“Slow Go” to ”No Go”

Retirement was once broken down to us in three stages: The Go Go years, Slow Go years, and then No Go years.

When we first think about retirement planning we think about the Go Go years, because that’s what we look forward to and its closest to the lives we’ve become familiar with.  The final two stages could mean a lot of change and can weigh on people as they inevitably approach.

One of the best things we can do to face the Slow Go and No Go years is to educate ourselves about them. What are our options for maintaining our lifestyle? How can we start to visualize what the later part of life could look like and ease into it?  With many people in the same boat facing these challenges, you may be surprised how many options there are for people looking to slowly start getting some help.

This week we wanted to give some starting points for people who are exploring these questions for themselves or for a loved one.

Pennsylvania actually has a Department of Aging which oversees an Area Agency on Aging in each county in the state. Their websites are here:

http://www.aging.pa.gov

http://www.alleghenycounty.us/Human-Services/About/Offices/Area-Agency-on-Aging.aspx.

These sites are a great starting point to find out what type of care and services are available in your area to help people stay independent for as long as possible. They include education services, counseling, transportation, and social services.

If you’re not as set on staying at home and feel like a retirement community would be a good move, the site www.retirementliving.com can be a great starting point to see what types of communities are available. This is an especially good resource if moving out of state is a consideration as it gives some basic guidance on how different states tax sources of retirement income.  As more people retire, different models are being developed for how to care for them and you may be surprised at some of the options.

The big thing we wanted to get out there with this letter is that there are resources to help people find ways to keep living the way they want. We hope these sites can provide some helpful information for those who may not know where to begin.