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Memory & Brain Health (coming soon)
Caregiving (coming soon)
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Resources (coming soon)
Our Story and Legacy (coming soon)
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AGING & MEMORY
Planning Ahead
Planning ahead isn’t about expecting the worst. It’s about keeping your values, and your voice, at the center of your care as life becomes less predictable with age. Documenting your wishes, naming decision-makers, and understanding your living options early gives families a clear roadmap to follow, reducing stress and helping avoid complex processes like capacity evaluations or court involvement.
Below, you’ll find roadmaps for health care and for legal and financial planning, along with an overview of living options as needs change.
Roadmaps
Many people know they “should” get things in order, but aren’t always sure where to begin, or how the pieces fit together. This roadmap offers a clear, step-by-step way to reflect on your values, organize essential health and financial documents, and identify the people who can support you if circumstances change.
While working with trusted professionals, such as elder law or estate-planning attorneys, fiduciaries, financial advisors, care managers, and health care providers, is often the best way to ensure plans are thorough and legally sound, this roadmap gives you a practical foundation so you understand your options and know what you’re walking into before those conversations begin.
Health & Care
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Think about your priorities, values, quality of life, and what matters most to you if your health or ability to make decisions changes.
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Identify someone you trust to communicate your wishes and make health care decisions if you are unable to make them yourself.
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Learn about advance directives, health care proxies, living wills, and other documents that can help communicate and protect your wishes.
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Make sure the people who may need your plan know it exists, understand your wishes, and can access important information when it is needed.
Financial & Legal
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Consider your priorities for your finances, property, family, care needs, and the way you would like your affairs handled if circumstances change.
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Identify trusted people who could manage financial or legal matters on your behalf if you need help or become unable to do so yourself.
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Learn about powers of attorney, wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and other documents that may be part of your plan.
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Keep important financial, legal, insurance, property, and account information organized and accessible to the people who may need it.
Residential Living Options: Definitions & Care Levels
Living Options as Needs Change
From staying at home with added support to communities that offer memory care, each setting balances independence and support differently. Knowing the options early makes it easier to plan ahead rather than decide in a crisis.
Living at Home with Support
Many older adults prefer to stay at home. As needs change, services such as in-home care, adult day programs, or companion support can be added to maintain safety, connection, and comfort in familiar surroundings.
Independent Living Communities
For active older adults who want a maintenance-free lifestyle with built-in community, such as dining, activities, and housekeeping. Residents are largely independent; personal care is not usually included but can sometimes be arranged separately.
Assisted Living
For adults who need help with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, or medications, but still value independence. Provides housing, meals, activities, and daily support. In New York, Enhanced Assisted Living allows residents to stay as their physical needs increase.
Memory Care
Secure settings with specially trained staff for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias who need consistent supervision and structured daily support. In New York, memory care within assisted living is often licensed as Special Needs Assisted Living.
Nursing Homes (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
Round-the-clock medical care and hands-on assistance for complex health needs or advanced dementia. Many also provide short-term rehabilitation after a hospital stay.
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs)
Several levels of care on one campus, from independent living through skilled nursing, so residents can stay in one community as their needs change.
Medicare generally does not pay for assisted living or long-term nursing home care. Coverage often comes from private funds, long-term care insurance, or Medicaid.