Living50 leader publications • June 2014
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cLass
‘Santa Gary’ earns college degree at 58
Perfecting
his swing
Cassopolis man’s golf career just getting started at 50
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
Mid-life career shift It is never too late to start your own business
Back to class
4
Niles native earns college degree at 58
6
Perfecting his swing Cassopolis man’s golf career just getting started at 50
12
Time to downsize
Tips and tricks for getting rid of that no-longer-needed clutter
Mill Pond Apartments 1 Bedroom Apartments For Seniors and Disabled Persons Located within walking distance of shopping, banking and medical offices. Laundry in each building. Community Room available for residents to gather and relax. Adjacent to Buchanan Area Senior Center. Phone: 269-695-0475
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 12:30pm - 5:00pm 800 E. Smith Street • Buchanan, MI 49107 TDD: (800) 649-3777 • Fax: 269-695-1057
Rent Based on Income This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Providing exceptional care and compassion to home bound members of the community. Our attention to regaining your optimal health will restore your independence and freedom.
Office 269.687.2900 Toll-Free 888.687.2904 Fax 269.687.2903 info@michianahomecare.com www.michianahomecare.com
• Skilled Nursing • Speech Therapy • Physical Therapy • Medical Social Services • Occupational Therapy • Home Health Aides Proudly accredited by Accreditation Commission for Health Care.
423 Sycamore Street, Suite 104 Niles, MI 49120-2374
Living 50 Plus • June 2014
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Midlife career shift Edwardsburg woman leaves corporate world to start business By CRAIG HAUPERT craig.haupert@leaderpub.com
T
en years ago, Edwardsburg resident Marianne Christy quit her customer service job at an RV company because she “wasn’t happy with who she was at the time.” Christy didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do, but knew she had to do something else. “I needed a change,” said Christy. It took awhile — about six years — before she figured out she had to follow her passion: baking. She started small by selling her homemade goods at farmer’s markets across Michiana before using a culinary incubator in Niles to massproduce her creations for wholesale. Today, the 56-year-old can say she has taken the next big step. She is a small business owner. “I’m doing what I love,” said Christy, who opened Local Foods Bakery and Cafe on Adams Road in Granger in March. She’s happier too. She gets to be
her own boss. Any pressure to per-
Local Foods Bakery 126435 Adams Rd. Granger, IN (574) 361-6248 localfoodsbakery.com
form comes from her, not a supervisor at a company looking to meet a corporate-created goal. “It’s up to me to get this stuff baked, pay the bills and buy what I need,” she said. “The pressure is still there — and there’s more of it — but everything stops at my desk. I’m the one who has to get it done.” The scariest part for her was signing the lease and opening the doors for the first time. “It was like, ‘crap now I have to get people in the door — how do I do that’?” she said. “I’m happy with what we are doing so far. We have good clientele that come in. I take requests. I really enjoy the support we are getting from the neighborhood and the customers. It’s a lot of hard
Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT
At age 56, Edwardsburg resident Marianne Christy has opened up her own baking business in Granger, Indiana. She worked for a recreational vehicle business in Elkhart, Indiana before deciding to pursue her passion for baking.
work, but a nice surprise.” Christy is part of a national trend that is seeing an increase in the age of small business owners. According to the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, the percentage of business owners age 50 and older rose to almost 51 percent in 2012 from 46 percent in 2007. For Christy, making the switch
wasn’t about numbers. It was about letting others experience what she makes, something she did back in the corporate world. “I used to do a lot of baking and bring it into work. I always enjoyed doing that,” she said. “Baking is my true passion. My real love is when I get to see someone bite into something I just got done baking and the joy it brings to their tastebuds.”
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
Back to
class Niles resident receives college degree at 58 By TED YOAKUM ted.yoakum@leaderpub.com
A
s recent Southwestern Michigan College graduate Gary Barnes demonstrated, it’s never too late for anyone to finish their education — even Santa Claus Barnes, who’s known around his hometown of Niles as “Santa Gary,” received an associate’s degree through the college’s School of Business and Advanced Technology during the spring commencement ceremony on May 3. Finally receiving the diploma marked the end of the 58-year-old man’s three-year journey. “I learned a lot at the college, and now I’m going to use the stuff I was taught once I get back out into the workforce,” Barnes said.
Photos courtesy of Southwestern Michigan College
Living 50 Plus • June 2014 Growing up in Cairo, Illinois, Barnes never initially considered college upon graduating high school. Instead, he enrolled in the U.S. Air Force, where he served 27 years. After that, he went to work for Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor, employed at one of their manufacturing plants for 10 years before it closed in 2011. While he still received money seasonally for his appearances as Santa Claus, Barnes decided to start another chapter in his life, deciding to return to college. “It was something I always wanted to do, but couldn’t because of money and other issues,” he said. “I told myself, ‘If you want to do it, now is the time, before you lose the opportunity to do so.’” Due to the circumstances of the plant’s closing, Barnes was eligible for funds from the Department of Labor’s Trade Readjustment Allowances, allowing him to receive full compensation for any collegerelated expenses, so long as he received a “C” grade average or above every semester. “It wasn’t a free ride, especially when you’re older,” Barnes said. “You have to work harder.” Barnes deliberated between whether or not attend SMC or Lake Michigan College, deciding on the former because of how its business program fit better with what he wanted to accomplish, he said. “I looked at the location more than the school itself at first,” he said. “Since I live here in Niles, their campus is not even five, six miles away from my home.” Returning to school after so many years away from the classroom, though, proved to be a rough transition at first. “For me, I was just blindsided, going into something I never knew much about before,” Barnes said. “It was an adjustment for me, trying to sharpen my studying skills and learning new subjects.” Through the help of advisors, instructors and fellow classmates, Barnes eventually acclimated himself to the college experience. “You often have the same classmates with you each semester, so you always have somebody to lean on when you were having trouble,” he said. Despite being older than the average college student, Barnes quickly fit into the campus atmosphere.
“I can still go up on campus now and there are always students who shout, ‘Hey, Santa,’ when they see me,” Barnes said. “I always felt like I was home there. I never felt out of place.” Now that’s he officially a college grad, Barnes is considering what to do next with his degree. He said he might enroll at Ferris or Bethel College to continue his education and earn a bachelor’s degree. “You’re never too old to learn,” Barnes said. “It might take a little bit more effort, but you can do it.”
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
Perfecting
his swing Lifelong golfer continues to improve craft at 50
golf and qualified in ’89 and ’90,” Lowe said. “Most people don’t understand there is a huge difference between being out aving just turned 50, Ed Lowe playing with friends and playing tournaknows he still has a lot of golf ment golf. “Your scores aren’t going to be put in the left to play. Lowe didn’t take up the game paper and there isn’t anybody watching of golf until after high school. He quickly you. It’s just an entirely different game. learned he was pretty good at the game There are no gimmicks. People who have never played tournament and it was something he golf don’t understand the would do for the rest of pressure.” his life. Your scores aren’t Lowe had to compete “One of my brothers going to be put against some of the game’s was playing and I started in the paper and best amateur golfers, who playing on the weekends are now some of the game’s with him and kind of there isn’t anybest professionals. caught the bug,” Lowe body watching Among those who were said. you. It’s just an in the field during his two Lowe turned to golf entirely different years playing in the Westwhen slow-pitch softball game. There are ern Amateur were Phil was not as enjoyable as Mickelson, David Duval, no gimmicks. baseball used to be for him. He also liked the fact People who have Jim Furyk and Mike Weir. “Almost a who’s who of that once you were done never played the PGA Tour over the last with a round of golf there tournament golf 15 years,” Lowe said. was no one else to blame don’t understand Lowe, who was in his 20s for how you played but the pressure.” at the time, said they paired yourself. the “old” guys together. Golf came pretty easy “The memory from the to Lowe, who recalls — Ed Lowe first tee was that we were shooting a 47 the first playing threesomes and I time he played nine holes. “I started out like everybody else play- was the last guy to hit,” he said. “The first ing on the weekends,” Lowe said. “I would guy hit a big hook out of the fairway and play on Saturday and Sunday and then I the second guy hit a big slice, which kind started in a league, then it was two leagues. of calmed my nerves a bit, although I alWhen I got married, my wife played golf most couldn’t tee the ball up because I was and I didn’t. We didn’t have kids so she shaking so bad. “I drove one right down the middle and was playing in a couple of leagues and it about a 70-year-old PGA guy reaches up got to be almost an everyday thing.” Lowe continued to improve his game and pats me on the back and said ‘you just over the years and decided to give tourna- made Dowagiac proud, son.’” Lowe actually qualified a third year afment golf a try. He attempted to qualify for the Western ter winning the Hampshire Country Club Amateur, which was then being held at tournament, but he declined the exemption Point O’Woods near Benton Harbor. He because, “I didn’t feel my game was good did not qualify in 1987 or 1988, but made enough to go over there and compete,” he said. “I just didn’t have enough time. Peothe elite field for the first time in 1989. “Then I learned how to play tournament ple don’t understand the amount of time By SCOTT NOVAK scott.novak@leaderpub.com
H
“
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014 it takes to compete at that level. The people you are playing against don’t have jobs. They play golf all the time.” Lowe feels that once people catch the golf bug, they continue to play the game for the rest of their lives. “I always tell people that you can play it the rest of your life,” he said. “Golf is more mental than it is physical. With the handicap system they have got, high handicappers can compete with low handicappers in the leagues.” Despite having played a lot of golf in his life, Lowe has never had
a hole-in-one. He has come within a half-inch on several occasions. “I recently read a quote from Ben Hogan,” Lowe said. “He said a hole-in-one is luck, but if you hit it within two feet, it’s skill.” Lowe says that you don’t necessarily need to pay someone to give you lessons if you want to take up the game of golf. But you do need to learn about the game first and you need to put in the time to improve your game. “I’m a self-taught golfer,” he said. “I’m strange in the fact that I
like to practice. I like to study the game and I like to hit golf balls. Sometimes I would almost rather go out to the range and hit balls than play. It’s a stress reliever for me. “Try to read or get a video on fundamentals to start out. Or you can go and take a lesson from someone who knows what they are doing, but I am of the theory that you can teach yourself before you need to pay somebody to teach you how. That’s why golf is such a great game to me. You can go out and practice for free.”
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
Greater Niles Sen 10:00 a.m. — Chat & Stitch 2:00 p.m. — Tai chi exercise
Mondays 9:00 a.m. — Chair exercise 12:30 p.m. — Wii Bowling 1:00 p.m. — Scrapbooking 2:30 p.m. — Yoga
Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. — Bridge 10:30 a.m. — Drumming 1:00 p.m. — Euchre/Pinochle Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. — Chair exercise 10:00 a.m. — Line dancing
Enhancing the lives of veterans, military and their families and helping to shape a positive future! Learn all the ways the American Legion can serve you.
Find us on:
American Legion Post 26
BINGO- Monday’s at 6:30 pm (doors open at 5) Table/Chairs/Banquet Room Rental available to public
104 N. 3rd St., Niles 269-357-1411
Chicago, IL – The world is going wireless. Phones function flawlessly without cords. We surf the Internet from planes. GPS devices give us street directions as we drive. And now – thanks to advanced microchip technology – the hearing impaired can enjoy home entertainment and mobile phones with the same ease and flexibility as those with normal hearing WiFi Carries Sound Directly From Devices to Ears The ability for hearing aids to receive sound sent wirelessly from the television, stereo, and computer is now a reality. Hearing aid patients no longer need awkward necklace style devices to receive wireless audio signals. Individuals can listen “privately” through their hearing instruments at the volume they prefer. Others in the room enjoy volume comfortable for them. The same microprocessor technology allows hearing aid wearers to enjoy hands-free use of cell and home
Thursdays 10:00 a.m. — Pastels 10:30 a.m. — Drumming 1:30 p.m. — Cash bingo Fridays 9:00 a.m. — Chair exercises 10:30 a.m. — Zumba Gold 12:15 p.m. — Hawaiian dancing 2:00 p.m. — Tai chi exercise 2:30 p.m. — Tatting
Cassopolis
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Senior Apartments. 2 months free on select units. Spacious, two bedroom located on beautiful Stone Lake, Intercom entry building, elevator, emergency pull cords. Seniors 62 years or older or disabled of any age. Rent starts at $641.00 (based on income). Please call Toni at 269-445-3333 or stop by today at 145 Stone Lake St. for more information. EHO. TDD 1-800-649-3777 American Preferred 1-800-968-1792
phones. By using a small BluetoothTM accessory clipped to a shirt or automobile visor, clear conversation is sent from the phone to both ears. The phone can stay put away in a pocket or handbag during calls. Clear Sound Even in the Noisiest Environments Along with enabling direct-to-ear wireless communication, microprocessors help hearing aid wearers more easily understand speech in noisy environments. New techniques, such as band-splitting and specialized sound classification, facilitate more natural hearing in challenging environments. Now, instead of across-the-board amplification, patients can prioritize important sounds, such as speech, while retaining auditory awareness of less critical sounds. Patients can also choose to focus on speech exclusively. Breakthrough in Hearing Technology The new line of Beltone PromiseTM hearing aids sends phone conversation and TV directly into hearing instruments, while letting users stay connected
to their surroundings at the same time. Belton is the only manufacturer to utilize a robust 2.4 GHz wireless signal – which, when coupled with the Promise’s advanced microprocessor – allows wireless transmission of sound up to 23 feet from entertainment devices. The Beltone Promise hearing instrument’s Spatial DirectionalityTM feature enables more natural hearing in noisy surroundings. Using directional technology, one ear focuses on speech, while the other ear monitors sounds from around the individual. Speech Spotter ProTM allows the user to focus on speech, and tune out background noises completely. For a free hearing screening and free trial of Promise hearing aids, visit one of Beltone’s 1,500 hearing care centers located throughout the nation. For more information, or to find the closest location nearest to you, call Beltone at 269-932-4512 or visit them online at www.beltonehearingaid.com
We Need YOU to Help Test a New Hearing Aid Technology A major name brand hearing aid provider wishes to field test a remarkable new hearing instrument in your area. This offer is free of charge and you are under no obligation. The revolutionary 100% Digital Instruments use the latest technology to comfortably and almost invisibly help you hear more clearly. This technology solves the “stopped up ears,” “head in a barrel” sensation some people experience, and has been clinically demonstrated to improve hearing in noisy environments. If you’d like to participate in this study, and test this revolutionary hearing technology, simply call to schedule your free hearing test to see
if you qualify. There is no fee whatsoever for participating in this field-test. Special testing will be done to determine the increased benefits of this technology. Benefits of hearing aids vary by type and degree of hearing loss, noisy environments, accuracy of hearing test, and proper fit. This is a wonderful opportunity to determine if hearing help is available for your hearing loss while you evaluate your performance with this technology.
2800 Niles Road St. Joseph, MI 49085
269-932-4512
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
nior Center June Calendar of Events SPECIAL EVENTS
June 6 9:00 a.m. — Let’s Go Shopping: Lighthouse
June 11 12:30 p.m. — Powerful tools for caregivers
June 9 12:30 p.m. — Powerful tools for caregivers
June 13 9:00 a.m. — Let’s Go Shopping: Garage Sale
June 10 8:30 — Blood sugar screening 9:00 a.m. — Blood pressure check 1:30 p.m. — Cancer support
June 16 10:00 a.m. — Card making 12:30 p.m. — Powerful tools for caregivers
June 17 9:00 a.m. — Oil painting 1:00 p.m. — Blood pressure check June 18 12:30 p.m. — Tools for caregivers
June 24 1:30 p.m. — Cancer support group
June 19 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Picnic at St. Mark Catholic Church
June 25 12:30 p.m. — Powerful tools for caregivers
June 23 9:00 a.m. — Annual board meeting
June 26 5:00 p.m. — Woodcarvers
Give Your Loved Ones
+ Services available 24 hours a day 7 days a week
The Freedom To Safely Live At Home
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The Silverbook dif ference. If your loved ones needs cannot be met at home, Silverbrook Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center provides care that you can count on. Silverbrook is a 100 bed Medicare/Medicaid Certified, Joint Comission Accredited facility where residents and their loved ones are not only cared for, they are cared about.
Facility Features • 24-Hour Nursing Care • IV Therapy • Short term rehabilitation • Long term care • Air-Conditioned Therapy Room • Therapy Offered 5 Days Per Week • Private Rooms • FREE TV with Cable Provided
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
Cass County COA June Calendar of Events
LOWE CENTER — CASSOPOLIS Friday, June 6 & 20 — 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Great Decisions — This active discussion group will talk about energy independence with high school students from FFA Cassopolis.
Monday, June 9 — 1 to 3 p.m. Hollywood Treasures —“The Great Race”: The first in a new series of films that will be presented with an introduction by the COA’s resident film expert, Mark Love. Free popcorn.
Tuesday, June 10 — 10:30 to 12 p.m. Library Partnership — “Great Summer Reads”: This discussion will be led by Jennifer Ray of the Cassopolis Library. A different presentation will be made in Dowagiac. Wednesday, June 11 — 1 to 3 p.m. Mixed-Media Paper Art — This intermediate class will engage in card-making using handmade inks and a wide variety of materials. Cost is $5 for materials.
Let Us Assist You in Making Those Important Healthcare Decisions
Thursday, June 12 — 10 a.m. to noon Scrapbook Class — This brand new class will teach you how to safely and creatively preserve your photos and memories. Cost is $5 for materials.
Wednesday, June 18 — 10:30 to 12 p.m. Flickr Photo Class — Learn what has been billed as the best online photo management and sharing application in the world.
• Independence • Quality of Life • Wide Range of Support Services • Well Trained Assistance • Socialization
269-684-1984 574-292-2900
email: KKaidanRay@aol.com • www.KAREService.com
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14566 North Redbud Trail, Lot 90A Buchanan, MI 49107 269.695.3119 riversideestates@comcast.net www.riversideestatesmhc.com Hours: Mon. & Wed.: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Fri.: 8 a.m.-4 p.m
Thursday, June 19 — Noon Lunchtime Little Theater — It’s time for lunch served with entertainment. The COA welcomes Tommy Vale, saxophonist extraordinaire. Thursday, June 19 — 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Discover Walking & Biking Trails
GRANNY NANNY Helping & Caring in Your Home
We understand the importance of remaining in your Home...we offer trusted, quality help with that goal, at reasonable rates.
Compassionate Home Care Services Home Care - Private Duty Staffing Expert Healthcare Consultants Offering Your Parent:
Thursday, June 19 — 1 to 2 p.m. Free Ice Cream Social — Courtesy of Cassopolis Dental, the Lowe Center will be giving out free scoops.
Senior Care Specialist Meal preparation Companionship Medical reminders Laundry, etc.
Licensed & Bonded
574-215-4163 269-663-3169
Since 2007
A New Chapter In Caring To my dearest friends at the Timbers of Cass County: I will never be able to express my gratitude enough to you when my mom was at her lowest, so I hope this tells you how I feel. To just say “thank you” for all you have done for my mom and my family would not even come close to what I feel when I think of you guys/gals. From giving her a bath, combing her hair, clipping her nails, feeding her, and the countless other things that you have and/or continue to do to keep her comfortable, happy, clean, and dignified, I will forever be grateful. For over the last several months, you guys/gals have taken care of her and are kind and compassionate to her. I know that if I can’t make it in to see her, she will still get the best of care. Your patience and love to her and the rest of the residents are evident in everything you say and do. I have witnessed it all, and I am thankful. From the nurses to the kitchen personnel, to the staff who clean everything, the administrative, maintenance, and laundry workers, and the rest of the workers, I salute you all. You keep the Home a clean, safe, friendly, and healthy place to live, a true “home,” a place to call their own, a place to find refuge and friendship and warmth. I know your jobs aren’t easy, but you make it seem that way. Your sense of humor is tested daily. The ability to laugh at yourself and joke with others is one of the most endearing qualities. Without Timbers and all you guys/gals to take care of my mother, I truly believe that my mother would not have made it through this. I could go on and on, but this should give you an idea of how I feel. It’s all you and you’re all great, and you have one of the most important jobs in the world. You are all friends. This note is too short to express my true gratitude for you guys/gals for treating my mom like one of your own. Hugs to all of you.
We are a Medicare & Medicaid Provider
Call (269) 782-7828 for more information
The Timbers of Cass County 55432 Colby St. • Dowagiac, MI
Visit our website at www.atriumlivingcenters.com
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
in Cass County — Scott Wyman, Director of Parks will present highlights of the history of our county parks and provide information on the many hiking and biking trail. Friday, June 20 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Read and Share Book Club —“Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese: This fascinating book will be discussed. The group welcomes newcomers. FRONT STREET CROSSING — DOWAGIAC Thursday, June 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m./$20 entry fee Bridge Tournament — Bridge lovers don’t miss this fun tournament. A continental breakfast and lunch are included as well as cash prizes. Pre-registration required. Please call Sandi at 269-445-8110 Tuesday, June 10 — 1 to 3 p.m. Hollywood Treasures — “The Great Race”: The first in a new series of films that will be presented with an introduction by the COA’s resident film expert, Mark Love. Free popcorn will be offered. Tuesday, June 24 — 10:30 a.m. to noon Library Partnership — “Comic Books: A Unique American Art Form”: Jacob Munford, Dowagiac’s Librarian will be sure to delight with this great topic.
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
Downsizing: How to start early By JILL McCAUGHAN jill.mccaughan@leaderpub.com
“Y
our house is just a place for your stuff. That’s all your house is—a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff,” comedian George Carlin said in his famous stand-up routine about the American tendency to acquire more and more “stuff.” Since the early part of the 20th Century, our economy and our society have become increasingly consumer-driven, and “keeping up with the Joneses” is practically a national pastime. However, as those who have had to settle the estates of their elderly parents have found out, the acquisition of so much “stuff” can have a profoundly negative impact on those who are left behind. For that reason and others, many folks advocate downsizing earlier in life. “I had to take a leave of absence from my job for two months, and I would leave my farm in the morning and go to my parents’ house and pack and pack and pack and pack,” said Mary Fraser of Niles, who has downsized three times in the last eight years. “It was an enormous job.” Joyce Moore, a retired physician had a similar experience. When her mother got too elderly to care for herself at the age of 97, she moved in with Moore, and the process of distributing the contents of the house fell to the children and grandchildren. “It leaves a lot behind for the children to sort through, a house to sell, and a number of things to settle, which the parent could have done if the parent had gotten to it earlier,” Moore said. “But, if that parent gets too old, then it’s beyond what the parent can do.” While it may sound like downsizing is a difficult chore, both Fraser and Moore see it as a process with unforeseen benefits. “Downsizing really just means reducing the amount of stuff you take through life with you in order to have greater happiness in your later years,” Moore explained. “You feel lighter and lighter, and freer and freer,” Fraser agreed. “You should start thinking about doing these things when you’re young enough to do it and enjoy it.” While most of us do not stay in the same house for 70-plus years, as Moore’s mother did, we all tend to accumulate things, and oftentimes, those are things that we never use, but which could be of great value to others. “There are things you can do without that someone else can use,” Moore said. “For example, you find out that you have a certain amount of extra furniture when there are just two people left in the house.” As they say, “charity begins at home,” and so the first place to look for recipients of the excess “stuff” is often within one’s own family. “If you have daughters or sons, it’s a blessing to be able to share what you’ve
accumulated,” Moore said. However, family members may have gathered together their own large collections of “stuff,” they may have already inherited many pieces of furniture from an even earlier generation, or they many live too far away to make large gifts practicable. For those reasons, Moore gave away many pieces of furniture to charities, including Safe Harbor, a shelter for abused women in Benton Harbor. Such gifts usually carry a tax deduction. Other things, Moore sold at a greatlyreduced cost. “Some of the things, I gave to the Mission Mart, which was in Marion, Indiana, where I lived Joyce Moore at that time,” she recalled. “We also knew missionaries who needed things, so I was able to sell some things at a very reduced cost to them.” Fraser, as the great-granddaughter of Daniel Webster, had a number of antiques that were of historical importance. “I donated many of my mother’s antiques to Dartmouth. I loved all of these things. I just loved them. But then, as I got older, I thought ‘You’ve got to start unloading some of this stuff.’ I realized, ‘You’ve been carrying a lot of memories on your back for a very long time, and to what end?’” However, it’s not necessary to part with absolutely everything, and Moore, who practiced psychiatry for many years, recommends separating items into two groups. “I would say that there are the two categories of things—things that you don’t get rid of, and things that you don’t want to get rid of but you need to in order to make your environment less crowded with stuff and more comfortable to live in,” Moore explained. Therefore, while Moore has sold or given away many possessions that she really cared for, she has kept certain things that are most meaningful to her. “Some things have such sentimental value that you don’t want to get rid of them. Photographs, albums, letters, handmade gifts from children — and those things, you want to hold onto,” Moore said. “With the other things, you have to get to a point in your life where you say, ‘I like this, I worked hard for this, I’d like to keep this, but it’s not possible.’ You have to get to the point that you’re able to open up your hands and let it go, and let somebody else enjoy it.” Beyond divesting oneself of the material possessions that one owns, downsizing can include moving into a smaller, more
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
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manageable home. Moore moved into a smaller vacation home in St. Joseph, and Fraser is seriously considering buying a ‘tiny house.’ That type of move can have benefits that go beyond mere convenience. “If you can downsize your house and make a profit from it, you can invest that money,” said Nicole Coar, an investment representative at LPL Financial in Bridgman. “The sooner you feel like it fits into your lifestyle, the better, because that’s going to give the money more time to grow, and you’re going to be less likely to run out of money at the end of your life.” Beyond the interest that one can earn on the profits from selling the home, moving into smaller, more manageable home has an additional benefit. “When you start looking at a smaller home with one floor and so forth, it gives you the opportunity to potentially stay in your home longer, which keeps you out of assisted living or a nursing home, and it’s nothing to spend $5,000 a month in nursing home costs,” Coar pointed out. Other items that folks may want to consider selling are recreational vehicles, boats and even second cars that they no longer use frequently. “It not only has benefit as far as de-cluttering your life and making things simpler for your spouse or your children, it also has huge value in getting those funds somewhere that they can work for you instead of just sitting there depreciating,” Coar said. Downsizing early can save one’s heirs from a lot of stress and headaches, and it also allows people to make choices about where they want their possessions to go. However, one of the biggest reasons that Fraser and Moore gave for downsizing was the benefit that it brings to the person who does it. “There is a sense of freedom that you get that—one that you don’t expect to get — when you unload a lot of things that you thought you had to have. It’s amazing,” Moore said. “It’s a freeing experience, and it’s worth it.”
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Page 14
Living 50 Plus • June 2014
Retirement is a big decision
I
t is always important to think about your retirement—whether it’s right in front of you or looming on the horizon. When is the right time for you to retire? Choosing when to retire is an important decision, but it is also a personal choice and one you should carefully consider. There is no one-sizefits-all answer. Social Security offers a list of factors to consider in the publication, When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits, available at www.socialsecurity.gov/ pubs. Social Security provides two top-rated online tools to help you plan for your retirement. First is the Retirement Estimator, which gives you immediate and personalized retirement benefit estimates. The Retirement Estimator is convenient and secure, and lets you create “what if” scenarios. For instance, you can change your “stop work” dates or expected future earnings to create and compare different retirement options. If you have a few minutes, you have time to check it out at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator. Another great tool is your own my Social Security account. Here you can get instant estimates of your future benefits and verify that your earnings history is correct with your own, free my Social Security account. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and join the millions of people who have already created their accounts to help plan for retirement. You can get Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but if you retire before your full retirement age
(currently age 66, but gradually increasing to age 67), your benefits will be reduced, based on your age. If you retire at age 62, your benefit would be about 25 percent lower than what it would be if you waited until you reach full retirement age. Find out your full retirement age by using our Retirement Age Calculator at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ ageincrease.htm. You may choose to keep working even beyond your full retirement age. If you do, Vonda VanTil you can increase Public Affairs Specialist Social Security your future Social Security benefits—up until age 70. Applying for Social Security retirement doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” decision. Whether you want to retire at age 62, your full retirement age, or even later, you can apply when you feel like it. When you’re ready to take that plunge, you can apply online for retirement benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov. Vonda VanTil is the public affairs specialist for West Michigan. You can write her c/o Social Security Administration, 3045 Knapp St NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 or via email at vonda. vantil@ssa.gov
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Living 50 Plus • June 2014
& Care for seniors
Comfort
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Page 16
Living 50 Plus • June 2014
Trust the care of your eyes to us So much to see and do...
From left to right: Duane A. Tolsma, O.D., John W. Marohn, O.D., Andrew M. Wang, M.D., Michael S. Seward, M.D., David L. Cooke, M.D., David N. Brown, M.D., Stanley W. Pletcher, M.D. and Ronald L. McKey, M.D.
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