Prepared?

Well, we are a few months into hurricane season.  Yes, we've had lots of rain in Florida lately, even a few brushes with some tropical storms.

And now a named tropical storm is heading in a westward direction.  We sit with our eyes glued to the TV, waiting for the next update from our favorite weather prognosticator.  Computer screens are filled with the latest spaghetti models of where Tropical Storm Isaac might be headed.  

Now would probably be a good idea to check your hurricane preparedness plan and those of elderly loved ones.  

Don't have one?

You might want to visit the American Red Cross's website for information on Disaster Preparedness Plan.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

"A pair and a spare"

While helping a client downsize for a move into a retirement community, I was reminded of something my maternal grandfather, Gramps, used to say:  

"Have a pair and a spare!"  

As the father of two girls (and subsequently 4 granddaughters), I'm pretty sure he was referring to boyfriends.  

Nowadays it seems this phrase applies to "stuff".  For example, big box stores and buying clubs have made it very convenient to buy 2-packs of things (crackers, cereal, cleaning products, toothpaste, etc.)  And while it may seem like it's cheaper, think about how much it's "costing" in your own shelf-space/closets/pantries/garages to store those extras.  

I understand there are folks who may not live convenient to shopping so they need to stock up "while they are in town".  Or the people with families so large they do their weekly shopping at those well-known bulk stores.  But for the rest, there's some kind of store (*mart, drug store, grocery) that is close enough.

Don't get me wrong....I enjoy visiting those big stores. (I just don't have need or storage for a jar of mayo the size of a compact car.)

Here's an interesting article to consider:  "You probably have too much stuff."

But, there is one thing I will ALWAYS have a pair and a spare of:

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

Four retirees visit a bar

FOUR RETIREES VISIT A BAR

Four old retired men are walking down a street in Yuma, Arizona. They turn a corner and see a sign that says, "Old Timers Bar - ALL drinks 10 cents."

They look at each other and then go in, thinking this is too good to be true.

The old bartender says in a voice that carries across the room, "Come on in and let me pour one for you!
What'll it be, gentlemen?"

There's a fully stocked bar, so each of the men orders a martini.

In no time the bartender serves up four iced martinis shaken, not stirred and says, "That'll be 10 cents each, please."

The four guys stare at the bartender for a moment, then at each other. They can't believe their good luck. They pay the 40 cents, finish their martinis, and order another round.

Again, four excellent martinis are produced, with the bartender again saying,"That's 40 cents, please."

They pay the 40 cents, but their curiosity gets the better of them. They've each had two martinis and haven't even spent a dollar yet.

Finally one of them says, "How can you afford to serve martinis as good as these for a dime apiece?"

"I'm a retired tailor from Phoenix ," the bartender says, "and I always wanted to own a bar. Last year I hit the Lottery Jackpot for $125 million and decided to open this place. Every drink costs a dime. Wine, liquor, beer it's all the same."

"Wow! That's some story!" one of the men says.

As the four of them sip at their martinis, they can't help noticing seven other people at the end of the bar who don't have any drinks in front of them and haven't ordered anything the whole time they've been there.

Nodding at the seven at the end of the bar, one of the men asks the Bartender, "What's with them?"

The bartender says, "They're retired folks from Florida. They’re waiting for Happy Hour when drinks are half-price…”

Thanks, BDJ for passing along.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

"Oooohhhh, I'm telling.....she said the 'P' word!"

Many people cringe a bit when someone says a bad word, especially some of the four-letter variety.  (You know them, I won't repeat them.)  And there are some words where you don't even have to say the full word.  For example, the "F" word, the "C" word.  

For many, the "P" word is the worst of all!  I'll warn you now, I'm going to say it...

PLAN

If you have kids, you have to "plan" your day around their school schedule and after school activities.  If you work, perhaps you have to "plan" your route and daily activities.  You have to have a contingency "plan" when something doesn't go right.  And not everyone is a planner!  

But when it comes to fun things, we LIKE to plan!  We make travel plans.  We like to plan parties and events.  And there are plans when building or renovating a house.  

We talk about "planning for the future" with investments, estate plans, etc.  Do you have your plan in place?  Do you know where your birth certificate, social security card, will, living will, power of attorney, health care surrogate and power of attorney documents are?  Do the older adults in your life know where theirs are?

You may not have a full-blown, detail-by-detail plan in place for your future.  And we never know when we are going to get "the call".  But it's probably a good idea to have your important documents in a safe place so that when the time comes, someone will be able take care of things.

If you need help with preparing those important documents, contact us for recommendations.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

Slow decision-making can be costly!

"Slow and steady" may win the race, but taking too long to make decisions can be costly!

Older adults especially, have a difficult time making decisions.  Dealing with overwhelming emotions of leaving their home of many years, the health and care of a loved one, and all the details associated with a move can leave some "paralyzed".  

These delays in decision making can be costly - not only financially but also missed opportunities.

A family found a retirement community, close to relatives, that would welcome their unique situation.  But "it just wasn't the right time" and they did not commit when they had the opportunity.  

When the family got serious about looking for a place, they picked up where they left off, with the community that would welcome them.  Unfortunately, the retirement community had been sold!   And the new owners had different restrictions/requirements; thus the whole family would no longer be welcome.  

By working with A Stress-Less Transition, this family is back 

on track.  Through our network of researched resources, the family will have a new home very soon.  

Hopefully.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website. 

To Keep or Not To Keep?

Contrary to the person in the cartoon, I don't like to keep papers any longer than I have to.

At the end of the year when it comes time to clear out a year's worth of bills, statements, receipts, etc. and prepare for taxes, I can never remember what's important to keep...and for how long.

Here is a handy checklist.

(Please be sure to check with your financial or accounting professional for any questions you might have.)

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website.

"Why does Grandma smell funny?"

For some people, especially children and grandchildren of the GI Generation, the thought (or in this case "whiff") of Grandma or Grandpa may send them running for the hills!


We all have our own 'fragrance'  and the results of a study on "smelling our age" were released recently.  (Turns out middle-aged men are the most odoriferous.) 


But that's not the smell I'm referring to.  I'm talking about MOTHBALLS!  It's one of those things that when you say the word, you instantly know the smell.  (Not pleasant!)


Back in the day (1906 to be specific), someone got the bright idea the chemical naphthalene could be formed into balls and stored with clothes to keep the moths away. 


And because our parent's parents and their parents used them, "By golly, I'm going to too!"

With the advent of air conditioning in our homes, etc. most people don't use mothballs anymore.  Mothballs are a neurotoxin and have been found to be carcinogenic.

Many of us would rather avoid telling a loved one they smell funny and just suck it up.   

So now, you are armed with information and can hopefully help them understand it is dangerous to have these chemical balls in their home.  Time to get the mothballs out, wash the clothes and get everyone back to smelling rosy again.  

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website.

The Facts of Life

You're probably thinking, "Why in the world is this topic mentioned on a blog related to older adults?  That's "the talk" I have with my children to explain the birds and the bees."

Well, it's a fact of life - we age!  

Unfortunately, there are many discriminatory stigmas and stereotypes associated with aging and older adults.  People with gray hair and wrinkles tend to get painted with the same broad brush and all lumped together:  

"They smell funny.  They move too slow.  They're all deaf."  

Yes, we laugh at the cartoons and jokes made about the elderly.  (And maybe we can even relate to them.)  And Yes, there are those that move a little slower, don't remember as well as they used to and have the TV turned up very loud.  But not everyone.

Our culture and specifically the post-Baby Boom generations tend to push "them" to the side.  Where in other countries and cultures, the elders are revered, treated with respect and dignity!  

You'd be surprised how many older adults are online, technically savvy, active in their communities, have fulfilling hobbies, etc.  And you'd be surprised how many want to share their stories and history - the facts of their lives.

Here is a great video about Ageism and the negative affects it has on all of us, regardless of our age.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website.