The term “golden years” is meant to elicit visions of a fulfilling, post-retirement life as we enjoy the fruits of our labor with more time and less stress. Too often, however, the senior experience can be tarnished by the burden of critical and complex decisions coupled with limited resources and information.
The Cincinnati Senior Connection Foundation is here to help the golden years shine.
What started in 2006 as a small group of ethical and reliable professionals eager to assist is now a non-profit community of experts who are uniquely positioned to empower and equip seniors and their caregivers. By offering pertinent educational opportunities for individuals and groups as well as being a singular connection point for a myriad of services, the group’s mission is to help seniors enjoy “the rest of their lives as the best of their lives.”
Be Educated
Ziggy Fischer had been retired for several years when her adult children asked about her plans for future senior living options. After touring various communities and choosing one, she realized it was just the start of a daunting journey.
“Little did I know, this was just the beginning of an overwhelming amount of decision making. The first person I sought help from was my financial advisor, Rob Jung, who is with Crew Capital and a Cincinnati Senior Connection Foundation member. He referred me to Gary Hagan, who helped me sell my condo,” Fischer recalls.
Fischer had met Hagan previously when she attended a class on downsizing through the University of Cincinnati’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
“Gary went over the selling process in great detail. He let me know what to expect and what issues can and will come up. He also referred me to an organizer, Amy Boutelle, and Jennifer Alford and Brendon Akey with Moving Matters, as well as Jack Brendamour with Junk King. I used all of them. The Cincinnati Senior Connection Foundation was a great resource and helped me achieve my goal of downsizing and moving to Twin Lakes,” Fischer confirms.
Be Connected
Brendamour emphasizes how foundation members work together to provide a unique and crucial support system for people caring for their aging parents while still providing for their own children. “We are a nonprofit team of experts with a trusted local network that can assist with any need of the baby boomer or sandwich generations. Our professionals will find you a custom solution for your unique situation. We educate, empower and guide you and your loved ones through pivotal life decisions.”
Jung wishes he’d had this resource years ago. “I went through something like this back in 2003 with my parents. I didn’t know of any resource like this and it would have been very helpful.”
The Cincinnati Senior Connection Foundation was created to respond to a real need in our local community while highlighting the critical obligation to help that exists around the world. Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter expressed this far-reaching and universal dynamic when she observed, “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”
The Pew Research Institute published a study in 2013 that concluded that nearly half of Americans between ages 40 and 50 have a senior parent and are also either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child. And about one out of every seven middle-aged adults is providing financial support to both a parent and a child. With our aging population, those numbers and the needs are only increasing.
Be Empowered
The Foundation’s mission goes well beyond communicating factual information, making referrals and offering its own areas of expertise. Meeting the emotional needs that are woven into an experience often fraught with anxiety and doubt remains a central focus. Great peace of mind comes when we have a trusted community eager to help. Caregivers themselves are also overwhelmed with the needs of their loved ones, and experience detrimental effects personally and professionally. Though open and eager for support, they’re unaware of how to proceed and where to turn.
To this end, Foundation members have shared valuable nuggets of information in hundreds of presentations on targeted topics at venues like the University of Cincinnati (OLLI Program), Miami University (Institute for Learning in Retirement), various service organizations, and many senior and community centers. They have reached thousands already but are eager to expand their presence so they can continue to spread the word and build bridges.
Karen Rosenthal of Solutions for Long Term affirms this goal. “Many of us have clients who are still working and there are many businesses who bring in “lunch and learn” speakers. We have done some of that and are open to doing more. Wherever the people are who need our information is where we want to be,” she says.
For more information about The Cincinnati Senior Connection Foundation, visit www.cincinnatiseniorconnection.org or call 513.323.7733.
Cincinnati Senior Connection Foundation Members
Jack Brendamour
Junk King
Joshua Goode
Barrett & Weber, LPA
Ryan O’Leary
Trinity Aging Life Advisors
Helena Perry
Perry Financial Services
David Schutte
Mobility Works
Sharon Cranston
Evergreen Retirement Community
Scott Dooley & Robert Jung
Crew Capital Management
Greg Kling
Assisting Hands Home Care
Jennifer Alford & Brendon Akey
Moving Matters
Nikki Tritsch & Kathy Liguzinski
The Medicare Plan Store
Gary Hagan
Hagan Real Estate
Ed Bower
Bower Hearing Centers
Dennis Heywood
Social Security Solutions
Karen Rosenthal
Solutions for Long Term
Tricia Salem Lapp
Everything But The House
David Peterson
R3 Marketing
Ali Asbury
Hospice of Southwest Ohio & CareBridge Palliative Care
Patrick Gainer
The Drop In Chef
Amy Boutelle
Organized with Compassion