Aging in Three Simple Questions

At a recent Moms at Work event hosted by Claire M. S. Meade, discussion was held about those who are part of the “sandwich generation”, that is those who have young children, but also older parents.  In particular, the conversation centered on questions to ask retired or retiring parents to help facilitate a discussion about aging.  Many earlier articles have addressed estate planning, including planning for incapacity and planning for death.  But this discussion highlighted three basic questions that MIT AgeLab identified as key when considering what it means to be retired.  The simple questions are: (1) Who will change my light bulbs?  (2) How will I get an ice cream cone?  (3) With whom will I have lunch?  These seem like very basic questions, but when you start to think beyond the initial concept to the considerations that each question raises, you realize that there are a lot of details to address in each question as it relates to retirement and aging.   Check out the MIT AgeLab article for more details and think about beginning the conversation with your retired or retiring family member to avoid finding yourself in a situation where it is too late to plan.  @bgnthebgn @josephcoughlin #incapacityplanning #estateplanning #aginginplace #retirementplanning #sandwichgeneration