AARP Workshop Looks at Planning for a Long Life

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With healthier lifestyles and advances in health care, the odds are that we will live much longer than our parents.

But many people haven’t planned for a longer life. Will you have enough savings for a longer life? Do you and your family have a plan for long-term care? Can you age in place in your home or do you need to make modifications?

AARP Hawai‘i is holding a workshop in Hilo on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, at the Grand Naniloa Hotel from 8:30 a.m. to noon. to help you and your family answer yes to these questions. The Hawai‘i County Office on Aging is co-sponsoring the free workshop. You don’t have to be an AARP member to attend, but they do ask that you pre-register by calling (877) 926-8300 or going online.

The program includes discussions on home modification, community resources available to older adults and caregivers, legal needs in case of an unexpected illness or accident and finances for long term care.

AARP’s research shows people need information about saving, long-term care and how to age in place. Here are some results:

Living Longer, Living Smarter By the Numbers

• 49% of registered voters between the ages of 35 and 64 who say they are behind schedule in planning and saving for retirement.
• 59% of Hawai‘i residents 50 and older who think it is likely they will need long-term care.
• 64% of Hawai‘i residents 50 and older who are not confident about being able to afford the cost of long-term care for one year in a nursing home.
• $68,640 – Average annual cost of home-based health care in Hawai‘i.
• $146,000 – Average annual cost of a semi-private room in a Hawai‘i nursing home.
• 76% of Americans 50 and older who want to stay in their homes and communities for as long as possible as they age.
• 46% of Americans 50 and older who anticipate living in their current home as they age.
• 34% of adults who say they need to make major home modifications or repairs for themselves or a family member as they age.