Senior Living News

Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Retirement Withdrawals?

The purpose of retirement accounts is to encourage people to save for their golden years by offering them tax-deferred savings. Having a retirement account can help you feel more secure and provide income to help you pay your expenses. But for all their benefits, retirement accounts can cause headaches at tax time. In this post, we'll discuss the taxation of retirement account withdrawals to help take some of the confusion out of filing.

God's Promises for Seniors With Dementia

The majority of American adults say they're Christian — 63% as of 2021. And 80% of people who identify as Christian Protestants say their religion is very important in their lives and note that they pray daily. For seniors of faith who are facing a dementia or Alzheimer's diagnosis, questions about faith and life in general can be worrisome.

What Is a Power of Attorney, and Who Needs One?

As you age, one of the things you may want to think about is establishing your power of attorney. A power of attorney (POA) gives one person the right and authority to act on behalf of another person when handling their legal matters. Some types of power of attorney give someone the power to help with the designated person's financial issues or health care decisions, for example. Everyone should have a power of attorney or consider establishing one before they enter an assisted living community like Autumn View Gardens. The document can come into play if you're unable to make decisions for yourself and need someone else to make them for you. Many people choose to establish their spouse or a close loved one or friend as a POA because those people are most likely to make decisions in their best interests.

Should You Add a Beneficiary to Your Checking and Savings Accounts?

Estate planning is important for seniors. Making plans for how your assets will be divided up after you pass away can simplify things for your loved ones and allow them to receive funds more quickly. Adding a beneficiary to your checking or savings account is one way to make settling your estate easier.

9 Tips for Integrating a Loved One With Dementia Into Holiday Events

The holidays can be difficult when you have a loved one with dementia. You might mourn past holiday traditions that your loved one no longer remembers. Dementia can cause your loved one to become confused, overwhelmed or angry during holiday events. Finding meaningful ways to include your loved one in holiday celebrations while minimizing stressful situations can help you create positive memories.

10 Devotional and Christian Living Books for Seniors

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4. Reading is something people of all ages can enjoy but that can be particularly centering for older adults. As you approach the fall and have more time set aside for this enjoyable activity, you may be looking for new devotional or Christian-living books to delve into. With the abundance of choices, it can be hard to pick a few for your to-be-read pile.

Can Letter Correspondence Between Loved Ones Improve Memory Health?

In today’s fast-paced world, letter writing seems like a lost art. Quaint and novel, at least for younger people, but impractical compared to the instant gratification of text messaging and email. Even so, research suggests that taking the time to draft handwritten letters provides health benefits we don’t get from typing out an email. In some cases, health experts even believe letter correspondence between loved ones can be a tool that protects cognitive health and preserves memory function.

Does Creativity Change With Age?

The short and sweet answer is yes, creativity changes with age. As a kid, creativity shows itself in acts of make-believe and imaginative play. As an adult, your desire to, say, pretend you’re a lion for an afternoon significantly decreases. But that doesn’t mean creativity goes away altogether. It does mean, however, that you’ll need to make time to exercise your creative muscles. You might be surprised that your capacity for playing make-believe games is still very much intact.

Does Regular Journaling Help Recover Lost Memories?

Many therapists recommend journaling as a way to express emotions and deal with anxiety. However, researchers have also discovered that regular journaling can help create cues for memory retrieval and stimulate brain function. Discover the many benefits of journaling, along with tips on improving memory function.

Scenes From Genesis: A Closer Look at Joseph

If you grew up in Sunday school, you already know all about Joseph — or, at least, you may think you do. The faithful, favorite son of Jacob with a coat of many colors and an uncanny proclivity for dream interpretation, hated by his envious brothers who threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. He's whisked away to Egypt and purchased by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard, and ends up becoming Pharaoh's right-hand man — second-in-command over the most powerful nation to date at this point in history.