For a non-profit fee of $600 per year for individuals and $850 for household memberships, Beacon Hill Village provides members with many of the services they would receive in a retirement community. The Membership Plus program subsidizes memberships for those who are unable to afford the regular fee. Beacon Hill also depends on funding from various independent and corporate donations. Many of the services are provided by a dedicated group of volunteers.

It is estimated that 22 million Americans are providing elder care for an aging parent or older relative. If you are among them, then you know how challenging the responsibility of assisted living services can be - physically, mentally and emotionally.

It's hard enough managing the to-do's in our own lives. Add to that the responsibility of in home care - managing every aspect of someone else's life too - and it can be overwhelming. Yet that is exactly what millions of people do each year providing senior services for their aging parents, and it is taking its toll.

Don't wait until your parents and loved ones are old and unable to care for themselves to make critical decisions in their behalf. Read about my own experience and the consequences of waiting until it is too late for that family planning get together.

Senior Real Estate Specialists, or SRES for short, are REALTORS® who have received specialized training in order to better serve clients who are senior citizens. To receive this designation one must learn about some of the legal and tax aspects that are involved when a senior is buying or selling a home, as well as the emotional ramifications of moving later on in life.