don’t wait until retirement to “fix” the shortfall, start today. Work on lowering your “fixed” monthly costs and save more to increase your retirement cash flow. If you are not comfortable doing this on your own, you may need the help of an accountant or a Certified Financial Planner in your area. But, do take action or you will likely follow your parent’s pattern.

To locate experts in your state who can help you with these elder care matters, go to: www.ElderCareMatters.com - America's online source for elder care experts plus information & answers about a wide range of elder care matters.

Philip C. Benedict, CFP
Benedict Financial Advisors, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia  30328
770-671-8228
Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Georgia chapter