Getting to the retirement stage can be bittersweet. On the one hand, you can sleep in, pursue hobbies, visit family, or travel – the world is your oyster and you have all the time to explore it. On the other hand, many people have to worry about making sure that their money lasts for the many years they have ahead of them. If you had a financially beneficial career, you might need to learn to get by on a little less each month. For some people, that means being a little more careful with finances. For others, they may need serious help to stretch their dollar. Many older adults don’t realize the number of organizations that offer financial resources and advice to seniors. Here are 10 of our favorite agencies to check out.
USA.gov: If you have difficulty meeting your monthly bills, you may qualify for government benefits that you didn’t even know about. USA.gov is easy to browse to find available assistance from the government, in categories like food assistance, affordable housing, social security, assistance with bills, and government grants.
Benefits Check Up: The National Council on Aging’s Benefits Check Up site is similar to the above resource but focuses your search on specific needs. Begin by providing a few details about yourself and your needs, and the site will assist you in identifying the available resources in your region. The site is geared towards seniors and has helped over 5 million people to claim $16 billion in benefits.
National Council on Aging’s Economic Security Programs: The National Council on Aging provides several programs focused on helping retired seniors enjoy financial health. Their programs help seniors understand the benefits available to them, as well as:
- Using home equity to their advantage
- Learning intelligent money management tips
- Finding employment
Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement: Statistically, women outlive men by up to ten years. While long life is desirable for most, their money has to last longer as well. WISER, the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement, addresses the unique financial difficulties some women face by providing educational resources and engaging in advocacy work to help senior women.
Meals on Wheels: Hunger is a problem for seniors, especially now with inflation rising. Meals on Wheels operates in thousands of U.S. communities, guaranteeing that needy seniors have access to regular meals and social engagements with the delivery volunteers.
Medicare’s Extra Help: Aging often brings additional health concerns – and additional health costs. Medicare can cover some of those expenses, but many senior citizens still fall short in paying for their prescriptions. Medicare’s Extra Help program is designed to cover up to $4,000 extra in medications annually for seniors who qualify.
Seniors Helpers: This organization is located in The Villages and was founded to help senior veterans to understand the qualification and application process for the VA’s Aid & Attendance Benefit. The benefit covers in-home senior care they may need to live comfortably. This tax-free pension benefit gives financial assistance to offset the cost of long-term, nonmedical in-home care. (This organization is not affiliated with the VA.)
After researching those initial resources, we found many more organizations available. Look for a future blog with more resources for seniors – we are happy to pass them along.
A Banyan Residence is a professional assisted living and memory care facility located in The Villages. Call today to schedule a tour to learn more about the quality care we provide to area seniors.
