Sally Balch Hurme - ABA/AARP Wise Moves: Checklist for Where to Live, What to Consider, and Whether to Stay or Go

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hurme, Sally Balch, author. | Frolik, Lawrence A., author. | American Association of Retired Persons, sponsoring body. | American Bar Association. Senior Lawyers Division, sponsoring body.

Title: Wise moves : checklist for where to live, what to consider, and whether to stay or go / Sally Balch Hurme and Lawrence A. Frolik.

Description: Chicago : American Bar Association, 2020. | Summary: Foreseeing where you might be living five, ten, or even twenty years from now takes forethought. Thats what we hope this book helps you do-envision where you might be and take the steps to get thereProvided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020006128 (print) | LCCN 2020006129 (ebook) | ISBN 9781641055949 (paperback) | ISBN 9781641055956 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Older peopleLegal status, laws, etc.United States.

Classification: LCC KF390.A4 H87 2020 (print) | LCC KF390.A4 (ebook) | DDC 346.7301/30846dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020006128

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020006129

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

As the hikers descended the trail in the hot late afternoon sun, a tall man found himself walking behind a woman more than a foot shorter. They were in a group of about 20 hikers taking a respite from an intensive National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys conference held at a resort on the edge of the Tucson desert.

The tall man was Larry Frolik, a professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law who had been teaching and writing about elder law for many years. The petite woman was Sally Hurme, an elder law attorney from Washington, D.C., who worked for AARP and taught elder law at George Washington University Law School. As they walked and talked, they realized they had both heard of the other and, by the time they got to the hotel, had decided to collaborate on an article or book.

Years went by. Both were very busy. No joint article or book was written.

In 2018, both were retired when the American Bar Associations Senior Lawyers Division and AARP approached them about a book on housing for older Americans. Where to live can be confusing, they explained. People needed someone with knowledge and experience to help them choose among all the options. Stay at home or move? Downsize to an apartment, condo, or co-op? Try independent or assisted living? Whats an active retirement community? Continuing care retirement community? How to select a memory care or skilled nursing community? What about a move abroad? Its a lot to sift through, with no resource to help people figure out what would be a wise move.

Sally and Larry were the obvious pair to coauthor the book. Larry had recently written the ABAs Residence Options for Older and Disabled Clients, directed at lawyers, while Sally had written several ABA/AARP books including Checklist for My Family and Get the Most Out of Retirement. And, like others of their generation, they had made many housing choices for themselves and their families.

* * *

We, Sally and Larry, are delighted for the opportunity to finally coauthor a book, just as we had discussed many years ago on that hike. Based on our own experience and research, as well as conversations with friends and colleagues, we aim to help you examine the wide range of options available, to make wise choices at different stages along the way, and to feel confident that you have chosen the best path for yourself and your family for wherever you might call home.

A Very, Very, Very Fine House

Sometimes it might take a crystal ball to predict what lies ahead, but weve found that what happens in the future has more to do with planning than magic. Foreseeing where you might be living five, ten, or even twenty years from now takes forethought. Thats what we hope this book helps you doenvision where you might be and take the steps to get there.

You might start with some big-picture thinking. What do you want, what do you like, and what do you needfor now and, as far as you can envision, for the long term? We help you through that process in , A Crystal Ball.

In , Should I Stay or Should I Go?, we help you think about the type of housing as well as the community where you livethe two components critical to your satisfaction. Whether you decide to stay in your home or move, look at AARPs factors for livable communities and the checklists in this chapter.

If you like where you live and want to stay there, in , Make Your Home the Home of Your Dreams, you will find a host of suggestions on how to make your home the best home for you now and in the years to come. We walk you through how to look at your home to make sure it suits you so you can successfully age in place. You will likely need some home modifications, but fortunately most are relatively inexpensive. We address that in this chapter, too.

If youd like to make your home work for you financially, turn to , Your Home: Your Biggest Asset. Youll find ways to make or save money by downsizing to a less expensive home and community, renting out extra space, or trying your hand as an Airbnb or VRBO host. We also explain some legal options with how you own your home that might develop more income, including putting your home in a trust, creating a life estate, selling and leasing it back, and taking out a reverse mortgage. You may be able to reduce your living expenses by taking advantage of government benefits programs.

If you want to stay in your home but need some assistance taking care of it or yourself, turn to , Getting Help at Home. Just because you need help doesnt mean you have to move. Having someone come in a few hoursor morea week, getting food delivered, or arranging ways to get where you need to go without a car can go a long way to ensure a comfortable life right where you now live.

Considering living with your adult children, other family members, or someone else? Look at , Happy Together: Living with Others. Doing so can be very rewarding, as long as everyone works together as a team. And you can share expenses, chores, and caregiving for young and old. This chapter will help you avoid some common pitfalls and allow you to live harmoniously. A newer trend in living with others is cohousing. These made-from-the-ground-up neighborhoods bring together people who want to downsize into new, smaller homes built around a community center. There they interact with their neighbors, sharing meals, social events, laundry facilities, lawn tools, and more. These intentional communities focus on neighborliness, mutual support, and consensus management of the common property.