I recently signed on to work with Lionheart Assurance Solutions because I feel it will compliment the services offered by Empower STS, Inc. You see, since our company started a little less than a year ago, we have heard about and have seen first hand some of the ways Seniors and their families become victims. One area where Seniors are particularly vulnerable is identity theft. Many Seniors have spent years building their credit and their retirement accounts. They have accumulated checks, credit cards, Social Security Numbers, Medicare cards, and mail all of which are sought after sources of information for identity thieves. And since many seniors are too trusting, they are easily convinced that the thieves have their best interest in mind. Adding to the problem is the fact that many seniors will not report they are a victim of identity theft because they feel their families and caregivers will think they are incapable of handling their financial affairs. Those that do report the theft often turn to members of their families or friends and don’t receive the help they need to put themselves back on track financially. Lionheart Assurance Solutions not only offers full credit restoration services, but can also help the seniors with many of their other legal needs, like wills, consumer protection, insurance claim help, etc. And you know, as a small business owner, these are some of the services I plan to use myself!
Happy Holidays! Here’s to having a healthy and happy 2011!
If you want more information about Lionheart Assurance solutions, please contact me at peg@empowersts.com.
Filed under: Senior Move Management
I am just about finished reading Julie Hall’s book, “The Boomer Burden,” which, incidently, is a book I highly recommend to all you baby boomers who still have living parents. I read one of the sections of the book and got to thinking about my dad and father’s day. My father passed away 2 years ago, but when he was alive, I used to always struggle with what to give him for father’s day, his birthday and Christmas. He used to always tell us that he didn’t need anything and he would rather we did something that both he and my mother would appreciate. Inevitably, I would come up with something, but I never really felt what I gave was exactly what he had intended. I think I have finally figured it out.
The first questions we had concerned financial papers, accounts, passwords, etc. It took quite a bit of work, but we have been able to piece as much as we could together. However, since everything was left as a joint account with my mom, the real challenge will be if she passes or is no longer able to manage her affairs. Plus, my father was somewhat computer literate, my mother is not, so we are thinking we might have some challenges if we try to access information about the accounts on the internet that are password protected.
The rest of questions concern my parents estate. Over the years, my parents would casually mention who they felt should get what. It has always been assumed that my bother would get my father’s electric trains. Or they would comment when one of the kids would ask for something very specific. When I was very young, I remember I asked my father for his tools when he died. He made a big deal about the question saying, “You are very smart to ask for these because they are probably worth quite a bit.” (My father worked for US Plywood and was very proud his tools and all of the work he did on our homes). However, not everything in the estate has a future home and very little is documented because other than my father’s expressed excitement about the tools, my family was not much for discussing uncomfortable topics like the death of a family member let alone the distribution of the estate.
So what is the perfect father’s day gift.? Giving your father peace of mind that he needn’t worry about how things are handled after he passes. How do you do that? First, you and your siblings should read “The Boomer Burden.” Then you should agree as a family to follow a plan to deal with your parents estate as is outlined in the book. Next, you should give you parents a binder and work with them to compile all of their vital records. I personally recommend using the PortaVault as it is designed specifically for that project and has several tools to help organize the information. And you know what, even though my father has been gone for two years, my family can still give my dad a present by giving my mom that very same gift.
For more information on PortaVault, please see our website: Empower STS Inc Vital Records Compilation Service.
For more information on our Estate Sale Liquidation Services: Empower STS Estate Sale Liqudation Service.
Filed under: Senior Move Management | Tags: Empower STS Inc, Move, NASMM, Senior, Senior Move Manager Week
EMPOWER STS INC celebrates National Senior Move Managers Week
The National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) has declared May 9-15, 2010, National Senior Move Managers Week. The theme of this 4th annual celebration is “More Than Just a Move.” During this recognition week, NASMM members around the country are promoting the value of senior move management and senior move managers’ commitment to assisting older adults and their families, not only the actual moving experience, but with the emotional and physical aspects of sorting through and downsizing a lifetime of memories in the relocation process.
“Most older adults making a transition have not moved in 30, 40 or 50 years and need to downsize considerably,” said Mary Powers, owner, Empower STS Inc. “The organizational and physical tasks associated with planning and implementing such a move can be overwhelming. It’s so much more than just a move when you are helping older adults transition to a new home. We work to reduce the stress and trauma that can accompany this type of move.”
Adults aged 85 and above are the fastest growing segment of the US population. At the same time, social changes such as more women working full time have made it increasingly difficult for family caregivers to provide all of the support needed for these transitions.
According to Mary Kay Buysse, Executive Director of NASMM, “Family and friends often want to help, but there may be barriers. Adult children may be sandwiched between their parents, their careers and their own family obligations. For family members living far away, the barriers may be geographic. Some seniors have no surviving children, or their children are seniors themselves. If illness or death precipitated the move, the family may already be drained both emotionally and physically. Senior Move Management has emerged to fill the gaps and to make transitions easier for everyone involved.”
Empower STS has been a provisional member of NASMM since October 2009. For more information please visit our website www.empowersts.com contact us at 949-716-8387.
Founded in 2002, NASMM strives to facilitate the physical and emotional aspects of relocation for older adults by increasing industry awareness, establishing a national referral network of senior move managers, enhancing the professional competence of members, and promoting the delivery of senior move management services with compassion and integrity. There are over 500 NASMM members throughout the US and Canada. For more information on senior move managers or NASMM, visit www.nasmm.org or contact NASMM directly at 877.606.2766.
Filed under: Senior Move Management
Dear Senior Living Industry Professional,
How often do you hear “I am not ready yet”?
“Our services help overcome obstacles to moving and can assist in turning prospects into residents!”
Empower Senior Transition Specialists, Inc. help older adults (and their families) move from a beloved home to somewhere more suited to their circumstances. Moving at any age is difficult, but it is especially hard for older adults. The physical and emotional tasks involved in moving from a home of decades can be overwhelming. Empower STS, Inc. provides hands-on help for seniors that include any or all of the following:
- Planning and organizing for the move so that the entire move stays on schedule.
- Involving the client in developing customized floor plans so that they feel in control of what will be moved to their new residence. We focus on making a smaller version of their new home while maintaining the features of the original home.
- Downsizing and sorting to make sure clients move what’s most important to them!
- Arranging for the profitable disposal of unneeded items through auction, estate sale, consignment, donation, or a combination of the above so that a lifetime of belongings are recycled/repurposed.
- Arranging for shipping and storage so that cherished possessions can be passed on to family and friends.
- Scheduling and overseeing movers to enable the client to feel in control.
- Packing and unpacking to recreate the sense of home and minimize change.
- Completely resettling the client in their new home so that the resident can easily adjust to their new environment.
Our services empower older adults to move. We reduce the stress and physical demands of moving and provide peace of mind. We reduce the reluctances and fears involved in moving and strive to create a new living environment that feels like home.
OUR GUARANTEE “That the resident will sleep comfortably and securely in their own bed the night of the move.”
Enclosed are a couple of our brochures. Please feel free to distribute one to any prospective resident you feel could benefit from our services. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mary Powers and Peggy Haslach
Filed under: Senior Move Management
Dear Friends,
Once in a while, if you are very lucky, you have an opportunity to devote your time, energy and talents to a purpose in which you ardently believe. For us, these things came together in the creation of Empower Senior Transition Specialists, Inc.
Empower STS, Inc. helps older adults move from a beloved home to somewhere more suited to their circumstances. Moving at any age is difficult, but it is especially hard for older adults. The physical and emotional tasks involved in moving from a home of decades can be overwhelming. Empower STS, Inc. provides hands-on help that includes:
- Planning and organizing for the move
- Developing customized floor plans with a focus on making a smaller version while maintaining the features of the original home.
- Downsizing and sorting.
- Arranging for the profitable disposal of unneeded items through auction, estate sale, consignment, donation, or a combination of the above.
- Arranging for shipping and storage.
- Scheduling and overseeing movers.
- Packing and unpacking.
- Completely resettling the client in their new home.
Our services empower older adults to move. We reduce the stress and physical demands of moving and provide peace of mind. We reduce the reluctances and fears involved in moving and strive to create a new living environment that feels like home.
Empower STS, Inc. is part of a nationwide network of senior transitional assistance businesses. We can help with a move across town or across the country.
We hope you share our excitement and enthusiasm for this new endeavor. Empower STS, Inc. is part of a new industry now coming to the forefront, so if you know of anyone who would benefit from our services, please share our information with them.
Regards,
Mary Powers and Peggy Haslach
Filed under: Uncategorized
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