The magazine you are holding is the premiere issue of what has been a vision for nearly two years to provide a relevant and focused magazine for 55 and older adults in Greater Cleveland/Akron.
The tagline for Boomer and Beyond “Your Journey Your Life” reflects on the unique path we all take and empowers us to make the most of life based on individual choice.
The magazine celebrates this region as a positive place to age and thrive. You will find a mix of content within each issue that balances life topics such as health, wellness, legal, financial, insurance, entertainment, recreation, education, technology, travel, events and much more.
Listed on the right is the talented team of folks who put this first issue together. You’ll also find our Editorial Advisory Board consisting of experts from around the region who will help shape the content of Boomer and Beyond.
We envision Boomer as a perfect complement to its sister magazine, Northeast Ohio Parent, who many of you have helped support since its inception in March 2014.
Boomer will come your way six times in 2016 beginning with a January/February issue in mid-January. You will find Boomer at more than 500 locations including fitness centers, libraries, doctor’s offices, as well as Heinen’s, Discount Drug Mart and Marc’s stores.
In this first issue, we are honored to feature Cleveland Marathon founder Jack Staph and two local runners who defy age barriers and serve as great inspiration for us all. See their stories starting on pg. 26.
If you are seeking a true getaway, look for our feature on Gervasi Vineyard, which provides adventure far beyond the wine (pg. 14). While Northeast Ohio is getting colder outside, the region’s theaters are just warming up. Find a show that suits your tastes on pg. 16. Also, look through our diversity of happenings, from entertainment to wellness events, in our calendar section, pg.
...Millions of people have powers of attorney. However, are you opening yourself up to problems in this common estate planning document? Attorney Michael Solomon explains this document and how you can make it work for you.
WHAT’S A POWER OF ATTORNEY?
A power of attorney is a simple legal document that authorizes someone you name, typically a trusted family member, to handle your legal or financial affairs. With this document your agent, the person you give it to, can step in to help when you become incapacitated.
CAN YOU NAME THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT LEGAL DOCUMENTS YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE?
I’ll give you a hint: a will and a trust are the wrong answers. The two most important legal documents are a financial durable power of attorney and a health care durable power of attorney. Wills and trusts are certainly important. Those are documents to plan for your estate at your death. The durable powers of attorney for finances and health care are designated to protect you during your lifetime.
The first document, the financial durable power of attorney, authorizes someone you trust, usually a spouse or child, to handle your finances. The agent you name can pay your bills, sign checks, sell stocks and generally handle your finances. If you become incapacitated or unable to handle your financial affairs, your agent under the financial durable power of attorney can easily step in to handle things.
The other document is the health care durable power of attorney. With this document, you can authorize someone to make healthcare decisions for you if you can’t make your own.
WHAT ARE THE DANGERS?
When you give someone a power of attorney, you’re giving them the power to go to the bank and take your money, or to sell the house. That’s a lot of power, and it can also lead to problems.
...When you reach age 65, whether you are still working or took an early retirement, it’s time to educate yourself about Medicare.
“Medicare is a health insurance option that individuals have available to them when they are turning 65 or have been on disability for 24 months,” says Kathy Hirko, owner of KAZ Company in Independence, a business that helps people understand Medicare coverage plans.
Health care, in general, is confusing to most people — and Medicare is no different. Hirko provides some basics when venturing into the process.
CHOOSING YOUR PLAN
If you are collecting Social Security benefits and have turned 65, you might have already received your Medicare card.
There is an opportunity to enroll in Medicare three months before or after your 65th birthday. To apply for your benefits, contact Social Security by either phone, online or go to the local office.
There are different plans (A and B) for Medicare that cover 80 percent.
“You are paying into Medicare as you work,” Hirko says. “Part A (hospital coverage) is free to anyone who has worked 40 quarters. Part B is available and covers outpatient hospital, doctors, etc.”
People who use the Part B plan have to pay premiums. However, they can opt out during their enrollment period.
“They (might opt out) because they have coverage through work or don’t need to or want Part B,” she says. “More and more boomers are not ready to retire at age 65. You do not have to be retired to use Medicare and can continue to work. If you decide that you no longer want the company plan or are retiring, you would apply for Medicare A and B. “
Medicare can possibly cost less than the company plan. She says people should research the difference between plans.
Also, don’t forget prescriptions.
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We are part of a generation that truly believes and often feels that 60 is the new 40 and 70 may be the new 50. The late author Napoleon Hill’s philosophy of “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve” is a great mantra for a lot of people who are living and loving life to the fullest and experiencing the joy of being in their homes. It is only the times when our home environment is creating minor glitches that we start asking ourselves, “What can I do to make my environment more livable and adaptable to some of my physical challenges that are starting to creep up?”
Maybe it’s a microwave that is too high to reach. Or perhaps it is the extension of wood flooring from the kitchen to the carpeting in the family room that causes us to stumble or fall at times. Or it may be that we need to renew our living area but we don’t have the budget to have a Martha Stewart clone offer expensive design changes. There is a solution.
QUICK AND INEXPENSIVE FIXES
The first question is what is your budget? Ten dollars or ten thousand? The money you spend on making your home more comfortable should be an investment in your happiness that adds to the future resale value of your home.
As individuals get older, mobility may become an issue. Clutter causes safety concerns. Odors from an old carpet or upholstery can affect how you feel about your living space. The solutions can be as easy as getting rid of the throw carpets you trip over, purging trinkets and mementos that collect dust or steam cleaning carpets and furniture.
There are simple things that can be done relatively quickly, easily and inexpensively:
• Rearrange your furniture so there is more room if you need a cane or a walker.
...My husband and I have been part of the “sandwich generation.” With moms who lived into their 90s, mostly in their own homes, we can speak to the pros and cons of that. Now navigating our own pre-retirement years — with an eye toward health costs, housing options and quality of life — we know there is no script to follow.
Maybe ahead of schedule we all can consider options in housing as we age. Housing changes need not be crises of sudden adjustment; instead, they can be studied moves — this could living out of state (for example, relocating to year-round warm weather), staying where you are or going into a development where costs and maintenance are low.
It’s hard to maintain four bedrooms plus ample yard when they are no longer necessary. Does it support your lifestyle? says Lee-Ann Spacek, owner and founder of North Coast Residential Relocation.
“When I give presentations, I share what my aunt told me years ago: ‘Be careful what you get used to because you can get used to anything,”’ Spacek adds. “That goes for the dripping faucet, the wavy roof, the electrical outlet that doesn’t work and, possibly, the damp corner of the basement.”
She has helped hundreds of individuals, couples and families weigh factors in choosing a residence as their needs change.
“I ask my clients to ask themselves: ‘To whom is this house best suited?’” Spacek says. Consider the answer honestly. Letting go can be difficult but also freeing.
PUT TOGETHER A PLAN
“People should start looking at their choices within five years of retiring,” Jim Patena, administrator of independent living at Jennings, says. “They can take their time to see what is out there and either find something that fits their desires or at least have ideas if the time comes that they desire a move.”
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Nothing can slow down Jack Staph, who recently turned 70. Staph, executive director of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon and a business/corporate lawyer with a private practice in Pepper Pike, hasn’t run in two years.
Although he endures issues with both knees (including missing cartilage), it doesn’t mean he won’t one day navigate a hiking trail to a mountain peak or enter a marathon walking category.
“It’s hard to say I’m only going for a walk,” Jack says. He still sneaks in a run at times for a few seconds. “When I see an incline, I push it as much as I can, and I may run to a telephone pole.”
Jack relishes any opportunity to be outside in the sun and even when it rains while he walks with his umbrella. He also enjoys all the responsibilities that come with overseeing the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.
TAKING ON THE RACE
He bought the rights to the event in 2002, turning it into a year-round family business. His son Ralph helps run operations. The marathon and related events attract 40,000 runners, volunteers and fans. He’s always busy with race details and looking after elite athletes.
Staph, in fact, ran the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon only one time in 1978 – when the event began as the Revco Cleveland Marathon. He was general counsel for Revco, which asked him to take the helm the next year.
Over the years, however, Staph managed to run seven other marathons in West Palm Beach, Buffalo and Erie. He credits world-famous long distance runner Frank Shorter for inspiring him in the 70s when the running movement took off.
“Anyone who does something positive for others motivates me,” he says. “It’s not so much what they did but how they went about doing it.”
For now, Jack plans to continue leading the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon and to see how he can challenge his body and his mind.
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