SeniorHomeSaleSF

As some of you may know, I'm on the Board of Directors for Steppingstone Adult Day Health Care or ADHC.  What do we do?  We enable adults and seniors to live independently at home while thriving in a community that promotes their health, happiness, and quality of life.  How do we do it?  SteppingStone’s Health Care program offers a comprehensive option for both frail, low-income seniors and adults with disabilities who live alone and/or lack a primary care giver.  We offer healthcare services, therapies, social activities, meals and transportation.  For more information about this amazing program, take a look at this article from Sunday's Chronicle.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/19/BA9N1N7L9Q.DTL. 

As I'm sitting at my desk, it's (finally) pouring outside.  The roofer was supposed to come work on my roof this morning, but not today after all.  My roof is only 10 years old, but I had asked him to come take a look at it, and sure enough, I needed a new skylight, a new metal chimney, and some flashing replaced.  So why am I telling you this?  Our homes need periodic check ups, particularly where water intrusion is involved.  Take a look around your windows, foundations, and anywhere outside, where water might puddle and leak into the house.  Have someone look at your roof.  If this feels like a bit much, have a someone who you know and trust help you.  And if you need to have work done, be sure they are a referral from someone you trust, and are licensed and bonded.  You can learn this by going to the Better Business Bureau http://goldengate.bbb.org.  Good luck! 

For seniors, the question frequently arises:  Should I move or stay in my home? There are good reasons for either choice, but should you decide to stay put,  there are many safety issues to consider.  As stated in a NY Times artice: "…while home might be cozier and cheaper than a residential center, it’s not always safer. Every year in this country about 7,000 elderly people die in home-related accidents, and millions are seriously injured. Falls are the leading cause of injuries, but the elderly are also at risk for being burned by the stove, scalded by hot water or drowning in the tub."  To read the rest of this article, and to learn how to make your home safer, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/health/18patient.html?scp=1&sq=Making%20home%20a%20safer%20place,%20affordably&st=cse

Since the start of the year,  I'm hearing from other Realtors and some financial planners (including my own!) that we are feeling cautiously optimistic about the economy.  Take a look at what the Boston Globe had to say about it on Friday.  Interesting…

http://bit.ly/yUDyo2

As we are aging (which of course we all are!) we wonder about how we are going to provide for long term care when the time comes.  Especially with the future of Social Security and Medicare in question, what insurance coverage  should we have in place?  Is it life insurance, long term care insurance, or will VA benefits cover our needs?  Take a look at the article at http://www.careforcalifornia.net/articles/article-2012-01-11.htm  to answer some of these questions.