Do you know about the “Senior Tsunami?” We’ll they’re coming, and they are all going to need a place to live. If you’re thinking “what’s the problem?” you should definitely watch or listen to this episode.
Sandy Dyk from Options for Senior Living joined us to share the things you should know before choosing Senior Living options for a loved one. Sandy has been in the health care field , supporting and assisting the Senior population for the past 25 years. Credentials? She has a few. In addition to her Masters in Health Administration along with being a Certified Dementia Practitioner, Sandy has overseen the day-to-day operations of Senior Living communities first had. She’s a great resource!
Both Matt Watson (Seniors and insurance… what makes sense?) and Ryan Steckelberg (are you ever too old to get a mortgage?) joined us for what was a very spirited and enlightening conversation!
Episode Recap
Steve and Felecia had a full group in the booth this week, with guest Sandy Dyk of Options for Senior Living, sponsor Matt Watson of State Farm, and regulars Ryan Steckelberg and Chris Palmer. They talked wheel alignment, Senior Living, and ethics, all around Seniors. Here’s more…
Recall Notices, Synthetic Oil and More About Your Car
First shout out to Ace Hardware over in Apache Junction, who is helping with the Veterans and Pregnancy parking spots at Friendly Auto Centers.
Today, Steve started out talking about recall notices. Admit it, you’ve gotten recall notices, and maybe never brought your car in for the fix. Recalls are very important. One of Steve’s customers missed a recall, got into an accident, and the airbag didn’t deploy. The customer tried to file a claim, but the recall notice from three years ago caused the insurance company to deny the claim. Part of that recall was the airbag. Insurance paid nothing.
Matt Watson of State Farm Insurance was in the booth. He agreed, that ignoring a recall can be negligence. Make sure you’re aware of these notices and get the issues fixed. Even an umbrella policy won’t cover neglect.
Steve asked some of his customers on recall notices. Many customers complained that yeah, sure, I can get my recall issue fixed, but the dealers always come up with another $1000 of repairs. They feel ripped off. The recall service is free, per the recall. If the dealer tells you that you need shocks or a transmission service, that can actually be against the law. Just get your recall service fixed and take your car to your favorite service shop (like Friendly!). Just to be clear, recall work has to be done by a dealer, that’s Federal law. But all of the other service can be done at your local shop. And no, it doesn’t void the warranty. And remember, you can take your car to any dealer for the recall work.
So, how do you know if your call has a recall on it? You can check CarFax. It’ll list all the recalls on your vehicle. Also look at recalls.gov. That side will show all recalls. Even on dehumidifier! In Arizona? No, that was Steve and Felecia’s unit in New York. But, they got theirs fixed due to a recall. So, check on your car and your appliances.
Before they went to break, they wanted to address a call from last week. Last week, they talked oil. What about synthetic oil? Conventional oil is oil from nature, but manufactured. Synthetic oil is man-made. The benefits of synthetic is longer time between changes and less sludge. It lasts longer. It’s amazing. Brand doesn’t matter. There are some cars that require synthetic oil. Not using it can void a warranty. Sludge and carbon build up can really hurt a vehicle. They’ll do a whole show on oil! If you want to get more miles out of your car, go with synthetic. Felecia’s car has over 200,000 miles!
Let’s Talk Options for Senior Living
The snowbirds are back in Arizona! So, they welcomed this week’s guest, Sandy Dyk of Options for Seniors Living, and still have Matt Watson, to talk about the senior world. And of course, they need to remind Ryan that he’s still bald and single. Anybody ready to date Ryan?
Let’s talk Seniors. How do you know when it’s time to move into a Senior Living community? Mom looked great before, but now she’s not quite the same. Sometimes we fail to see the little signs that things, like losing interest in hobbies, or not taking care of themselves, more frequent illnesses, lost weight. These issues really start to build up, but it’s tough to ask for help. The key, according to Sandy, is initiating those tough conversations. Don’t pounce on your loved one or make them feel defensive, but bring it up. Ask them if they’ve noticed the same changes. Bring it up, plant those seeds of discussion.
What if somebody says, “Just leave me alone!” Just leave them alone. At least you’ve planted that seed. Give them time to process that. Don’t pressure them or corner them in. You can always revisit it.
What about siblings that don’t agree on Mom’s care? Sandy says at that point, it’s time to look at the legal documents. Wills. Powers of attorney. She really recommends having the conversations as soon as possible — now. Have those tough conversations before circumstances make it nearly impossible. Approach is as something that just needs to get done.
Felecia mentioned how Sandy helped her family. They took the strategy of, “Look, this is going to help us kids.” Sandy endorses that type of conversation, a kind of coaching to help the kids get their strength up and share how hard it is on them. Sometimes, parents don’t realize it until the kids bring it up.
Sandy points out that you don’t have to go this alone. There is always somebody there to help, professionals like her. She gets it, as she’s worked with families and has run the properties. She gets the chaos, the guilt, the organization. There are so many resources in the community, from financial,spiritual, to educational. Contact Sandy if you have questions. www.facebook.com/seniorops
The costs of Senior Living. Sandy recently spoke with local police, who called our current situation in Arizona a ‘Senior Tsunami’ with the large retirement communities. The cost is becoming an issue. Basic costs, without any dementia care, can run $2500-3000 per month for the basics.
Insurance Solutions for Seniors
Matt has some solutions for Seniors. He has a universal life policy with a flexible care benefit rider. With that policy, you can accelerate the death benefit and use it now for your long-term care needs. It’s not a use it or lose it. You’re going to get that money. Use the living benefit to travel! This can be purchased up to 65 years old. The sweet spot is in your 40s to early 50s.
Why Does My Car Go Out of Alignment?
Steve addressed another email. Why does my car go out of alignment? What is it, treads? Most people think it’s because they hit a bump or curb. So, why do you need an alignment? The majority of times, this happens because of rubber bushings in the suspension. They wear out, maybe just a sixteenth of an inch. That little bit can cause alignment issues. So, if your mechanic tells you your cars need bushings, they’re likely right. It’s a good idea to get your alignment checked regularly. It’ll also get your better gas mileage and less wear on your tires. Do this every three years. Now, there are some cars that you can’t do alignments. There are no factory adjustments. There are products from Factory Motor Parts has Specialty Automotive Products for these. Don’t let your car end up at a body shop! It can be adjusted and fixed at Friendly.
Protections for Seniors Against Scams
Okay, back to Seniors. There needs to be more protections for seniors. Felecia has a senior customer who won’t do Docusign. She doesn’t believe in it. She was selling her home, which she’d just bought a year or so ago. Here’s what happened to her. Some serious roof issues came up during the inspection. They decided to compensate the buyer. No problem. But, then something came up in the septic. The people who did the septic inspection — Denise Cartwright a company Felecia trusts 100% — discovered that she needed almost $4000 worth of work. The report she had done over a year ago was filled with errors and was never signed. They told her that it was docusigned — which she doesn’t do! There’s good reason to think she was ripped off and is paying the price now. So, she’s dealing with these issues just over a year later and would never have bought the house in those conditions. It’s a sad case of a senior being taken advantage of. It really all comes down to ethics.
Sandy mentioned that the older generation might not know where to go for the reviews and other information. Matt has a solution for future homeowners in situations like this. As a Risk Advisor, he always looks for opportunities to ensure you have the right coverage. One of those is the service lines rider on a homeowners policy. This would have covered the septic issue. He had a case where he reached out to a customer to advise that she get this endorsement. She declined. Then later on, she called asking to put in a claim for a septic issue, and it was denied, because it was not part of the policy. If your Risk Advisor calls with a recommendation, listen to them! Orangeburg pipes were the issue here. They were made during the war in Europe and were meant to disintegrate. Unfortunately, they made their way into some homes in Maricopa County. Get your pipes checked! Call Matt for information on his coverage.
And remember, hire a full-time Realtor who is part of an association with ethics!
Mortgage Options for Seniors
They talked with Ryan Steckelberg, but Felecia jumped in with — for the love of god, people, don’t get a mortgage from a bank! Banks do not give money. They hold your money. Go to a mortgage lender! Okay, what can Ryan do for Seniors? First of all, there’s no age discrimination. He just got a loan for a 92-year-old woman. Many seniors have equity and could use a reverse mortgage. In a reverse mortgage, a person with a large amount of equity who is over 62 years old can take payments out of their home or take a lump sum.
55+ Communities versus Senior Living Communities
A lot of seniors wonder if they should move into a 55+ community, such as Leisure World, Sun Lakes, Sun City. They have very low price points, but higher HOA fees. But you get a lot for those fees! In some cases, they’ll actually fix things like a roof — on a townhome. They’ll do the lawn. There’s ton of activities, a pool, transportation, and other amenities. They offer trips, getaways. Many of the residents there really look out for each other. These places can be a great place to live. Venture Out, an awesome place of mobile homes right across from Friendly Auto Centers. They’re so active and happy! People come here to defrost!
There are other housing options, and Sandy clears it up a bit. There’s the 55+ communities and independent living. It can be confusing. The 55+ community doesn’t have the price tag, but it’s not a licensed property. With a Senior LIving community, you get those services like cleaning, meals, laundry, etc. There are some fears around these communities. People who live there are free to come and go as they want. Stumble in at 2am after the bar closes. It’s okay! There are theaters, bars, wine cellars. It’s fun!
Wrap Up
What did Chris bring to the show? Nothing! Just kidding. Always great seeing him there.
Felecia dropped a good word for Gateway Bank. Locally owned. Don’t have to report to anybody else. Great bank. Find ‘em on Facebook.
Friendly Auto Car has a truck bay. They can work on all trucks with their new lift: RVs, Class Bs, Class Cs, you name it. And we also do transmissions in house now, with a 5-year warranty. They have loaner cars and pick-up and delivery!
Until next week, Drive Friendly!
