Baby Boomers Dedicated to Staying in Their Homes: Forums on Aging in Place Slated for Nearby

Aging Boomer Population Dedicated to Staying in their Homes and Living Well

Suburban REALTORS® to Host Forums & Expos on Senior Aging in Place

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. - As America’s baby boomers age, the senior homeowner population is growing with it, and the needs of these homeowners and their loved ones are changing as well.

Suburban seniors and their loved ones can learn tips and tools to help them successfully “age in place” at two expos next month hosted by the Downers Grove-based Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS ® Senior Services Committee. The expos will be May 4 in Arlington Heights and May 24 in Downers Grove and are free.

The majority of Illinois seniors want to stay in their own home, but with it comes a few challenges and needs. According to a 2016 survey of seniors by Illinois REALTORS®, most Illinois seniors (81 percent) are homeowners and about a third intend to stay in their home “forever,” with another third planning to leave their home in the next 11 years.

Whether it is 20 years or 10 years, local REALTORS® understand this commitment to “aging in place,” and MORe’s Senior Services Committee is hosting the free events for seniors and their families on Thursday, May 4 in Arlington Heights and Wednesday, May 24 in Downers Grove. In addition to three expert seminar sessions, a vendor fair will feature resources and tools for those aged 50 and over and their families. This is the third annual event for seniors hosted by MORe.

Both expos include seminars featuring:

• Jennifer Prell, a decluttering and aging in place expert from Elderworks, a senior housing resource and Paxem, Inc. a senior moving company.
• Berenice, Martinez, Community Outreach Liaison with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, who will discuss senior fraud protection and prevention.
• Pete Furlong, a specialist in senior home modifications with Stay Renovations.
• Tim Creath, an expert in senior financial planning with his own firm, Creath Financial Service.
• Jill Daniels, attorney at Jill Daniels LLC (Downers Grove only)
• Courtney Bonstrom, attorney at Perkins & Zayed, The Estate and Trust Law Group (Arlington Heights only)
• Catherine Terpstra, MORe Board of Directors President and local REALTOR® who has worked with many senior clients.

With an aging American population, it is important to create a home and society that accommodates seniors’ specific needs and their desire to live independently. For the third year in a row, the Senior Expo hosted by MORe will offer important resources for independent living and tools and tips to staying in home as long as possible.

“It is important for seniors and their families to access the resources that can help them live comfortably, safely and successfully in their own homes,” says Gy Sathe, a REALTOR® with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and a co-chair of MORe’s Senior Services Committee.

Clutter becomes a health risk, as well as a financial burden, for many seniors, and is as important to address as financial health and security, according to the speakers.

“The most important thing is living comfortably in your home and as long as you can,” says Prell, founder of Paxem, Inc. and a specialist in helping seniors move. Prell says decluttering is critical to maintaining independence because a single-fall from items stored on a stairwell or littering the floor can result in broken bones that severely curtail independence.

“You should live within your means, and I don’t mean moneywise – it is space wise,” says Prell.

It is natural for seniors to have accumulated many items over the course of their lives and feel attached to many of those items, so experts caution kindness and compassion from family members who are helping seniors reduce their possessions. Decluttering and moving expert Prell will have tips to help seniors and families.

Seniors are a high target by scammers and fraud, and the Illinois Attorney General’s office will join the MORe events to discuss common scams and how to protect seniors from fraud.

“Often out of embarrassment seniors don’t report when they have been duped by a scammer,” says Kathryn Hoffman, a REALTOR® with Ryan Hill Realty in Naperville and co-chair of the Senior Services Committee. “We want seniors to know first and foremost there is no shame in reporting a scam, and there are things they can do with their family to guard against fraud.”

The Illinois REALTORS® survey found one in six seniors plan to use their home equity to help fund their retirement and the majority of seniors surveyed are concerned about the cost of living in Illinois. Tim Creath, a senior financial services expert who founded his own firm, will be on hand to discuss sound financial management tactics and approaches to ensuring a financial health for seniors.

“Aging in place is about more than continuing to live in your home after a certain age,” says Terpstra, MORe’s Board President. “It is critically important for successful aging that seniors have access to their community and resources for living well and MORe is happy to help them out.”

Details on the Mainstreet Senior Expo:

What:

Free Senior Expo with educational seminars on the needs of seniors and their families

When and Where:

Thursday, May 4

1114 N Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Wednesday, May 24

6665 Main St., Downers Grove, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Cost:

FREE

More information:

www.mainstreetseniorexpo.com

630-324-8400

MORe is dedicated to anticipating and serving the needs of more than 16,000 REALTORS®, affiliates and licensed appraisers in South, West and Northwest Suburban Chicagoland. MORe is the largest local REALTOR® member organization in Illinois and the fourth largest in the nation. To learn what a REALTOR® can do for you, visit www.succeedwithmore.com.