mytimetotravel

Comments

• Bear in mind that not only will downsizing become more stressful as you age, it may well be that one of you will have to handle it alone. Also, I believe it is better to move initially to Independent Living rather than starting in Assisted Living. You will get to know fellow residents and the staff, be familiar with the place, and have access to many activities. My CCRC takes people at 62, but a second person can be as young as 55. Given we also have residents in their 90s, we have a wide age range.

  Post: Moving is Expensive!

  Link to comment from June 7, 2026

• R.I.P. A salutary reminder of the importance of carpe diem. Also, that the problem is not being dead, it's the process of becoming dead, and the devastation left behind. I recently lost a friend unexpectedly - fine one day, gone the next. Is that "better"? Easier for her in many ways, but no time for goodbyes or for those left behind to start to prepare. Jonathan did a great job of preparing.

  Post: Mourning the World

  Link to comment from June 7, 2026

• We discussed beforehand where things would go. I did reorganize the kitchen a bit, and the first time the books were out of order because they didn't realize the shelves in three of the bookcases had to go back at the right heights. The second time they photographed the bookcases ahead of time. Helped that I don't have a whole lot of stuff, but even if I had had to reorganize more, it would have been worth it. Sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee the afternoon of the move, with everything that should have been put away, put away, and no boxes anywhere, was priceless.

  Post: Moving is Expensive!

  Link to comment from June 1, 2026

• Congratulations, I hope your new home is everything you imagine. I now don't feel so bad about the expense of my "senior movers" - they not only packed everything, but unpacked it and put it away as well. Since I moved first to an apartment and then to a CCRC I didn't have the additional expenses you detail, But I did spend time getting rid of things. Moving is best undertaken while still in good health!

  Post: Moving is Expensive!

  Link to comment from May 31, 2026

• Way back when, my employer paid for an annual session with a "financial planner". Fortunately, a few years later, I discovered Vanguard, and realized that these planners had steered me to expensive, managed funds. I did visit them a few more times, telling them upfront that I was not buying from them, I simply wanted to know what the numbers looked like. Since I retired, I have visited a couple of fee-for-service planners, again, just to check that the numbers looked good. In a few years I might look for a "daily money manager", but I have no interest in paying AUM fees. The people who need financial help the most are unlikely to be able to afford it - or to have enough money to be of interest to most planners.

  Post: The Quiet Failure of Good Advice

  Link to comment from May 30, 2026

• I am sorry to read this, best wishes for a complete recovery. Eye problems are really scary. You are indeed fortunate to have a partner able to help, but your care plan does need to allow for a time when that may not be the case. What if you both need care at the same time? Living alone, I never considered aging in place a viable option, and am fortunate to have found the transition to a CCRC easy.

  Post: The Humbling Side of Aging

  Link to comment from May 30, 2026

• A couple of additional points to consider. Even if a CCRC accepts entry directly to Assisted Living, there is no guarantee that a unit will be available when needed. My CCRC does accept people directly to AL, but we typically only have a few empty units which are held for residents. Second, moving is stressful, and better undertaken while still in good health. A friend recently gave up on aging in place and moved to a residential facility where she had been top of the wait list for several years. She had surgery last fall, moved in January and closed on the sale of her house this month. Thanks to the stress, she has developed shingles, despite being vaccinated.

  Post: Percentage that “age in place”

  Link to comment from May 26, 2026

• I agree. The lists are only going to get longer as baby boomers sign up. Last I heard there were over 1,100 households on ours. You can always tell them not to call you for a set period of time.

  Post: Percentage that “age in place”

  Link to comment from May 25, 2026

• Like Chris, I moved to a non-profit CCRC: mine has been in operation for over 30 years. I wrote a HumbleDollar article on choosing a CCRC, and another on my experience after living in one for nine months. It's been two and a half years now, and I am still convinced the move was one of my best decisions. I regularly hear my fellow residents say the same thing. I was living alone, and married couples may look at things differently. However, it is overwhelming likely that at some point one of them will be living alone, and they should plan accordingly. Many more couples than singles live in my CCRC. If/when I need more care, I will move to Assisted Living and perhaps later Skilled Nursing, on the same campus. I will not have to find and manage in-home care, or move at short notice to whatever facility has space. My house was over 30 years old, not suitable for aging in place, and not in walking distance of anything useful, like doctors, dentists or grocery stores. I use the on-site clinic for primary care, I switched to a dentist across the street and there's a grocery store next door. I use the gym at the end of my corridor, and I'm surrounded by friendly and interesting people. What's not to like? It is, of course, true that there are profit-making entities running CCRCs. The interests of the owners are not aligned with those of the residents. That's why I recommend non-profits, plus a careful examination of financial disclosures.

  Post: Percentage that “age in place”

  Link to comment from May 25, 2026

• Update: my CCRC has reverted to in-house operation of the dining program after the contract with Morrisons expired.

  Post: Gift to Myself

  Link to comment from May 25, 2026