Active retirement 2017

2017

Advertising Supplement by the ARIZONA DAILY SUN

FEATURING: Fitness & Self Improvement Ideas • Estate & Legal Tips • Technology Help

ACTIVE RETIREMENT | Getting Started

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Fitness Benefits

ou are probably familiar with many of the health benefits

you can gain from physical activity. Exercise assists in heart health, healthy bones and weight maintenance.

You may be surprised to learn how exercise can protect seniors from dangerous diseases and decline in brain function.

Aging may provide an excuse for a lack of physical activity, as you may blame your lack of exercise on sore muscles or weak bones. But your senior years are when you should be focused on improving your physical health. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that seniors have more to gain than younger people.

BRAIN FUNCTION It is a common rule that any exercise that benefits your heart is also promoting brain health. Increasing your heart rate allows oxygen to be pumped to your brain and creates hormones to aide in the growth of brain cells. An active exercise regimen has been shown to aide in the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

There are non-physical activities you can perform on top of a physical lifestyle to promote brain health. Some of these include a healthy diet, learning a foreign language or learning a musical instrument. Learning something new is great way to keep an aging mind active.

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Active Retirement | April 2017

FIGHT DISEASES The National Institutes of Health state that staying active can prevent or slow down many diseases. The Mayo Clinic has listed a few ways exercise helps hinder symptoms of several common diseases among seniors: • Diabetes. Exercise assists in insulin more effectively managing your blood sugar. It also will control your weight,

which is a huge factor in your fight against diabetes.

CONTROL STRESS

You may notice higher stress levels as you age. Physical activity can be a key • Asthma. Exercise has been shown to component in managing stress by reduce the frequency and severity of improving your ability to get a good asthma. night’s sleep and releasing stressfighting endorphins.

• Arthritis. Exercise will help manage It has been shown that physical pain associated with this disease. It exercise will decrease tension and also will maintain muscle strength in stabilize moods, and aerobic exercise can certain joints. have anti-anxiety effects.

The Arizona Daily Sun

Self Improvement | ACTIVE RETIREMENT

New Activities

G

eorge Eliot once said, “It’s never to late to be what you might have been.” Finding new things to do helps build

friendships and keeps “retirement burnout” at bay.

A lot of seniors who experience boredom after retiring simply aren’t feeling challenged.

Trying new activities and getting out of your comfort zone is a great way to feel better.

Your loved ones can’t act on your wishes unless they know what they are. Attend our Community Health Fair and complete your Advance Directive.

GO BACK TO SCHOOL After the end of one career, it can be the perfect time to learn another! Even if you aren’t interested in starting a business or going back to work, don’t be afraid to step on campus.

Seniors are eligible for many scholarships and other financial aid packages. Consider your local community college.

Classes are generally much more affordable and allow you to take a variety of courses if you are just looking to learn something new without being on a degree track.

LEARN A NEW SPORT Learning a new sport is a great avenue to meet new people while tackling a new skill. Bowling, golf and tennis are all great choices, and are sports that commonly have leagues and tournaments specifically for seniors.

Want to become more active in a sport you already play? Hire a coach to help you hone your skills and point out your bad habits.

The Arizona Daily Sun

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GET CREATIVE According to Today’s Geriatric Medicine, creative art pursuits provide older adults with many benefits, including enhanced cognitive function and reduced feelings of depression and anxiety. In fact, many art forms nurture our overall well-being.

Find an art class near you. ARTS By The People and Art Beyond Sight are two organizations that work to bring art programs to seniors. Your local community college also will offer art classes at an introductory level and is a great avenue for finding more advanced classes if you wish to pursue it further.

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April 2017 | Active Retirement

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ACTIVE RETIREMENT | Staying Current

Y

Estate Plan Maintenance

ou have taken all the

power of attorney as monumental life events occur.

proper steps to secure

HOW OFTEN YOU SHOULD REVIEW

your family with an inheritance that you spent your life working toward.

Your estate plan still requires some maintenance and possible overhauls.

There are several major life events that should cause you to take a look at the plan you have in place.

If you created your estate plan as a young adult, it is very possible that your plan could use some different tweaks as life goes on. It is very easy to adjust documents such as your final will and

While there is no legal requirement to pay additional attention to your estate plan once it’s been written up, it is still important to update it. Consider letting your estate lawyer look over your documents at the beginning of each year.

This will ensure that your documents hold up to new laws and tax codes that are introduced yearly.

Major life events require immediate attention to your plan as they occur.

A more thorough review of your estate plan should be reviewed at least

every five years. This will allow you to adjust your assets and financial status to their current levels.

MAJOR LIFE EVENTS Life happens. Sometimes great things occur, but alternatively, negative things can require a change in your estate plan. What kind of events constitute major life events?

new location’s tax and estate laws.

• Death: If someone who is listed as a beneficiary in your will passes away, you will need to adjust their inheritance amongst other heirs.

OTHER CAUSES FOR UPDATES

Outside of regular maintenance and major life events, there can be other • Marriage/divorce: Either of these reasons to update your estate plan. events occurring will require a swift Sometimes, your designated power of change to your plan. In this instance, attorney will be unable to uphold the you will probably want to add or delete responsibility required. This could be due a beneficiary. to illness, moving long distance or death.

Changing doctors is another reason to • Moving: If you decide to lay roots in a adjust your plan. You will need to meet different state or country, you will need with your new doctor to discuss medical to redo your plan in accordance to the directives you set up previously.

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Legal Experts | ACTIVE RETIREMENT

Find a Professional Attorney Y

ou probably have been overloaded with advertisements for DIY will programs that claim to meet legal

standards. These documents are typically prepared by simply filling in blanks on a website.

They may be able to make your final will a legal document, but there is no substitute for a hands-on, faceto-face experience with a professional estate lawyer.

When executing an important, final document such as a will, you may find more comfort working with a real person rather than staring at a computer monitor. An estate lawyer knows all the intricate details that pertain to the estate laws of your particular state. He also will provide a personal touch that a computer program cannot.

PRE-MEETING PLANNING Your lawyer will require specific information about your finances and belongings. Before you meet with your lawyer, acquire documents that show where you stand financially.

The American Bar Association has listed some of the documents you should gather: • Previous wills; • Life insurance policies; • Powers of attorney; and • Employment benefits.

Attending your meeting with these documents and information about your assets and financial situation will ensure a smooth start to processing your will.

The Arizona Daily Sun

SCHEDULING A MEETING A consultation with an estate lawyer will be the first step in the process of creating your final will. Here, you can get a quality explanation of how a will should be written up and how it dictates the distribution of your belongings after your passing.

This initial meeting is your chance to become comfortable with your estate lawyer’s firm. Inquire about rates and ask to have them put into an engagement letter, which acts as a written agreement between you and your attorney. If your state does not require this letter, it still is a good idea to inquire about one for peace of mind.

IS DIY WORTH THE RISK? Most DIY will programs have a disclaimer that states something like, “not a law firm and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.” Why risk the assets you spent most of your lifetime working toward without some reassurance?

An estate lawyer will do far more than just draft a document. She can offer experienced advice and tailor your will to protect your family and assets. You also will have someone who is able to legally stand up for your estate when you no longer can.

April 2017 | Active Retirement

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ACTIVE RETIREMENT | Technology

Keeping in Touch

T

oday’s technology can be intimidating to seniors. Technology advances so fast that if you didn’t grow up with it to learn the

basics, it can be easy to get left behind. The good news is, it’s never too late to begin learning.

The Internet is full of great tools for keeping in touch with family. Whether your friends and family live locally or some distance away, it’s easier to keep in touch than ever before. Take advantage of social media and video call sites to keep solid contact with your loved ones.

WHAT EXACTLY ARE APPS? You’ve likely heard the word “app” thrown around constantly. App is short for application. Computers have used applications since their invention.

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Active Retirement | April 2017

However, the term app is typically used to describe software that is meant to be used on a smartphone or tablet. From making and keeping checklists to chatting over video with family members, nearly every action you can think of has an app available for free or a small charge.

SOCIAL MEDIA Social media websites are a great tool to keep in touch with family or friends who you don’t typically talk to on

a day-to-day basis. You can breeze through a compilation of pictures and comments of friends of your choice.

On a social media site such as Facebook, it is up to you who can see your posts and whose posts you can view. Only add the friends you would like to keep in touch with to keep the clutter down on your page.

VIDEO CALLING Learning how to use current technology may show you realities that

you could have only fantasized about as a child. For instance, phone calls are now more than just voice based. Using a video-calling app allows you to see the person on the other end of the line.

These apps come with clear instructions that will have you viewing your family members in no time. Think of the excitement of seeing the joy on your family’s faces when you call to give birthday or other holiday wishes.

Technology has made this possible, so it’s time to get on board.

The Arizona Daily Sun

Crime | ACTIVE RETIREMENT

Avoiding Phone Scams S

cams that target the financial well-being of seniors have become such a problem that the National Council on

Aging has called them “the crime of the 21st century.”

Don’t let your finances become vulnerable to these scams.

Today’s con artists have many techniques when it comes to scamming you out of your hard-earned money. Some of them include telemarketing, investments and even lottery scams. It’s important to be able to recognize and react to different types of phone swindles that can hang you and your finances out to dry.

TYPES OF PHONE SCAMS One of the most common scams among con artists is a fake telemarketing

call. Seniors make twice as many purchases over the phone as other age groups based on the national average. This may make it easier to entice you into giving them your personal information.

Another popular scam you may experience is called the pigeon drop.

This is performed by a con artist claiming to have inherited a large sum of money but needing a good-faith payment from you in order to gain access. They will offer to split the

inheritance once they receive the funds.

A fake accident scam is another common call to avoid. A scammer will claim that a loved one has been involved in an accident and needs financial assistance to get the help they need.

Always check with your loved one or other close family before even considering payment.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A SCAM Some phone scams will be easily recognized, but others are designed to startle you into making a payment. It is crucial to remember that U.S. companies or government agencies will never try to reach you by phone. Any legal issues needing resolution will be handled by U.S. mail or even certified mail.

Knowing this will prepare you for any calls that claim to be from the Internal Revenue Service or a false deputy claiming you owe a penalty for missing jury duty.

HOW TO HANDLE A SCAM Your first response to a scammer should be to immediately hang up the phone. Creating a conversation will let the scammer know you are willing to engage.

This may cause your number to be shared amongst other scammers.

Report any suspicious phone calls to the Federal Trade Commission. You may enter your claim online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. The FTC will ask for information about the call and share your case with law enforcement offices across the country.

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April 2017 | Active Retirement

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