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Greetings, I trust this message finds you in good health and high spirits. In my years as an elder law and estate planning attorney here at Bellomo & Associates, Ive had the privilege of guiding families through the intricacies of planning for the future. Today, I want to share some insights on common estate planning mistakes, drawing from the experiences of those Ive had the honor of assisting. Its human nature to postpone tasks, especially those that involve contemplating the future. However, delaying your estate planning can have significant consequences. Whether youre an income-generating couple, a seasoned individual considering nursing home care, or a young family with dreams to protect, procrastination can rob you of the peace of mind that comes with a well-thought-out plan. No two families are the same, and neither should their estate plans be. Cookie-cutter approaches often neglect the nuances that make your situation unique. As your trusted advisor, I emphasize the importance of personalized solutions. Your plan should reflect your values, aspirations, and the legacy you wish to leave behind. Life is dynamic, and so are your circumstances. Marriage, births, career shifts, and even unexpected health challenges can reshape your priorities. Failing to update your estate plan accordingly can lead to unintended consequences. Regular reviews ensure that your plan remains a true reflection of your current life stage and desires. Discussing end-of-life matters can be uncomfortable, but its a crucial step in ensuring your wishes are understood and respected. Communicating openly with your loved ones about your estate plan can prevent misunderstandings and provide clarity during challenging times. In the age of online resources, its tempting to try a do-it-yourself approach to estate planning. However, the potential pitfalls of DIY plans can far outweigh the perceived cost savings. Professional guidance ensures that your plan complies with legal requirements and considers intricate details that may be overlooked. To those of you who resonate with these considerations, I extend an invitation to join us at our next estate planning workshop. Its not just an opportunity to learn about common mistakes but also a chance to connect with others who share similar concerns. Bring your questions, share your stories, and lets navigate the path to a secure future together. Remember, estate planning is not just a legal process; its a journey toward safeguarding what matters most to you. I look forward to meeting you and exploring the important next steps in creating a plan that reflects your unique legacy. To a future of informed decisions and lasting legacies, Jeff BellomoWe offer FREE WORKSHOPS every week! Click here to register! 

Im Jeff Bellomo, an elder law and estate planning attorney at Bellomo & Associates in York and Lancaster, PA. Today, were going to explore a topic that resonates with many of you estate planning for blended families. Its a journey that touches the lives of our cherished income-generating couples, our beloved seniors transitioning to skilled nursing facilities, and our forward-looking young families. Lets delve into the intricacies and emotions of Estate Planning for Blended Families. Blended families are born from love that knows no boundaries. When two hearts unite, each with their unique family history and experiences, its a beautiful testament to the power of love and the promise of a new future together. However, it also comes with its set of complexities, especially when it comes to estate planning. Balancing the needs and desires of all family members is a delicate art, one that requires both financial finesse and emotional sensitivity.Estate planning for blended families involves careful consideration of assets, beneficiaries, and distribution. Its not just about dollars and cents; its about protecting the ones you love, no matter their biological or step relationship. One crucial aspect is updating your will to reflect your current situation. Clearly defining how you want your assets distributed and to whom, ensuring that no loved one feels left out or overlooked, is essential. Its about making sure your intentions are crystal clear, and your familys future is secure. Trusts as a Tool for HarmonyTrusts can be an incredible tool for ensuring harmony within your blended family. They offer privacy and efficiency and can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your unique family structure.Consider a trust as a way to protect assets for the benefit of both your spouse and your children. This can be particularly important when there are assets you wish to pass on to your biological children from a previous relationship. A trust can help ensure that your assets are distributed fairly, while also providing for your new spouse. The Importance of CommunicationEstate planning in blended families is not just about legal documents; its also about communication. Open and honest discussions with your spouse and family members can prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyones concerns are addressed. Remember, an estate plan is not set in stone; it can be adapted and changed as your family dynamics evolve. By fostering an environment of understanding and open dialogue, you can navigate this journey with greater ease. Join Us at Our Estate Planning WorkshopIf youre in a blended family, I invite you to join us at our next estate planning workshop. Its a space to connect with others who face similar challenges and ask questions. Well guide you on critical next steps to create an estate plan that reflects your unique family situation.Together, we can help you build a legacy that ensures the security and harmony of your blended family, allowing your love to shine brightly in the generations to come.

Growing up in his fathers rural churches in southwestern Minnesota, Dan Lindh saw firsthand the needs of older adults. This sparked a lifelong passion for service, one that defines his long tenure as president and CEO of Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS), the third largest nonprofit provider of senior housing and services in the nation.Inspired by a world growing older, Dan is shaping a vision of a thriving future for older adults. As he prepares for his next chapter, his expertise in senior care continues to make a difference, impacting communities in Minnesota, throughout the Midwest and beyond.In this Q&A, listen in as Dan discusses overcoming challenges, seizing new opportunities and shares advice for the next generation of leaders.PHS: Wed love to hear about your journey in aging services. What early skills or experiences propelled you towards leadership roles?Dan Lindh: I had been called to this work a continuation of how I grew up in smaller communities. So, in the mid-70s I started as an accountant at PHS. Going back to get my long term care administrators license after a few years allowed me to go deeper, do more. The University of Minnesota enabled me further to fulfill that purpose by broadening my range of service to people with more frailties and addressing significant societal needs.PHS has a long history of serving older adults as a nonprofit mission. Can you describe how PHS approached this mission in the early days, and how has their strategy evolved to meet the changing needs of the community?When I started, we were connected to 3M, and we spent time on research and development, coming up with creative ways to serve small numbers of older adults with very low income. Then we would transfer that knowledge gained from experimental programs to other organizations, sometimes other countries.Sometime later we had what I call a kairos moment, a partnership that challenged our economic model. I was personally involved with an expensive issue we were trying to solve, for several years. From a Christian perspective, God allows those circumstances in our lives for reasons we cant see at the time. Along with some provocateur conversations about our strategic plan, as reviewed by very competent people, we were challenged to think more externally than internally. So we really had to think about who we as an organization are now, and its probably not going to be what it was in the past. I had that opportunity with Barry Knight to develop a strategic plan for the organization, which is essentially the same plan, just different iterations that we have today.It came to be about growth, multi-value streams and concentrated scale, which is a kind of unique tactic in which you develop a lot of services, buildings and community capacity, all within a pretty tight timeframe.So today, for example, in the Twin Cities alone, we have 42 communities, and we probably serve 20,000 people. We serve 27,000 overall including those living in communities in Iowa and Wisconsin.With that, you start to think about population health and about how you can have comprehensive systems to help serve older adults that you couldnt do from a smaller platform.For example, weve extended into things like 1.5 million home delivered meals a year to older adults with low income, partnered with a primary practice of 62 doctors and nurse practitioners as well as secured a value-based contract with CMS and a 182 million per year partnership with Allina and other providers.All of this arises from a platform of organizational effectiveness and mission fulfillment in potentially creative ways but for sure in comprehensive ways to help from end to end the average person who is roughly 85 when they come to live with us.Residents range in age from 60 to 110, and they stay with us for an average of seven years. They represent families and communities, and were committed to helping older adults find home and experience community. I like to think we can help provide people and their needs wherever theyre at, wherever they call home.As PHS expands its reach, what are some of the biggest challenges now or on the horizon? Conversely, what exciting opportunities do you see for innovation and wider impact?People used to ask me what I do, and Id answer that I work in older adult services, and I could hardly get that many words out of my mouth and people would fall asleep. Not so much anymore. People almost always want to engage in some way because they get just how significant the aging population is. Were a different world. And were about to be entirely different in a hurry.The number of older adults in our state will more than double in next 15 years, and itll grow until about 2050 and then stabilizes. Meanwhile, the workforce maybe grows 4 to 5 percent, but the demand for the workers in our space will grow by at least 45 percent, maybe 50 percent.Thats a kairos moment, which means what weve been doing up till now wont stay the same. And if were going to be different, its going to require workforce to be different and its going to require new creative models in how we help older adults build their own networks and self-efficacy.How do we keep people at home, how do we keep older adults more independent, how do we provide lower cost services and more affordable housing?It requires partnerships, thinking across siloes of education, acute care, primary care, medical support services and technology to help people maintain their independence and stay at home. And how do we help older adults be part of a growing economy when they have less time and fewer abilities to engage?The emerging older population in our society profoundly impacts the quality of life for the whole state and, really, the nation and the globe. This is an international issue that requires new kinds of workforce. It requires an entire ecosystem with acute care and rethinking how the dollars flow out of Medicare and Medicaid, how the federal and the state governments determine their budgets and what percentage of funds were able as a country and as a state to allocate among the many needs we have, from education to infrastructure to the judicial system.Every one of those creates a leadership opportunity and demands some of the best thinking we can come up with.What advice do you have for the next generation of leaders?Leadership is about getting a good grasp on all the circumstances in the environment and a sense for whats directionally happening, and where change needs to occur. Also, [leadership is] being able to step into that space to shape the organizations strategy, vision and services without any barriers in thinking due to what the past has been or what the current frameworks are. Its being pragmatic but also detached from existing structures and thinking very creatively about a different future. And I think its more essential now than its ever been.The changing society and how people think, how they want to engage in work, how older adults are aging and what that looks like for them all must be rethought. Because its already different and its about to be a lot more different not too far down the road. Its a daunting thing.What gives you hope, even in the face of daunting challenges?Theres a lot of hope because we are in a growing field. Any time youre in a growth market and change is happening, by definition theres opportunity. With the environment and circumstances that were in, theres more opportunity than theres ever been.Hope is absolutely necessary if were going to thrive. You cant thrive without engaging all society; you cant thrive without 20 to 25 percent of society being engaged as they possibly can be. How can we help position work so that older adults can do more and be a more integral part, and with that, have more purpose and more hope?Part of whats at stake is basically the quality of life for all Americans.Because if we can keep people productive really productive and if we can help those newly entering the workforce too and extend that productivity and engagement for societal good, it can make a big difference in terms of how the whole economy performs.I also find hope in the science of genome testing and predictors about wellness techniques and people taking better care of themselves essentially, better science around keeping people more independent longer and being purposeful in their living and engaged in what they do.So how can we help people live longer and more purposeful at the same time? Theres a lot of hope in that one.