Seven ”Life Hacks” to Help Keep You Out of the Nursing Home

To read the original piece, see:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/08/in-boston-how-one-neighborhood-went-about-aging-in-place.html

What strategies do you employ as you age in place, or as you help others do so?

Give me a call or shoot me a line to share your ideas – I always love hearing from you.

Laurie

Laurie MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562] · Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club · Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank · 20937 Ashburn Road, Suite 115 ·Ashburn, Virginia 20147 · 703-477-1183 Direct

LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com

 

 

Licensed in: Maryland (MD), Washington, DC, Virginia (VA), Pennsylvania (PA), Delaware (DE), North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), Georgia (GA), Tennessee (TN).

So…Is the Sun Setting on Reverse Mortgage? Mortgage Reform and What it Means for Seniors

The last call I took last night and the first call I took this morning were basically this: What do upcoming changes to the reverse mortgage program mean for senior homeowners?

First, let me hasten to say no one yet knows exactly what the changes will look like – but, we do have a general idea. Following is a rundown on proposed changes and a brief explanation as to why Congress deems changes necessary.

Change: Financial Assessment

What: It has always been required that homeowners pay their homeowners insurance and property taxes, and maintain routine upkeep on their home. With the proposed changes, lenders will be required to perform a financial assessment to determine if potential borrowers can meet these obligations.

Why: Only a minority of reverse mortgages get into trouble. But, on the ones that do, tax and insurance defaults are the number one reason.

Change: Limits on Initial Draws

What: An initial draw is the amount the homeowner requests when the loan closes. Currently, the upfront draw can be up to the full amount homeowners qualify for, as determined by their age, the value of the home, and the prevailing interest rate. Changes will likely limit the amount homeowners can take upfront.

Why: The assumption is that limiting the upfront draw will help with long-term financial planning.

Change: Inclusion of Younger Spouse

What: Currently, only homeowners aged 62 and older can be on a reverse mortgage loan. Under the proposed changes, both spouses would be on the loan, even if one is under the age of 62.

Why: This change would give the younger spouse more options regarding staying in the home if the older spouse passes away.

Both Congress and the largest senior advocacy groups remain highly supportive of the FHA-insured reverse mortgage program. Additionally, Congress has specifically said it views reverse mortgage as an important component of long-term financial planning for the retirement years.

Proposed changes appear to be well thought-out, and designed to safeguard the long-term availability of reverse mortgages.

Give me a call with your questions or concerns. I always love hearing from you.

Laurie

Laurie MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562] · Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club · Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank · 20937 Ashburn Road, Suite 115 · Ashburn, Virginia 20147 · 703-477-1183 Direct · LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com

Visit my Informational Blog at https://middleburgreverselady.wordpress.com/

NORC? What the Heck is a “NORC”?

Laurie Denker MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562]

I don’t know why, but certain words just sound funny: “chubby,” “flop,” “kerfuffle,” “spork.” Ok, so I concede spork may be marginal in its usage.

Add to this funny-sounding list “NORC,” a term I hear with increasing frequency.

NORC is an acronym, and stands for “naturally occurring retirement community.” And chances are high this funny-sounding term is going to become an increasingly important part of each of our vocabularies.

So what the heck is a NORC?

A naturally occurring retirement community – NORC – is a neighborhood that was not actually built as a retirement community. Through the years, as residents have remained in their homes, the community has aged and now is home to an older population. NORCs harken back to the hometown, shtetl, village, or tribe that dominated most of human history, where the needs of the individual were accepted as the responsibility of the community.

To see an example of a NORC many need look no farther than their parents’ community. I myself am just back from visiting my widowed mother in Tucson. In her small neighborhood of a couple dozen homes, only a handful has changed ownership since I was a child. All the other homes still have names I know well on the mailboxes, and the neighborhood which once was home to growing families is now home to a close-knit community of retirees.

Some NORCs affiliate with the national Village to Village Network, known as the “The Village Movement.”  These neighborhoods embrace a volunteer-driven approach in providing services to help senior neighbors remain independent as long as possible in the community they love. Villages are membership-driven, and members receive services provided by neighborhood volunteers. Among services typically provided are educational and cultural programs both within and outside the immediate community, transportation to shopping and medical appointments, and help with minor household repairs.

Not all NORCs are officially organized and affiliated, however, and some NORCs evolve over time as needs of the neighborhood continue to change.

Overwhelmingly, most homeowners desire to continue living in their own home, so the NORC model likely will become more important in the years to come. Economics also play in its favor, as a high density population of seniors makes delivery of services more efficient.

Reverse mortgage fits well into the NORC model, as it can make available monies to fund Americans’ ever-increasing longevity. Reverse mortgage is a home equity loan repaid when the last homeowner permanently leaves the home. After the loan is repaid, all remaining home equity goes to the senior, or to the heirs or estate. Reverse mortgage will never be the full solution to financial needs in retirement, but when used as part of a comprehensive financial plan, it can be an important piece of retirement funding.

As the American population ages, seniors’ skills and experience increasingly are viewed as a valuable community asset. And one way of preserving this asset is supporting strategies for successful aging in place – including the model with the funny-sounding name of NORC.

Give me a call and let’s chat – I always love hearing your stories.

Laurie

Laurie MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562] ∙ Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club ∙ Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank ∙ 20937 Ashburn Road ∙ Ashburn, VA 20147 ∙ 703-477-1183 Direct ∙ LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com ∙ www.MiddleburgReverse.com

Visit me on the Web at: middleburgreverselady.com

The Upside of Working Longer

One of my favorite National Public Radio programs is called Freakonomics: The Hidden Side of Everything. Well, for those still working well into the traditional retirement years, there could be an unexpected upside: a study out this past Monday shows seniors who continue working significantly reduce their risk of developing dementia.

At the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Boston, a lead scientist with the French government’s health agency presented findings from nearly a half million French workers, whose average age was 74.

The unusually large study showed that for each year a person worked past the traditional retirement age, the risk of developing dementia dropped by over 3 percent. Translated into hard numbers, a person retiring at age 65 was 15% less likely to show signs of cognitive decline than was someone retiring at 60.

To control for the possibility that an onset of memory decline prompted retirement, the study ran two sets of numbers. One set calculated how many subjects developed dementia within five years following retirement, and a second set of numbers analyzed how many developed dementia within ten years following retirement.

The trend line remained constant, implicating retirement as the cause of decline rather than mental decline as the cause of retirement.

Though the French study was based upon an unusually large data set, years’ worth of research has shown that maintaining social interaction, and remaining physically and mentally engaged are vitally important to lowering the risk of mental decline. Remaining in the workforce may be an effective way of accomplishing all three recommended activities.

Give me a call or drop me a line – I always love hearing your thoughts.

Laurie

Laurie MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562] · Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club · Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank · 20937 Ashburn Road, Suite 115 ·Ashburn, Virginia 20147 · 703-477-1183 Direct · LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com  www.middleburgmortgage.com/lauriem

Licensed in: Maryland (MD), Washington, DC, Virginia (VA), Pennsylvania (PA), Delaware (DE), North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), Georgia (GA), Tennessee (TN).

Hop on the “Aging in Place” Bandwagon

By Jacqueline D. Byrd , Esq.

Used By Permission

He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign. — Victor Hugo, French poet and novelist (1802-1885)

The aging in place concept and planning for aging in place is a bandwagon that all seniors should hop on quickly. Just about 100 percent of older adults, if they could have their choice, would choose to grow old and die in their own home.

These days, we are faced with sequestration that looks like it has no end. As government help grows more and more scarce, we need to work together to find other sources of help and to make aging in place the most practical and affordable way to care for a growing population of older Americans.

Aging in place means remaining in one’s home safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability level. It is a concept that is exciting for many reasons, not the least of which is that it can mean the pleasure of living in a familiar environment throughout our lifetime.

The Aging in Place Council, www.ageinplace.org, provides links to organizations collaborating on accomplishment of aging in place goals. The National Association of Home Builders offers courses and certification for aging in place building specialists. This program teaches the technical, business management and customer service skills essential for completing home modifications for the aging in place concept. Sometimes seniors can remain in their own homes with just a few simple modifications such as barrier-free bathrooms, wider halls, grab bars and better lighting. These can be less expensive over the years than an assisted living apartment. A web-based directory, www.nahb.org, lists Certified Aging in Place Specialists who have been trained in the unique needs of the older adult population.

Another industry important to the aging in place concept is the reverse mortgage industry. These programs are largely controlled by the government, and loan applicants must meet with an independent FHA-approved housing counselor to be certain that they understand the reverse mortgage program.

Briefly, a reverse mortgage is a financial tool designed to help you remain in your home and retain full ownership. It allows you to convert the money you have built up as home equity into income that you can use however you choose. Unlike a traditional mortgage, there is no repayment until you permanently leave your home. There are no income or credit requirements to qualify, and because the funds are considered to be a loan rather than income, they are tax free and do not affect regular Social Security or Medicare benefits.

To take advantage of this program, you must be age 62 or older and the home must be your primary residence. If you have a deep desire to leave your home to your children or other heirs, it’s important to discuss the possibility of that with the reverse mortgage people. Sometimes a reverse mortgage and the wish to leave your home to your heirs do not go together well. Make sure you understand that issue completely before signing on the dotted line.

Those who sell long-term care insurance find the aging in place idea a perfect complement to their business. The idea of staying at home comfortably is a consumer hot button, says Nancy Morith, president of N.P. Morith Inc. in New Jersey. “People really want to stay on their own turf. They have created their own nest and want to continue to surround it with family and friends.” Most long-term care policies sold today include care at home options.

Geriatric Care Managers, www.caremanager.org, provide extremely important and helpful resources when seniors wish to stay at home. When care is needed, a professional care manager, often a nurse, will make informed judgments to stretch the senior’s funds. They help you decide such questions as whether you need a full-time or part-time aide, or what equipment or home modifications you may need. To find a care manager in this area, you can check with the Mid-Atlantic Association of Geriatric Care Managers, www.gcmonline.org.

In the rapidly growing senior housing industry, aging in place is a term used in marketing by Continuing Care Retirement Communities. These residences do offer the chance to age in place, but they prefer you first move independently to their community to begin aging. They have independent living, assisted living and perhaps Alzheimer’s care and skilled nursing in one location. In most CCRCs, you must also move from one wing of the campus to another to receive the increased services.

To age in place successfully requires planning. We must think carefully about how to accommodate the physical, mental and psychological changes that often accompany aging and provide for those changes in our own homes. Some communities get together with interested volunteers and work out aging in place in their own neighborhoods. Maybe this could somehow work for Bowie. Please email, call or write if you have ideas.

Thank you for reading. Stay well. See you next week.

The writer, a longtime resident of Bowie, is secretary of the Maryland/D.C. chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and a member of the Elder Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association. You may email her at seniormoments@byrdandbyrd.com.

© 2013 CapitalGazette.com

Who Is My Neighbor, Part II

What would make a couple dozen people spend one of the summer’s most beautiful weekends working on a total stranger’s home?

Why would a half dozen local businesses donate thousands of dollars in building supplies to repair the home of woman who will never walk through their door?

And who would load kids in the car and head over to an old, country home, only to spend the next 10 hours sawing, sanding, scraping, drilling, digging, pounding, painting?

I asked this very question of the many people who contributed to last weekend’s work on behalf of an elderly, ill homeowner whose home had fallen into disrepair.

And the answer? Invariably it was a version of what I have come to call “NIMBY in Reverse”:

Not in my backyard am I going to know about this kind of suffering and turn away. Not in my backyard am I going to allow an aging, suffering woman to live in unsafe, unsound conditions. Not on my watch are the needs of the needy going to go unmet.

So here’s a word of thanks to all who turned out at a moment’s notice to do an enormous amount of work on the home of a resident they had never met and may well never again see.

A huge word of thanks goes to Rankin’s Hardware, The Paint Shop, and The Home Depot, all of Warrenton, and Lowe’s of Gainesville, for donating building supplies; to Domino’s Pizza and Chick-Fil-A, both of Warrenton, for providing food for the volunteers; and to Fauquier Jewish Congregation, Saint James’ Episcopal Church, and members of the Fauquier community for turning out en mass to volunteer.

A special thanks also goes to thank Julie Randall, Nancy Lagasse, Dorothy Smith, and Rabbi Rose Jacob for their extraordinary efforts in helping pull this together in a matter of days.

Laurie

Laurie MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562] ∙ Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club ∙ Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank ∙ 20937 Ashburn Road ∙ Ashburn, VA 20147 ∙ 703-477-1183 Direct ∙ LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com ∙ www.MiddleburgReverse.com

Visit my Informational Blog at https://middleburgreverselady.wordpress.com/

Things We Forgot to Say Goodbye To – For the 55+ Crowd

This past week I read some very sad news: as of June 1, MetLife’s Mature Market Institute is no more.

To those not familiar with the reference, Met’s MMI was arguably the premier source of data on trends in aging, and typically the first place many in the senior-services sector turned when searching for reliable – and reliably well-written – information.

Had they simply been good summarizers, MMI’s loss would have been lamentable, as those of us obsessive about accuracy will now have to search farther and longer for our data. But MMI’s information was not just summary; it was original, sometimes humorous, often thought-provoking, and their studies addressed surprisingly varied topics. They managed to present sometimes-sobering data without lapsing into the dismal, and the viewpoints they represented seemed to closely reflect those of the seniors I encounter daily.

MMI, you will be missed. Let us all hope your fine writers and researchers find as good a home elsewhere.

On a lighter note, after reflecting on this loss, a friend and I compiled a list – though nothing as profound as the loss of MMI – of items we forgot to say goodbye to:

Missed by my friend, who grew up in the thirties and forties:

1. Paramount Theater in NYC with two live shows a day. He’d cut school for Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey, and see both for $1.50.
2. Running boards on cars.
3. Pasteurized, but not homogenized, milk. It was delivered to your back door in bottles and the cream would rise to the top.
4. Exploding Bakelite, replaced by melamine.
5. Really thick ice cream, made with whole milk and cream.
6. Primary schools (K-12) set aside one day a week as “bank day”; children were given a bank book and encouraged to bring to school whatever the family could afford to give (his was a nickel). The teacher would log the deposit in bank books, then take the proceeds to the school’s bank, where it was held.
7. Iodine for cuts.

I grew up in the ‘70’s so my list was different:

1. The Encyclopedia Britannica. I now use mine as a decorative element…and do I admit some of its beautiful renderings have ended up framed on my wall?
2. Looking up movie times in the paper.
3. Looking up movie theaters in the Yellow Pages.
4. Looking up movie theaters’ locations on the accursed fold-up, flip-over, oh-crum-this-is-the-wrong-one, pain-in-the-neck map.
5. Glass shampoo bottles.
6. Woodburning kits with 8-inch cords…because that’s where drapes were best accessed.
7. Iodine – added to baby lotion for extra-dark tans.

Give me a call or shoot me a line – I’d love to hear what you forgot to say goodbye to.

Laurie Denker MacNaughton

Laurie Denker MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562] ∙ Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club ∙ Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank ∙ 20937 Ashburn Road ∙ Ashburn, VA 20147 ∙ 703-477-1183 Direct ∙ LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com ∙ http://www.facebook.com/Laurie.Denker.MacNaughton 

Visit my Informational Blog at https://middleburgreverselady.wordpress.com/

Don’t Tell Me You Missed National Nursing Home Week?

Last month’s National Nursing Home week is unlikely to ever find itself prominent on calendars across America. Why do I say this? Primarily because the vast majority of Americans want to remain as long as possible in their own home.

Anyone surprised?

This being said, however, as a reverse mortgage specialist who deals every day with aging-related housing matters, I can attest to the fact there are issues to address when planning for aging in place.

Common considerations include:

• Are homeowners able to take care of daily needs – or is in-home care required?
• Are there available community resources, such as day centers, medical facilities, recreation, and transportation?
• Do homeowners have family, friends, neighbors, or a faith community who can be involved in their care?

But the biggest factor is the home itself, as most homes were not built with aging in place in mind. For this reason, homeowners must ask themselves if their current home can be adapted to meet their needs as they age.

Fortunately for those of us in the greater Washington, D.C. area, close by are some of the nation’s most recognized contractors specializing in retrofitting homes to meet the needs of aging occupants.

Aging in place adaptations usually involve three elements, including:

1)    adding hardware such as grab bars, lever-handled faucets, and hand-held showerheads;

2)    installing ramps, lifts, and extra lighting;

3)    making architectural changes such as wider doorways and curbless shower stalls, and relocating master bedrooms, full baths, and laundry rooms to the main floor.

While some modifications can be done by a general handyman, larger projects, particularly ones involving actual design changes, should be done by a contractor specializing in aging in place remodeling. Specialists who carry the Certified Aging in Place Specialist, or CAPS, designation are typically the most versed on industry standards and age-related modifications.

While some municipalities offer low-cost or no-interest home modification loans to seniors, these are not universally available, and often are for relatively small amounts. Additionally, many include a monthly repayment schedule.

Reverse mortgage fits perfectly into home modification needs, as there is never a monthly mortgage payment required. When the last homeowner permanently leaves the home, the loan is repaid, and all remaining equity goes to the senior or to the heirs or estate.

Reverse mortgage is never going to be the full solution to financial needs in retirement. However, when used as part of a comprehensive financial plan, it is going to be an increasingly important part of funding our ever-increasing longevity.

If you are, or someone you know is, looking into reverse mortgage, give me a call – I always love hearing from you.

    Laurie

 Laurie Denker MacNaughton[NMLS# 506562]∙ Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club∙ Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank ∙ 20937 Ashburn Road∙ Ashburn, VA 20147∙ 703-477-1183 Direct ∙ LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com

Visit my informational blog at:  MiddleburgReverseLady.com

Planners who Plan, Fixes that Fix – and Real Solutions for Real Life

Solutions Looking for a Problem

I stood at the paper towel machine waving my hands like a feeble magician trying to conjure paper towels when the thought occurred to me: I frankly can’t remember the last time I heard someone complain about pulling a paper towel from a dispenser. Self-dispensing paper towels solve a problem that was never a problem.

This got me to thinking: how many other fixes fix problems that aren’t problems? And if you can believe it, I actually came up with several – but that’s a different commentary altogether. It’s the corollary that hit home.

Finite choices

Remember functions? Those funky f(x) equations in math class? Basically, a function is a set of inputs and their corresponding outputs. Put another way, a function says if I do this, I get that – one solution for each problem. There is a finite list of outcomes.

Fortunately, most day-to-day issues are not direct functions, and multiple solutions exist for many of life’s problems. But often, the farther one travels into retirement the more limited the solution set becomes. Options become limited and outcome becomes a direct function of input.

Larger solution sets

In what I consider one of the most encouraging transformations in the history of the reverse mortgage product, I am seeing a regular stream of clients referred from the financial planning community. Seniors seeking informed input are turning to an informed source, namely their financial professional. Of course, I’ll never know how many financial professionals steer their senior clients away from reverse mortgage – but I do know an increasing number tell me they view reverse mortgage as a legitimate financial tool when used in concert with a comprehensive financial plan.

Financial professionals refer clients well before catastrophe strikes, before clients’ means have dwindled, before financial limits are reached – before the financial boat plunges over the cliff of desperation. Planners understand multiple inputs equal a bigger solution set.

Real solutions for real life

I hear the same stories everyone else in the financial industry hears: seniors unable to return to full-time employment. A spouse lost, and the resulting 50% drop in income. A catastrophic event – or a chronic condition that became financially catastrophic. Or, simply, too much life left at the end of the money.

Unlike the motion-detecting paper towel dispenser, reverse mortgage is a real solution to a real problem.  When put in place preemptively, before it’s just a crisis management tool, reverse mortgage can be part of a sound retirement plan that maintains independence as long as possible and slows burn-through on other retirement instruments.

If you are – or someone you know is – looking for ways to increase financial options, give me a call. I always love hearing from you.

Laurie

Laurie Denker MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562] · Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club · Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank · 20937 Ashburn Road, Suite 115 · Ashburn, Virginia 20147 · 703-477-1183 Direct · LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com · www.middleburgmortgage.com/lauriem

Visit my Informational Blog at https://middleburgreverselady.wordpress.com/

Good time to Buy? Oh Yeah

This week there was good news on the economic front: the May 17 Thompson Reuters/University of  Michigan preliminary index of consumer confidence posted the strongest gain since July 2007. In addition to this news was the Conference Board’s higher-than-forecast growth projections for the coming three to six months.

Jim O’Sullivan chief economist at High Frequency Economics in Valhalla, New York, says consumers’ gain in confidence “is testimony to underlying growth in spending power.”

Home Prices

The biggest winner was housing prices, which historically have represented the biggest portion of household wealth. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of home values shows housing prices in 20 markets 9.3 percent higher than a year ago.

This is good news for those selling their existing home. However, there is still good news for those looking to purchase: interest rates remain at or near all-time lows, boosting purchasing power when shopping for a new home.

Purchase Your Retirement Home

The FHA HECM for Purchase is an outstanding seniors’-only home purchase product for homebuyers aged 62 or older. Since there is never a monthly mortgage payment required, seniors have access to more of their monthly income as they move further into retirement.

If you are aged 62 or older and are looking to purchase a home, give me a call. HECM for Purchase may be the perfect way to get you into your new retirement home.

Laurie

Laurie MacNaughton [NMLS# 506562] · Reverse Mortgage Consultant, President’s Club · Middleburg Mortgage, a Division of Middleburg Bank · 20937 Ashburn Road, Suite 115 ·Ashburn, Virginia 20147 · 703-477-1183 Direct · LMacNaughton@MiddleburgBank.com www.middleburgmortgage.com/lauriem

Visit my Informational Blog at https://middleburgreverselady.wordpress.com/