Beth, a recent retiree, is not one to shy away from new challenges, and planning for the end of her life is no exception. When her own parents’ health declined, Beth saw firsthand how complicated it could be to navigate all of the financial, legal, and health-related aspects of their aging and dying.
She was thus driven to “take personal responsibility for making thoughtful decisions—to provide memories for the people I care about and not be a burden to them.” Complicating her situation, Beth’s closest friends and family do not live in the DC area. “Also, as a single person who never had children, I’m trying to put in place as much as possible while I am still able,” she states.
Profoundly curious and logical, Beth views her situation as a motivator rather than a deterrent: “I think that you have to address these issues analytically and rationally within the context of individual needs and preferences; you can’t hide or procrastinate,” she reflects. Consequently, she enrolled in Iona’s Take Charge of Your Aging 101 class to address these issues comprehensively, based on the best available information.
Iona’s Take Charge/Age Well Academy takes a holistic approach to the issues posed by aging, and Beth appreciated the variety of topics covered in the classes she attended. In addition, she immediately found an engaging community of peers in her class. She enjoyed talking with others as they navigated the various stages of retirement – some participants were in the process of retiring, while for others it was several years in the future or the past.
She found it fascinating to see what others had decided to do with their time, from volunteer work to learning new skills and finding new challenges in each day. The group became close-knit; she was particularly touched when she had to miss part of one class, and one of her classmates took notes and passed them along to her, unprompted.
Following sessions on estate planning and health care, Beth feels ready to start planning out her future. Taking the class was a logical progression in living independently for as long as possible, and she feels that she benefitted greatly from it. “Everybody’s going to die, so while we’re living to our fullest extent, we really need to make good decisions on our own behalf and for the people we love. That’s the best legacy we can leave them, really.”
She encourages others to do the same, praising Iona’s organized and well-facilitated program. “If someone is looking for a very thoughtful, comprehensive approach to aging, including self-assessment tools to really hone in on your priorities, coupled with a list of resources and a potential support network of people you meet in the class, and Iona as a platform to put it all together, this is a really valuable resource,” she concludes.
Written by Sarah Eltinge, Brown University, Community Engagement Intern
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Questions for readers;
What do you want your legacy to be?
What actions have you taken to work towards this goal?
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