All Posts in "The Senior Scene"

Save senior centers for current and future users

(Pictured: The city of Tacoma plans to close Lighthouse Senior Center after Jan. 30.)

By Nancy Newman Chapa

On any given day, step through the doors at any senior center in Tacoma and you will enter more than just a building. You will immediately feel welcomed. The volunteer receptionist at the desk will greet you warmly. As you are checking in, you get a sense that you might be home.

There may be several classes going on simultaneously, or it might be a quiet morning where folks are sitting in small groups, sharing coffee and conversation. The variety of class offerings is impressive and the participants are motivated. Strength and Balance, Stretch and Dance, Tap, Line Dancing, Art Classes, Music Lessons, Sing Alongs, Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi or Martial Arts. Instructors tailor their programs to the needs of their senior students.

You will see folks visiting, laughing, singing, and helping each other. There are jigsaw puzzles to be assembled; card and boxed games to play; and a library to peruse. There are seminars pertinent to health and safety. The Food Rescue Program offers food seniors can take for home meals, and the Catholic Food Service volunteers prepare and serve nutritious lunches in a warm and inviting environment.

More than the diverse offerings at Beacon, Lighthouse and Point Defiance-Ruston senior centers, it is the volunteers, instructors, and directors who have built a secure foundation balanced with caring, warmth, expertise, and professionalism. They have nurtured a community.

We are a unique community. Our life experiences continue to help us grow, even as we add candles to our years. We know keenly the adage, “Life is short,” grows closer every day.We support each other. Health challenges, hardships, and loss occur in our community, more so than most. When one of our friends doesn’t show in our class, concern grows. We ask our group, Has anyone talked to…..? Imagine our grief when someone reports that a spouse died or that our friend fell ill or had an accident. Also, know our relief when we learn our friend will be okay. Cards are passed around and signed, and when she/he finally returns, we are, once again, complete.

We are family.

Our family is in jeopardy. The City of Tacoma has decided to close our precious centers. They are breaking up our families in order to address a $24 million deficit in the city budget. They think that by handing the job over to Metro Parks Tacoma, they will have the freedom to repurpose or sell buildings.

This decision was made without the input of those most affected by their actions. In a short period of time, we have learned about the federal laws that protect us through the Older Americans Act. We believe that this law protects our right to the quality of life that our senior centers provide.

We’re running out of time. The city plans to close Beacon and Lighthouse. Saving our senior centers insures not just the quality of life left in our years; it preserves those of every future senior in Tacoma,

Please help all of us. Contact your City Council, state and national legislators. If you can contribute your talent or resources to our cause, thank you.

Nancy Newman Chapa is among advocates of maintaining Tacoma’s senior centers.

The Senior Scene by — January 15, 2025 in News

SAVVY SENIOR

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

Is there a rule of thumb on how long someone should keep their old financial paperwork? I have file cabinets full of old receipts, bank and brokerage statements, tax returns and more that I would like to toss.

Recently Retired

Dear Recently,

It’s a great question. It’s difficult to know how long to keep old financial records and paperwork, and when it’s safe to get rid of them. Some things you’ll need to hold on to for your whole life, and others for just a month or so. Here’s a checklist that can help you determine what to save and what to throw away.

Keep one month:

  • ATM receipts and bank-deposit slips, as soon as you match them up with your monthly statement.
  • Credit card receipts after you get your statement, unless you might return the item or need proof of purchase for a warranty.
  • Credit card statements that don’t have a tax-related expense on them.
  • Utility bills when the following month’s bill arrives showing that your prior payment was received. If you deduct a home office on your taxes keep them for seven years.

To avoid identity theft, be sure you shred anything you throw away that contains personal or financial information.

Keep one year:

  • Paycheck stubs until you get your W-2 in January to check its accuracy.
  • Bank statements (savings and checking) to confirm your 1099s.
  • Brokerage, 401(k), IRA, and other investment statements until you get your annual summary (keep longer for tax purposes if they show a gain or loss).
  • Receipts for healthcare bills in case you qualify for a medical deduction.

Keep seven years:

Supporting documents for your taxes, including W-2s, 1099s, and receipts or canceled checks that substantiate deductions. The IRS usually has up to three years after you file to audit you, but may look back six years if it suspects you substantially underreported income or committed fraud.

Keep indefinitely:

  • Tax returns with proof of filing and payment. Keep for at least seven years, but many people keep them forever because they provide a record of your financial history.
  • IRS forms that you filed when making non-deductible contributions to a traditional IRA or a Roth conversion.
  • Retirement and brokerage account annual statements as long as you hold those investments.
  • Defined-benefit pension plan documents.
  • Savings bonds until redeemed.
  • Loan documents until the loan is paid off.
  • Vehicle titles and registration information as long as you own the car, boat, truck, or other vehicle.
  • Insurance policies as long as you have them.
  • Warranties or receipts for big-ticket purchases for as long as you own the item, to support warranty and insurance claims.

Keep forever:

Personal and family records like birth certificates, marriage license, divorce papers, Social Security cards, military discharge papers, and estate-planning documents, including power of attorney, will, trust and advanced directive. Keep these in a fireproof safe or safe-deposit box.

To reduce your paper clutter, consider digitizing documents by scanning them and converting them into PDF files so you can store them on your computer and back them up on a cloud like Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud or iDrive. You can also reduce your future paper load by switching to electronic statements and records whenever possible.

Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC “Today” show. Send questions for him to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or at savvysenior.org.

The Senior Scene by — January 15, 2025 in Personal Finance/Consumers

By Matt Zajechowski

The decision to resign from a job is a moment of profound personal and professional significance. It’s a time when cultural norms, business etiquette, and individual emotions intersect, leading to a resignation notice.

In October 2023, a staggering 3.6 million people left their jobs.  Is the language of parting from a job tinged with frankness or tempered with tact? What significance do exit interviews hold in this context, and how are they orchestrated? What mindset do employees hold after they’ve left their workplace?

To answer these questions, Preply, a language tutoring service, surveyed over 1,000 Americans to uncover common trends in how we communicate when quitting a job. The survey revealed that the most popular way to quit is in person, with 76 percent choosing this direct and personal approach. Nine percent went a step further, presenting their employers with a handwritten note.

However, not every departure is cordial. Approximately 19 percent of employees leave their position without any communication or notice.

Of those who do communicate their decision to leave, nearly 43 percent report their discussions last only a few minutes, indicating a preference for brevity in these potentially uncomfortable exchanges. Similarly, among those who opt for e-mailed or texted resignations, another two-fifths keep their messages concise, often a short paragraph or two.

Survey respondents show a strong inclination toward maintaining professionalism and decorum when resigning—91 percent actively avoid negative language. Generationally, this restraint is most evident in Gen Z workers (27 and younger), with 61 percent of that age group holding back emotions, closely followed by baby boomers (60s and 70s) at 59 percent, Gen X (44 to 59) at 58 percent, and millennials (28 to 43) at 57 percent.

Gender differences are also notable, with women (63 percent) being more likely than men (53 percent) to suppress their emotions during the resignation process.

The quitting habits display a complex mix of cutthroat choices and caring gestures. For example, 1 in 8 employees (Gen Zers the most, boomers the least) have admitted to timing their resignations to cause maximum disruption to their employer.

Managers play a crucial role in the dynamics of employee resignations, and their perspectives offer unique insights into these transitions. About 2 in 5 managers acknowledge feeling upset when employees resign, yet they maintain professionalism in handling these situations. In addition, more than 1 in 10 managers have experienced being unjustifiably yelled at by an employee during a resignation. Such incidents highlight the emotional intensity that can accompany the resignation process and the challenges managers face in navigating these moments.

In regard to exit interviews, 72 percent of managers view them as more of a formality than a genuine opportunity for feedback. This is most prevalent among managers in the corporate sector sharing this view, followed most closely in hospitality and educational professions.

Sylvia Johnson, a language expert, said managers should respond professionally when an employee quits by expressing understanding and respect for the employee’s decision.

“For example, a manager might say, ‘I acknowledge your resignation letter, and while I’m sorry to see you leave, I respect your decision. Thank you very much for your service to the team. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors,’” Johnson said. “In that example, the manager thanks them for their service, inquires about the reasons for their decision (for feedback and improvement), and discusses transition plans. Each of these steps ensures the use of language maintains dignity and professionalism.”

Source: Preply, a language tutoring online service.

The Senior Scene by — January 15, 2025 in Lifestyle, Home, Adventures
‘The straight goods’ about aging parents

(Pictured: Laura Tamblyn Watts heads Canada’s national seniors advocacy organization).

Laura Tamblyn Watts is the chief executive officer of CanAge, Canada’s national seniors’ advocacy organization. She teaches subjects related to law and aging at the University of Toronto and has worked as a lawyer defending elders’ rights. She lives in Toronto. In the following Q and A, she talks about issues covered in her book, “Let’s Talk About Aging Parents: A Real-Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations” (www.theexperimentpublishing.com).

You’ve written academic papers and are a regular media guest and keynote speaker on aging issues. What made you want to discuss aging in this format?

I wanted folks to be able to get the kind of insider information and practical tips I can give them based on decades of experience in this field. But listing a bunch of facts and to-do lists can be overwhelming. This book is friendlier than that—I’m giving the straight goods in a safe space like if we sat down together over tea and talked out what was going on with your parents, your family, and how to keep your head on straight in all the confusion and emotions.

What makes your book relevant right now?

We are in the largest demographic shift in all human history, and we mostly don’t have the tools to deal with the issues that will arise. This book can help people identify key issues to look out for so they can get ahead of them or address them as they come up. There is plenty of information on the medical side and no shortage of caregiver stories, but nothing that actually helps you help your aging parents.

Have you noticed mistakes that the children of aging parents seem to struggle with most often?

It’s divided into two pretty even camps, both of whom have no idea what’s coming their way. The first group assumes everything is sorted—that their parents are fine now and will be fine, and that things have been arranged already. Too often, it probably won’t and isn’t, and they haven’t. When things start to go wrong, the process can be too late, much more expensive, and way more difficult.

The second group assumes that as the adult kids, they get to make the decisions, and that their parents should do what they are told. Good luck on that one! Older adults are still adults. The same way that you don’t want them telling you what to do when you are 50, they don’t want you telling them what to do when they’re 80, and they’re happy to tell you so.

This is where the 27 conversations in the book come in. They are meant to help start those discussions early, so you know and understand what the jumping off point is and where you need to help your parents make their own choices.

Can readers still use the advice in your book if they don’t have a traditional family or a good relationship with their parents?

The notion of family is important—this book never assumes that the readers have a middle class, white, heterosexual, urban, nuclear family. That’s one,  frankly quite rare and simplified version  of it. Most families are messy. There are families of biology, marriages and divorces and new relationships, difficult siblings, as well as families of choice, diversity, and all sorts of complexities. This book addresses all those glorious versions. There is even a chapter about what to do if you hate your parents, have been estranged, or were ill-treated by them.

The Senior Scene by — January 7, 2025 in Food, People