There are many retirees who have been paying for long term care insurance for a number of years. Many of them tell me that they planned to stay in their own homes and then use their long term care insurance if and when they needed it. After realizing that home ownership was becoming a burden, they began to look at second stage retirement that offers continuing care. Their concern is "What happens to this long term care insurance that I have been paying on for so long?"

My older brothers tell me that there are times in life when one actually enjoys home maintenance. Most single women tell me that home maintenance is a bane to their existence.

I am sure you have heard real estate experts say that the three most important things for any business are location, location, location. That could also be said about retirement communities. There are many considerations for developers when building retirement communities. Where do they get the information to develop places where seniors will live? From the seniors themselves. They invite seniors to focus groups where they ask what is important to them in retirement living.

Nowadays, we are seeing a shift in healthcare to "resident-centered" care. The residents of the healthcare centers are getting a much bigger voice in what time they want to go to bed, when they want to get up, what they want to eat, etc.

My dictionary defines fun as: "enjoyment, pleasure, amusement. Excited, noisy, activity; gaiety. To behave playfully." Fun seems to be one of those things that sometimes slips away from us without our permission or our awareness.

During my years of working in retirement communities, I tried to play the "fun" card. I would tell the marketing department, "You need to show people how much fun they will be having here."

Evidently the GAO (General Accounting Office) wondered if retirement communities could save money for Medicare by improving health. They did a study (GAO/HEHS-97-36) of 11 continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs).

Most of us have become skeptical about any sales information because we know what their goal is: To get us to buy. After 30 years of experience in administrating and consulting with retirement communities, I have visited with thousands of residents and have observed first-hand what the benefits are to the resident. I will share some of those with you.

The most often discussed type of second-stage retirement is a continuing care retirement community. They come in two basic types: rental or up-front-fee Life Care. A continuing care community usually offers independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care; some even have Home Health and hospice. In a continuing care rental community the general rule is that if you need assisted or skilled care, you will pay privately. In the Life Care situation, they are obligated to provide health care.

During my many years of working in the retirement industry, I was always a little surprised to hear objections from the adult children of prospective clients who desired to move into a retirement community. It is good idea for adult children to become intimate with the details of the retirement arrangement their parents are considering and discuss it with them.

Because I have spent a career working in retirement communities, people often ask me, "What is it really like to live in one of these communities?" I have remained friends with one resident who moved into one of the communities I managed. I will call her Flo. When I look at the quality of Flo's life over the last 28 years, I see the high quality life of a woman who has used practically every service, amenity, and benefit offered by the community, while maintaining a close relationship with her family and friends, and a good private life.

It appears that there is a philosophical mind change that has to happen before seniors are ready to move their residence to a retirement community. As we look at the future we realize that a meaningful life, peer and professional support, opportunities for growth, convenience, and health needs take precedence over home ownership. I have worked out a little test to help you decide when you are ready.

How does one "get ready" to move into a retirement community? Having worked in a community for many years, I often heard new residents say, "I brought way too much stuff," or "I didn't realize that I had so much useless stuff." It does take some preparation and some soul searching.

Moving into a retirement community is a little like going to college for the first time: New people, new routines, unfamiliar surroundings. Communities offer different programs for newcomers. Jump in right away. You will find residents to be very friendly and eager to make you feel right at home.

You made the decision, you moved in, and now it is six months later. Your daughter Megan has been trying to call you and finally reaches you in the evening. Megan was worried, because when you lived at home, she used to call a few times a day to check on you. Megan says, "Mom, where have you been all day? I have been trying to call you." You tell her, "Please don't worry about me. I am finding so many things to do, and now I have friends to do them with me."

It is no secret that older people have become the target for break-ins, which includes everything from home invasions to sexual assaults and theft. It has been my experience that safety and security may be the number one reasons why people decide to move into second stage retirement communities. They do not always tell us that when we interview them, but they later tell us that they decided to look around when a friend or a neighbor had a breach of security event, such as a break-in.

I have talked to many retirees. Most are afraid to tap their savings. Some even plan to go back to work in order to survive. Many will restrict their withdrawals and shift their assets to more secure fixed income investments including the money market.

Once in awhile I overhear someone say that they are not ready for a retirement community, because they are actively involved in volunteerism in their community. I have never seen greater volunteer programs than are present in retirement communities. Some have more programs than others. It should be one of the questions you ask when you are considering a community. Ask what volunteer opportunities are available. Some communities even have opportunities for residents to work for pay.

I want to move into a retirement community, but I do not want to sell my house in this down market. Sound familiar? If you have been reading the same news reports as I have, it leaves one with many questions, such as: Has it bottomed out yet? How far down will it go? When will it turn around? Like many senior homeowners you are in a quandary.

I'll be 65 years old soon. When should I sign up for Medicare?

What is maximum monthly benefit from Social Security?

As a Certified Elder Law Attorney, I have seen many unhappy seniors come in to do planning. The first thing I have to do is get them thinking differently about retirement so they can be happy.

What If you still work when you reach full retirement age