Studies show that 22 percent of Americans age 65+ are at risk for becoming “solo agers” or "elder orphans".
Carol Marak - Author, Solo and Smart A noted speaker on topics related to aging alone and planning for solo aging in the years ahead, which include creating social support and connection, building community, and discovering new possibilities on aging alone, the kind that assist older adults to thrive.
Chat Transcript
12:05:50 From Robyn Hall : I'm Robyn Hall with Fairfax County Housing & Community Development. I'm a Service Coordinator with the PROGRESS Center. Majority of my clients are elderly.
12:06:25 From Sherry Shultz : Hello! Sherry Shultz with DwellAssured. 667-217-6563. Helping older adults thrive while aging at home.
12:06:50 From Amy O'Donnell : Hi everyone! Amy O’Donnell, Magic Maker Solutions, Home of the Ultimate Fresh Start & Wishes Granted, Organizing/Productivity Consulting, Complete Rightsizing & Moving Coordination, Project Management & Lifestyle Maintenance. Complimentary 15-minute phone consults, DMV and beyond, magicmakersolutions.com, info@magicmakersolutions.com, 301.291.5767
12:08:55 From Adriana Carr : Good afternoon - Adriana Carr - Senior Life Enrichment Consultants - non-medical personal care with a focus on socialization and enrichment. Serving the NoVa (Fairfax, Arlington, Fall Church, Vienna) region.
12:09:40 From Kathy Pechan to Hosts and panelists : Good afternoon, I am Kathy PEchan
12:11:07 From Jennifer Brown : Hi... I am solo aging! Jennifer Brown - Seabury Care Management - 202-364-0020 - jmbrown@seaburyresources.org
12:12:20 From Kathy Pechan : Good afternoon, I am Kathy Pechan, caring connection.health, I am a mental health therapist and I am paneled with Medicare.
12:13:15 From Olive Freeman : Hello everyone, Olive Freeman, Senior Care Management Advocate
12:14:00 From Joe Sperling : Great afternoon to all. To maintain choices, control and dignity when care is needed, we need to PLAN and PREPARE with Long-Term Care coverage. Don't wait until it's too late. Do so while you're relatively healthy. Call me: Joe Sperling - 301-980-8869. Email me: joe@joesperlinginsurance.com. I can help you learn about available options.
12:14:08 From Marcy Silver : Hi everyone! Marcy Silver - Visiting Angels of Pikesville. We're an award winning, locally owned and operated provider of home care. Families in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Carroll County have come to know and love the compassionate assistance provided by our Certified Nursing Assistants.
12:15:18 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Sourcebook : https://carolmarak.com/
12:16:47 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Sourcebook : From Kathy Pechan to All Panelists: 12:09 PM
Good afternoon, I am Kathy PEchan
12:20:27 From Adriana Carr : Health & Exercise/Fitness equal each other which is true. The two are very related.
12:21:09 From Susan Kousek : Except for those of us who hate to exercise, but are still blessed with good health. :-)
12:21:41 From Olive Freeman : From Olive Freeman, Thanks, I really appreciate your professional experience and presence on today.
12:22:11 From Holly Cameron to Hosts and panelists : Carol, I think your earrings are bumping up against your AirPods and causing clicking noises. It actually sounds like typing.
12:22:22 From Adriana Carr : Good point Susan Kousek! :-)
12:22:33 From Olive Freeman : From Olive, this webinar is right on point.
12:22:53 From Jim Bland : Hi everyone...Jim Bland with Seniors Home Services. We provide several technologies and products that support Solo Aging. We are a national company, headquartered in Annapolis Maryland, providing various types of technologies including Artificial Intelligence driven in home fall prevention and detection sensors supported by live 24/7 remote care coordinators, all types of accessible home modifications, state of the art indoor air quality purification equipment, and a unique program that actually turns back the clock for seniors as to preventing or reversing decreases in cognition, memory, balance, and motor skills.
Our products and services are available nationwide and significantly improve the lives of seniors and their families allowing seniors to remain independently in their homes for as long as possible, as safely as possible. www.seniorshomeservices.com I can be reached by email at jbland@seniorshomeservices.com and by phone at 410-610-6937
12:23:04 From Keisha Toussaint : Good afternoon everyone
Keisha Toussaint Mc Mayo
Family Support Worker II
Prince George's County Department of Social Services
Keisha.toussaint@maryland.gov
12:23:13 From Peggy Floria : It is unwise to make assumptions about who will support you, and far better to plan assuming you will be a solo ager.
12:24:45 From Robin Mooney to Hosts and panelists : Hi Everyone. Robin Mooney, Executive Director - Home With You Senior Care - we provide in-home caregivers. http://homewithyou.net 410-756-0959. This is an excellent subject - thank you so much for this topic today.
12:26:28 From Peggy Floria : Retirement Transitions Coaches work with clients to help them find Meaning and Purpose in their lives. Meaning and Purpose comes up in every conversation I have with clients.
12:27:53 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Sourcebook : The Aging and Alone Care Needs and Preferences https://caregiver.com/articles/aging-and-alone-care/#:~:text=The research study, Elder Orphans,for as long as possible.
12:28:51 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Sourcebook : Elder Orphans Hiding in Plain Sight: A Growing Vulnerable Population https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27843450/
12:29:11 From Mary Moeder : Hi everyone, Mary Moeder with Byrd & Byrd, LLC Attorneys at Law. mmoeder@ByrdandByrd.com
12:30:19 From Karen McKinney to Hosts and panelists : I agree, I like Solo Aging much better than Elder Orphan which is a depressing thought!
12:30:19 From Lory Smeltzer : Lory Smeltzer, MPH, CMC Certified Case Manager owner of Advanced Senior Solutions Aging Life Care Management agency in West Tampa Bay FL.
12:30:44 From Mary Darne : I agree- thanks, Steve!
12:30:53 From Olive Freeman : From Olive Freeman, I agree with you Steve! Solo Aging is the proper term
12:31:25 From Audra Backaitis : My blog, as a childless person, is Babyless Boomer!
12:31:37 From Lory Smeltzer : Never liked term Elder Orphans, sounds so sad. Like Solo Aging.
12:31:38 From Robert Coulson : As a retirement life coach, I train and coach on interdependency vs independence. A support resource is the National Council on Aging (NCOA) conducts Aging Mastery Course and has an Aging Well Planner on their website.
12:32:46 From Jennifer Hammer to Hosts and panelists : Solo Ager is great! I'd a:)lso like to offer up 'open nester' v. 'empty nester' for those of us who no longer have the kids at home with us! My life has definitely opened up in great ways.
12:33:30 From Jennifer Hammer : Solo Ager is great! I'd also like to offer up 'open nester' v. 'empty nester' for those of us who no longer have the kids at home with us! My life has definitely opened up in great ways.
12:33:53 From Peggy Floria : If you know someone who would like to create a successful retirement life, please have them seek out the resources of a Certified Retirement Transitions Coach. I can be reached at:
12:34:13 From Peggy Floria : Peggy@intentionalcoachingandconsulting.com; 703-259-8347
12:34:52 From Robert Coulson : FYI Several large "Elder Orphan" groups are on Facebook.
12:35:22 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Sourcebook : Carol Marak <carebuzz@gmail.com>
12:36:32 From Mary Moeder : Byrd & Byrd has addressed this topic often and before it has been known. Many solo aging people have use our Elder Law services. We have had to be advocates for some and do hand holding. I'm so glad you are talking about this as many of the people coming to us too late. Get your plan started early.
12:38:44 From Lory Smeltzer : As a Certified Aging Life Care Manager there are many of us across the country who will be Power of Attorney and/or Health Care Surrogate. Relying on friends changes the friend dynamic.
12:38:52 From Lory Smeltzer : www.aginglifecare.org
12:39:15 From Peggy Floria : Friends could act as a POA for you--in fact, they're better than having siblings or children do so in order to avoid emotional conflict of interest.
12:40:41 From Jane Doebudget to Hosts and panelists : It is a big ask of either friends or family
12:40:43 From Irene Rutter to Hosts and panelists : Are there any solo agers in the Kensington/Wheaton area of Montgomery county, MD., who would like to start/join a group that supports each other in dealing with this issue.
12:40:47 From Susan Kousek : Do you need to name the person overseeing the power of attorney in the formal document?
12:40:53 From Karen McKinney to Hosts and panelists : I have the same problem as Mary but my close friends have settled their parents estates and were stressed by it. So is a lawyer a good choice to do this or is there a better option?
12:40:55 From Kitty Russell to Hosts and panelists : seems to me it would be good to have someone the next generation down so they have a good chance of surviving me
12:40:56 From Peggy Floria : Yes.
12:40:56 From Lory Smeltzer : When I'm appointed as a DPOA or Health Care Surrogate, I always make sure there's an attorney and accountant that oversees what I do. Having a team and tier of oversight is very important.
12:41:17 From Mary Moeder : Yes! We always ask that you have a back up person or people. You never know when something will happen to one of your POA.
12:41:31 From Irene Rutter to Hosts and panelists : If so, just call me, Irene 301-962-4208 Kensington.
12:42:25 From mary busse to Hosts and panelists : Friends have died or aged out of possibility.
12:42:48 From Peggy Floria : It IS a big ask...and it's why you have that conversation with friends to get them to understand what it entails.
12:42:50 From Sherry Shultz to Hosts and panelists : As a couple with no children, we have a combination of a sibling and nephew handling our matters. We seemed an attorney that helped us with all the estate matters for health, financials and death wishes. This is key to our mental health now in our late 50’s. It is never to early to plan for the aging well circular! Thank you, Carol
12:43:15 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Sourcebook : From Irene Rutter to All Panelists: 12:40 PM
Are there any solo agers in the Kensington/Wheaton area of Montgomery county, MD., who would like to start/join a group that supports each other in dealing with this issue.
12:43:15 From Peggy Floria : Always have a back up POA person in the event that the person you designate is no longer able to support your wishes.
12:43:42 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Sourcebook : From Irene Rutter to All Panelists: 12:41 PM
If so, just call me, Irene 301-962-4208 Kensington.
12:43:59 From Peggy Floria : I have it in my will that they get a fee in exchange for doing the work for me.
12:44:18 From Peggy Floria : They certainly will have earned it.
12:44:41 From Stephanie Swerdlow : As an Aging Life Care Professional, I see this as a forever commitment and personally our lives and businesses change and we do not take on that responsibility
12:47:43 From Mary Moeder : A Trust can solve many issues, but there are so many different questions to ask when setting up your documents to address all issues. Byrd & Byrd take time and ask many questions and talk about different scenarios.
12:49:07 From Eileen Caroscio RN MSN to Hosts and panelists : I would like to learn more about trusts
12:49:21 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Sourcebook : From Eileen Caroscio RN MSN to All Panelists: 12:49 PM
I would like to learn more about trusts
12:52:40 From Peggy Floria : I think the pandemic forced people to look at their lives and make real changes--to create greater connection, to question whether the way they've worked still works for them now, and to make a commitment to themselves around what matters to them.
12:56:03 From Mary Darne : So would we!
12:56:11 From Peggy Floria : YES
12:56:15 From Susan Kousek : Yes.
12:56:18 From Adriana Carr : yes
12:56:18 From Kitty Russell to Hosts and panelists : yes yes yes
12:56:23 From Michele Higgs to Hosts and panelists : Yes!
12:56:23 From Robyn Hall : yes
12:56:26 From Mary Moeder : Mary Moeder www.ByrdandByrd.com 14300 Gallant Fox Lane, #120, Bowie, MD 20715 301-466-8586
12:56:27 From Jim Bland : Yes...Workshop would be great!!!
12:56:35 From Robin Mooney to Hosts and panelists : Yes, absolutely!!
12:56:50 From Mary Lynn Baldwin to Hosts and panelists : yes on the workshop, please
12:57:11 From Mary Moeder : Byrd & Byrd would talk to you and everyone Steve.
12:58:52 From Catherine Murray : Housing update: I'm moving in with my 70 year old brother in law, (his wife/my sister deceased 12 years ago, kids off to college this weekend) lower level studio in his home. He does not want to live alone. It's all working out. Thanks, Catherine at Get A Grip
12:59:45 From Mary Moeder : You Enlightened many people!
12:59:46 From Susan Kousek : Very helpful! Thank you for providing this forum for discussion. Looking forward to the workshop.
13:00:05 From Amy O'Donnell : Important for all ages…looking forward to the workshop and continuing the conversation!
13:00:08 From Mary Darne : That hour really flew by! Consider it Part 1.
13:00:11 From Sally Jones to Hosts and panelists : Yes thanks, I will rewatch the recording! Great job to all!
13:00:15 From Myriam Lechuga : Looking forward to the workshop
13:00:19 From Sherry Shultz : Thank you so much about this important subject for solo and duo agers
13:00:39 From Natasha Thomsen : Great stuff!
13:00:50 From Judi Epstein to Hosts and panelists : Thanks so much. This a much needed topic. We should be including the value of neighborhood villages.
13:00:51 From Olive Freeman : Thanks Steve and Carol. Very well needed knowledge and informative
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