Senior Q & A – March 2015
Senior Q & A: Answers to Common Questions About Senior Living
Q. What is a credit shelter trust (CST)?
A. A CST is an important part of most estate plans for married couples, as a way to protect assets from estate taxes. With proper planning, at the death of the first spouse, a specified amount of assets can be transferred to the trust, tax free. The balance of the estate assets, if transferred to the surviving spouse, is not subject to estate tax since transfers to a spouse qualify for the estate tax unlimited marital deduction. Alternatively, a trust can be established and funded by each spouse during their lifetime, limited to the lifetime gift tax amount. A CST is typically designed to provide income and/or principal to the surviving spouse for life, as necessary for health, maintenance, education, and support. See your financial planner for more complete information.
Q. What is “sundowning”?
A. The term sundowning refers to a state of confusion at the end of the day and into the night. Sundowning can cause a variety of behaviors, such as confusion, anxiety, aggression or ignoring directions. It can also lead to pacing or wandering. Sundowning isn’t a disease, but a group of symptoms that occur at a specific time of the day that may affect people with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The exact cause of this behavior is unknown. When sundowning occurs in a care facility, it may be related to the flurry of activity during staff shift changes or the lack of structured activities in the late afternoon and evening. Staff arriving and leaving may cue some people with Alzheimer’s to want to go home or to check on their children — or other behaviors that were appropriate in the late afternoon in their past. It may help to occupy their time with another activity during that period.
Q. Why does a person’s sense of smell diminish as we age?
A. As we get older, our olfactory function (sense of smell) declines because the number of fibers in the olfactory bulb in the nasal cavity, along with olfactory receptors, decrease noticeably with age. There’s also a general deterioration in central nervous system’s cognitive processing functions. It’s been reported that more than 75% of people over the age of 80 years have evidence of major olfactory impairment, and that olfaction declines considerably after age 70. A more recent study found that 62.5% of 80 to 97 year olds had an olfactory impairment. Problems with smell are more common in men than women. In one study, nearly one-quarter of men ages 60–69 had a smell disorder, while about 11 percent of women in that age range reported a problem. Many older people are not even aware that they have a problem with their sense of smell because the changes occur gradually over several years.
Q. How can I find senior living and care options for my loved one in Denver, Colorado?
A. There are two easy ways to find a great number of senior living options and services in the Denver area: 1) Visit the Alternatives for Seniors website, then enter “Denver” in the location field (or enter a ZIP code), then chose the option you’re seeking and press “search”. 2) Simply call a Senior Specialist at (888) WE-ASSIST (888-932-7747). A Senior Specialist will be happy to help you search for the perfect home, or the service you require, for your loved ones.
BLOG Date: Thursday, March 12, 2015
Writer: Ryan Allen