Vogelsang Asset Management has “The Talk” About Taking Care of Your Elderly Loved Ones

On the evening of Thursday, April 23, Vogelsang Asset Management presented the event “The Talk” at the Valparaiso Country Club. “The Talk” was a strategy session held in an attempt to help citizens make decisions when it came to taking care of their aging loved ones.

Financial advisor Karen Vogelsang said, “Something that I see in my daily practice is that people don’t have conversations. Money is a very private matter. We don’t like to talk about how much we have or how much we think we have. However, engaging in conversation about finances is extremely important, especially when it comes to your loved ones.”

The evening included presentations about legal matters, healthcare advocacy, financial strategies, and responsibility of care. Additionally, representatives from Pines Village Retirement Communities, VNA Hospice, Burke Constanza & Carberry and Home Helpers were at the event to offer guidance on the subject. These different organizations offered options for the attendees on how to approach the specific needs. For example, a major topic discussed at the event was the allocation of belongings through a will or other means.

Attorney Dana Rifai of Burke Costanza & Carberry said, “Estate plans are necessary because they document your intentions on how you would like to distribute your assets. Families and situations are different. Everyone has different needs, and I try to tailor a plan suitable for them.”

Furthermore, Michele Murphy-Wise from the Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County (VNA) was at the event to offer options about special care for patients who have specific needs. The VNA provides a broad spectrum of health and social services that can be delivered to recovering, disabled, chronically ill or terminally ill persons in their home environment. These services include the traditional core of professional nursing and home health aide services, as well as hospice care, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, Meals on Wheels, Lifeline, companion homemaker, medical social services and bereavement support.

“Our Meals on Wheels program is also a safety check,” said Murphy-Wise. “If one of our clients does not answer the door when our volunteers are out delivering meals, they call us immediately. We then call the client to check on them and if we don’t get a response, we call their emergency contact. The safety of our customers is our number one concern.”

Additionally, Candace Arvin of Home Helpers discussed the opportunities for elder, independent people in our community to receive some assistance managing their day to day lives. Home Helpers is a trusted provider of compassionate in-home care in over 600 communities across America. Home Helpers prides itself for being an affordable option to maintain the lives of loved ones. Similarly, Pines Village Retirement Communities has a common goal in mind. Kathy Sheely of Pines Village spoke about the high demand for rooms in Northwest Indiana, meaning it is extremely important for members of the community to stay updated if they hope to join the Pines community.

In conclusion, the event focused on educating the public on an issue that faces everyone during one point in his or her life. However, what truly made the event special was the organizations that acted as great resources to spread awareness about getting involved in the lives of aging loved ones.