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By Andy Oliver, CEO of Private Client Consultancy

The Best Places to Retire in Europe

Every year, swathes of Britons decide to move overseas to spend their retirement in places with better weather, more investment opportunities, and less stringent tax laws. 2022 seems to be no different thus far, even since the Brexit legislation came into full effect in January of last year. There have been changes to visa schemes for British nationals looking to relocate, but many EU countries are still keen on welcoming British expats. Specifically, Spain and Portugal are very much continuing to encourage immigration. (These countries have made changes to their non-lucrative and passive income visas. It is imperative you understand how you will meet the new criteria before relocating.)

What to consider before moving

The most important decision when making such a significant life change is to determine where to move. There are various places across Europe that would be suitable for retirement, but some may be more ideal than others depending on one’s financial circumstances and, of course, their own particular preferences.

When choosing a country to move to, some of the top factors one may want to consider are:

• The cost of living. Housing will likely be your biggest expense, but the cost of groceries, healthcare, taxes, etc. will all contribute to one’s regular expenses.

• Do you want to live in a small town, coastal

city, or metropolis? Choosing what type of town or city you will relocate to depends on what you are looking for in your retirement. If you have spent most of your life in and amongst the hustle and bustle of London, you may want a more relaxed life by the sea. Contrastingly, if you have previously lived somewhat of a quiet life, you may desire more opportunities for cultural experiences and entertainment. This is all dependent on the individual. • What is the climate like? For many, the weather is the most important factor. By the time Britons reach old age, they are often tired of the gloomy weather and want to settle somewhere with more sun. Therefore, the rainier cities in Europe may not be a viable option for such a demographic.

• Do the residents have a similar mindset to

you? If it is important to you that your interests and values align with those of the residents in the place you retire, then it would be beneficial to learn not just about the cultural and political atmosphere of the place, but also about the lifestyles of those who inhabit it.

What European country should I retire to?

Spain, Portugal, Malta, and France have all made International Living’s top 10 countries that were rated as the best places to retire in 2022. There is an entire world out there, but it was these four that were marked as being top contenders for a comfortable retirement. This is not only because of their sun-soaked seasons, but also because there are many areas throughout the countries that are both beautiful and affordable.

Spain

Spain’s popularity as a retirement destination is growing consistently. Recently, the population of people born in another country reached record levels. Amongst the English-speaking world, it is a popular location because there are many pockets of Englishspeaking communities throughout the country. Some other benefits are the cost of living is average to low depending on your lifestyle, quality healthcare is offered (both public and private), and their property prices are reasonable (with coastal areas being more expensive, naturally).

Portugal

What many take away upon visiting Portugal is how kind the people are. In addition to a welcoming atmosphere, the country is very accessible to English speakers. Many Portuguese speak some English, as it is taught in schools, and Portuguese language classes are free for immigrants. Of course, the healthcare, beaches, and low cost of living are also major draws for retirees.

Malta

Malta is not only an ideal holiday destination, but it is also a great place to both live in and retire to. In fact, it is estimated that 15% of the population is comprised of expats. English is widely spoken in Malta, making it easier for English-speakers to adapt. Additionally, it is so beautiful that one would perhaps assume the cost of living on this small, picturesque island would be costly. On the contrary, actually— Malta is quite an affordable place to live.

France

When one thinks of France, the mind perhaps goes straight to Paris (although the wine and exceptional cuisine are likely a close second). However, if one were to take the more populated areas like Paris and Lyon off their list, France has quite a few affordable metropolitan areas and coastal cities that may be attractive to retirees. In addition to this, the World Health Organisation ranked France number one for healthcare systems in the world.

Consult with an adviser upon moving

Luckily, Private Client Consultancy has offices in Spain and Portugal. We also have network members operating in France, companies that operate from Malta, and we are fully licensed to function throughout the EU. Therefore, you do not need to go at it alone. We will be with you every step of the way as you get your retirement plans in order. We also have a large community of expatriate clients. Because of this, we understand the needs of the expat, and our main aim is to provide them with the financial stability they are looking for in their new home.

It pays to start planning early.

If you would like to discuss your plan with a qualified adviser, please get in touch with us at info@pccwealth.com

Sara de Melo Castanheira is an expert in Occupational Therapy and Quality of Life. She is also the Technical Director of SER Igual, an Association of special rehabilitation services in Tavira

MIYUKI

Mauve dew, waterhole over the fields, Miyuki´s grandfather stood up to greet the wind. By his side, Miyuki was trying to imitate him, shouting words that were not understood. Falling to the floor mumbling: “- Grandfather, it's very difficult for me!” Silent, with a smile on his lips, grandfather started dancing slowly to the wind. His arms drew curves in the sky, while Miyuki was fascinated by the movement and became more resilient in the face of her difficulty speaking. Miyuki spent the last two years living through a pandemic crisis. The Covid-19 consequences are real to children's development. It accentuated the difficulties in relationships with adults and peers, as well as the regression in linguistics, they've spent more time alone and in front of screens, with few opportunities for stimulation or interaction. Children like Miyuki, started being more vulnerable and individualistic, not knowing how to play, not interacting properly and how to relate with others. Humans are social beings! It's essential to stimulate language, as well as relational and emotional skills, from an early age. It's important to stimulate resilience so they can adapt, transform and overcome difficulties. In this article I'll focus on two aspects of language – orality and phonology. Language translates into understanding the world and the way we use this ability to express ourselves whether using speech or not. It allows each individual to represent and express life experiences, thoughts, necessities and doubts, in addition to being indispensable in the process of acquisition, production and knowledge transmission. Language is more than speech, it is one of the components, oral-verbal. There are verbal, non-oral and the non-verbal components. Here we can include writing, body movements, gestures, facial expressions and voice melody. Language is developed and enhanced over a lifetime, especially in early developmental ages, when children have a higher ability to acquire and learn new skills. For this to happen in a harmonious and proper way, in a manner to allow children to interact, express and from there to acquire new knowledge, language needs to be stimulated. This process happens in a very natural way during children's interaction with peers and adults around them, provided that this interaction meets the basic requirements as: to have good communication models; to have communication opportunities; to have necessity for communication. Knowing this, Miyuki´s grandfather looked for a speech therapist. Knowing that with adequate follow-up and stimulation, Miyuki would be able to communicate in a more functional way. He knew that learning using body movements, and in a room with a lot of opportunities to engage in play, Miyuki would enhance her resilience and start communicating better without so much frustration. And so, it happened! Miyuki, with the help of our Speech Therapist, improved her interaction level; enlarged expression skills; increased communication autonomy; increased satisfaction in communicate; got a better adequacy to the world around her, interlocutors and contexts; - school results improved; as did her will for learning, her levels of confidence and selfesteem which will persist in her life. Here are some strategies and activities that Miyuki´s grandfather used to help Miyuki. We guarantee it will help other parents, educators and teachers in order to stimulate phonology and orality, as well as relational and emotional skills, thus filling the gaps resulting from the pandemic.

PHONOLOGY:

*Syllabic segmentation: split words into syllables; *Associate symbols to sounds; *Visual stimulus: to show the tongue position, lips and cheeks in an exaggerated way; *Auditory stimulus: associate onomatopoeias; *Kinesthetic stimulus: to feel the strength of the lips, vibration of the neck, to divide words into syllables and touch them with each syllable produced; *Play with rhymes; *Sing and listen to English music;

ORALITY:

*The adult should always and as much possible, be on the children’s levels so it can allow visual contact, and to visualise the speech model; *Be certain the child is looking at you when you speak; *Give the right model: formulate requests and sentences with correct and simple structures, using wide movements with the mouth, tongue and cheeks; *Adequate verbal communication with nonverbal communication; *Ask one question at a time with simple information; *Comment more than you ask; *Avoid excessive correction of speech; *Be the narrator and do a parallel speech: narrate the child's actions; *Show interest: follow the conversation topics of the child and their play.

RELATIONAL SKILLS:

*Make-believe play; *Active listening and a non-violent communication; *Mime games and interpretation of videos without sound; *Roleplay and theatre; *Board Games; *Read and tell stories with proper intonation; *Promote conversational moments, dialogues and routines exploration. Currently Associação SER Igual is developing a project called SER 100%+. It consists of a laboratory to develop Expressive and Comprehensive language; Reading skills; Communicational skills and Socialisation skills. We are helping children between 4 to 10 years old with diagnosis of Autism, Dyslexia, Intellectual Deficit, ADHD, Language delays and other difficulties. SER Igual is managing to implement this project with the support of the bank BPI “Fundação La Caixa” till April 2022, in an application won in the previous year. If you know a child struggling with language or speech, please feel free to contact SER Igual and we will put you in contact with our Speech Therapist. If you are interested in supporting this project to continue after April 2022, or want to know more about other social projects we are implementing and to become a social investor in SER Igual, please visit Associação SER Igual in Tavira. We are happy to talk about our ideas and projects. If you are interested in our work, please visit us on our FB page (@SerIgualPT) and IG (@igual.ser) or make an appointment to geral@seronline.pt or by phone 918180020. I remind you, dear reader, that Associação SER Igual in Tavira is a nonprofit association for handicap people, that helps children, teenagers and their caregivers to get a better quality of life and helping to change the paradigm of inclusion in our community. Thanks once more for your attention. Stay safe and stay tuned for next article.

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NURSING CARE Here when you need us

The family-run Amesbury Abbey Group off ers an elegant retirement in country house style at Monte da Palhagueira.

For those who are looking for the reassurance of constant professional care, our nursing care may be the way forward. Alongside all the benefi ts of residential care, our nursing care adds the additional security of 24-hour care provision from qualifi ed nursing professionals. Our team spend a lot of time getting to know each resident as an individual, learning their preferences and understanding their concerns, working hand in hand with GPs and other associated care professionals to provide outstanding personalised nursing care. Our exceptional care team treat all our residents with respect, dignity and friendship, and our nursing home has a warm, family atmosphere. Each individual aspect of our nursing care is designed to give our residents the best possible quality of life and the highest standards of 24-hour care.

For further information, please contact Senior Sister Hazel Gordon at T: +351 289 990 900 E: mdpnursinghome@amesburyabbey.com

Monte da Palhagueira, Gorjôes, 8005-488 Santa Barbara de Nexe, Algarve

www.retirementvillageportugal.co.uk

TO MEDITATE OR MEDICATE?

Have you ever tried to meditate and failed miserably? I have – or so I thought!

According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation is: “……a type of mind-body medicine and has been practised for thousands of years. During meditation, you develop intentional focus — minimising random thoughts about the past or future. Many forms of meditation exist, but most have in common a quiet setting, a comfortable position, focused attention, and an open attitude. Meditation may offer many benefits, such as helping with concentration, relaxation, inner peace, stress reduction and fatigue. They continue …”research has found that meditation may help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. When combined with conventional medicine, meditation may improve physical health. For example, some research suggests meditation can help manage symptoms of conditions such as insomnia, heart disease, pain, cancer and digestive problems” I’ve personally struggled with meditation for years. Many attempts to sit me down in groups, listen to guided meditation tracks and trying on my own have failed miserably. I remember being thrown out of a group once because I couldn’t stop laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation I found myself in and could fully understand the leader of the group being cross with me. Each Friday I host an online health club. We hear from some amazing health gurus and learn all kinds of strategies to keep our immune system in tip top condition, and even how to reverse some serious health conditions and diseases. During a subsequent conversation to thank one of our speakers, I suddenly had a realisation that we had both struggled with meditation. This speaker used to meditate but now allows his life to flow and go wherever it goes. I’ve never cracked mediation – or so I thought. A few years ago, I was told that there are many forms of meditation and it’s not necessarily about sitting on a hilltop somewhere cross legged saying ooohhhmmmm with fingers and hands perfectly positioned, although that strategy does work for some people. I prefer the term referred to in the Wikipedia description of meditation, which is “.. a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state”. We meditate when we do the gardening, go for a walk, clean the house, sew, knit, play an instrument and generally have our mind (in a mindfulness state). This form of meditation is called ‘active’ meditating. In this state we are thinking about the thing we are doing and are in the moment. We are at peace. We are mindful of what we are doing. So, happy me, no need to try and people please anymore. No need to ‘try’ and meditate. I’ve been doing it for years – in fact I’m quite a master at meditation which, in turn, has enabled me to become a master manifester. More on manifesting in another article. Oh, and the bit about medication – for some people, medication works too. Do your research then use whatever strategy speaks to you. Best of all, follow your intuition – it’s always right!

Elaine Godley MBA, O.A. Dip (Psych)

Elaine hails from the UK and lives in the Algarve, Portugal. Her clients live all over the world and enjoy better health, greater mobility and reduced pain. Through ‘at home’ laboratory blood tests, hair mineral tissue analysis, online metabolic testing and behaviour analysis, Elaine guides individuals how to improve their health and wellbeing to reverse or avoid illness and disease. Elaine is an entrepreneur, former CEO, beat stage IV cancer and congenital kidney disease using an integrative approach. She blends psychology and nutrition, mentoring families and senior executives to heal their body. For details on the Perfect 10 VIP Health Mentoring Programme contact: elaine@discplus.health