Highlights of December 9 Meeting

Welcome - President Dan Coons
 
After welcoming everyone and introducing himself, President Dan recited the Rotary International theme for 2021-22 - Serve To Change Lives.  He then recited the Rotary Vision Statement:  
 
Together we see a world where people unite and 
take action to create lasting change - 
across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.
 
 
Then Dan Lamborn led the Pledge of Allegiance.  Ray Smith and Chris Krueger  led everyone in singing the Salvation Army bell-ringing season theme song - Silver Bells.  To hear the club's rendition of this familiar song, CLICK HERE or on the photo above.
 
Invocation - Dick Myren
 
President Dan thanked President-Elect Pam Cohen for filling in for him on December 2, and thanked Chris Krueger for serving as greeter welcoming members and guests as they arrived.
 
Ace of Clubs Raffle - Chuck Flint
Chuck Flint asked Ted Williams to draw the winning raffle ticket.  Joan Reimann was the lucky winner of the small $50 prize.  In addition, she had the opportunity to attempt to draw the Ace of Clubs from the remaining deck.  Drawing the Ace of Clubs would have resulted in her winning an additional $910.  The card she drew was the 5 of Hearts, which was immediately destroyed.  
 
Happy Bucks - Ed Koeneman - This month to be donated to Salvation Army
  • Lu General was happy to have captured a video of fellow-club-members singing Silver Bells.  She was also happy about the generosity she is seeing supporting Salvation Army at the Kettle Palooza on November 30 and at the Mesa West kettle station at Bass Pro.  She encouraged members to volunteer to fill  the vacancies when Don LaBarge sends requests for help.
  • Jeanie Morgan was happy for Lolita Wiesner.  She and Hans sold their Arizona condo for asking price with furnishings included.  They will be busy sorting, packing, and disposing of personal belongs before heading home to Canada the week of December 13.
  • Sean Green expressed his appreciation of Jeanie Morgan for producing the Messenger.   He said that for some, it might seem to be filled with useless information, but it was extremely helpful to him as he was deciding which Rotary Club he wanted to join and be a part of.
  • Jim McGown - was happy for our Salvation Army Bell-Ringing and wanted to add to our success.
  • Frank Rosenberg contributed for his daughter Danielle's 25th birthday.
  • Don LaBarge was happy to introduce his guest, Jasmine Stevens with Grand Canyon Business Solutions.
  • Tom Yuzer donated to celebrate his wife's birthday next week.
  • Joan Reimann donated $20 of her raffle winnings.
  • Dick Myren contributed his traditional $2 on behalf of his and Rod Daniels' gratitude for being a part of Mesa West Rotary.  He contributed more knowing it was going to Salvation Army because he is unable to participate in the bell-ringing effort this year.
  • Jack Rosenberg contributed.  He was happy to have had the pleasure of ringing the Salvation Army bell with two of his best friends - Steve Ross and John Benedict.
  • Warren Williamson contributed $20 from his December 2 raffle winnings.  He was also buying the opportunity to tell about when they would hire an army of census workers in his tiny town to gather the information required for the census.  One year Warren's mother was hired as one of the workers.  One elderly lady was offended to be asked questions about her age.  Warren's mother persisted and the woman said "I'm the same age as Mr. and Mrs. Hill who live right down the street. Just put me down for the age they gave you."  Warren's mom entered "Old as the hills." and moved on with her questions.
  • John Pennypacker was happy to have participated in the 100th birthday celebration of the mother of the officer who swore John in when he received his field commission in Viet Nam.  John stood in for her son who could not travel to Arizona for the event.  He was honored to do so for a woman "nobody can keep up with."
  • Pam Cohen was happy to have gone to Flagstaff to see her 18-month-old grandson, Wilder who excitedly exclaimed, "Bubby!" when she arrived.  The only downside of the trip was when her son-in-law said she'd better get down to Discount Tire right away.  She had a slow leak caused by a screw in her tire - the time spent getting her tire repaired robbed her of time with Wilder.
  • Dan Coons contributed for his vacation to Hawaii and for our newest member, Sean Green whose formal induction into Mesa West would be scheduled after the first of the year.
Auction Items
  • Colleen Coons had a bag of items purchased during their recent vacation in Hawaii.  She said they would likely appeal mostly to women, but men might want to purchase them for their wife, daughter or other special woman in their life.   Chris Krueger's bid of $65 made her the lucky bidder.
  • Don LaBarge brought a power washer to be auctioned to benefit Salvation Army.  Lu General had Tim Troy on her phone as he wanted to participate in the bidding.  Don explained that most power washers for home use are made overseas and difficulty in getting parts or service render them useless the first time something goes wrong.  The washer being auctioned is made in the USA.  Don's cost for the units is $650 and he sells them for $950.  Tim was the successful bidder with a bid of $700.
Announcements
  • Don LaBarge had a letter from Rod Daniels enclosing a check for Salvation Army saying that ringing the bell did not feel like enough.  He wanted to do more and stating will continue ringing the bell for Don at Bass Pro when needed.
  • Bob Zarling thanked the club for supporting the Kettle Palooza kickoff dinner for the Salvation Army bell-ringing season.  He said Mesa West was well represented with members as well as members of the GCU Rotaract club.  He said $3,200 was raised at the dinner.
  • Dan Coons announced he was pleased to see ten or more Mesa West members at the District Foundation Celebration held November 21.  Pam Cohen, Jeanie Morgan and Jim Schmidt were each recognized as Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation.
  • Ray Smith announced that Jeane Crouse was in the hospital.  Her family had found her unresponsive beside her bed.  She was taken to Banner Desert hospital where heart attack and stroke were ruled out.  It had been determined she had a major blood infection, the cause of which had not yet been isolated.  Prayers were requested.
  • Ted Williams said no one could be more loving or care-giving than Jeane Crouse had been after she learned of his stepdaughter Brittany's severe case of COVID.  He also encouraged prayers for Jeane.
Zone 26 News - Lu General
 
Mesa West Rotary is in District 5495.  District 5495 is in Zone 26.  Our Zone 26 has the most new members year-to-date.  All sixteen districts in the zone are up a total of 87 members.  The International President Shekhar Mehta has set an ambitious goal of reaching 1.3 million members worldwide.  As long as most current Rotarians can remember, worldwide membership in Rotary has hovered at 1.2 million.  His motto of "Each One Reach One" will only get us there if each individual Rotarian personally takes it upon themselves to invite someone to become a part of the best service organization on the planet.
 
Polio Plus Recognition - Jim Erickson
 
Rotarians who commit to give $100 or more per year to Polio Plus are eligible to be members of the Polio Plus Society.  Many members qualify, but fail to complete the commitment form.  CLICK HERE  to download a copy of the form.  Shelly Romine and Jeanie Morgan were recognized al Paul Harris Society members.  Shelly said that she signed up to give $10/month through Rotary Direct, which will make it easy and painless to keep her commitment.
 
Jim also had a red XL Polio shirts (like the purple one he was wearing) he would sell to anyone who wanted it with the sales proceeds to go to Polio Plus.
 
Program - Surviving Aging - Melissa and Jay Stuckey
 
Melissa began by saying they knew little about assisted living before purchasing their Assisted Living Locators franchise three years ago.  She had 70 hours of training to become a Senior Advisor.  She is also certified in Dementia Care.  She said placement agents are not licensed.
 
The franchise they purchased was stared eighteen years ago in Mesa, and the person who started it was a real pioneer in an area where there was a growing need.
 
Melissa used a very informative "Surviving Aging" PowerPoint when making her presentation.  CLICK HERE if you would like to download it to help you start important conversations with your family.
 
If born in 1900, life expectancy was 47.  If born in 2013, that number had grown to 81.  78% of people over age 65 have at least two chronic conditions - we are living longer and our elderly are living sicker.  The cost of care during advanced years is extremely expensive.  Seven out of ten will need long-term care. and very few have adequately planned for that eventuality.
 
For families who haven't assessed where they are, now is the time to start having those important conversations.
 
Many are in a sandwich generation, responsible for the care of their children as well as their parents, and a growing number are caring for grandchildren as well.  A majority of family caregivers feel unqualified.  They miss work because of their caregiving responsibilities.  Many use their own retirement savings to pay for the cost of their parent's long-term care costs.
 
How do you know when long-term care is needed?
  • Need help with activities of daily living (grooming, dressing, toileting, eating, bathing, mobility)
  • Need help with instrumental activities (managing finances, shopping, cooking, managing meds, laundry and housekeeping)
  • Declining health
  • Reclusiveness, depression, anxiety, poor nutrition, poor hygiene.
Options include an adult child moving in with their loved one, or the loved one moves in with the adult child.  In some cases someone comes into the home to do non-medical services which are not covered by medical insurance.  Options for care that have evolved include community care - which would include independent living, assisted living, and memory care facilities.  For those that can afford it, it is resort-style living.  A group home would provide higher levels of care and assistance.  In a group home there is a lower level of activities but a higher level of skilled care than in a community situation.  There are 2100 homes and communities in Arizona.  Some are good, some not good, and some are good for certain things.  In-home care can run as high as $18,000 per month - all private pay.  The facilities in the east valley tend to be more expensive.  An interesting fact is that in many cases, a memory care facility is a better bargain.
 
The reality today is that parents and their adult children live in separate states.  Using a local placement agent will save time and produce a better result.
 
The choices available are all expensive and the ability to cover the costs requires an assessment of financial resources in order to make informed choices.  The choices are much more limited when the person needing care has immediate needs.  Planning ahead provides more and better options.
 
During the Q&A session following Melissa's presentation, Don Boucher provided some pertinent information.  As a response to a request from your editor, he provided the following:
 
Traditional Long-Term Care Insurance
  • Many insurance providers have exited the traditional LTC coverage market and no longer offer traditional LTC coverage.  As Jim Schmidt, CPA, had referenced, traditional LTC policies were/are typically a “use it or lose it” coverage, unless purchasing a Return of Premium policy rider.  Return of Premium policies are more expensive than standard policies.
  • Traditional LTC coverage is expensive and not usually offered as a guaranteed level premium payment structure for extended payment terms. 
  • Periodic rate hikes can be implemented at notable premium increases of 10% – 20%.  These premium increases may create economic hardships for current policy holders. 
Life Insurance Policies with an LTC Rider or Chronic Illness Rider  (Life/LTC Hybrid Policies)
  • Typically best purchased as a permanent life insurance policy (Universal life, Variable Universal Life, Whole Life) with an LTC Rider or Chronic Illness Rider.  There are, or have been, term life policies that offer a chronic illness rider, but this structure may not be a best option for many consumers.
  • Some hybrid policies will pay a monthly cash benefit to be used at the discretion of the policy holder.  This could include paying a family member or a friend to provide care.  Many of these types of policies will pay at a monthly rate of 2% or 4% of the policy’s Death Benefit coverage providing 25 (4%) or 50 (2%) months of coverage.  Example:  A $500,000 Death Benefit (2% cash benefit provides a monthly benefit of $10,000 for up to 50 months.)
  • Some hybrid policies pay on a reimbursement-only basis for approved home care or facility expenses.
  • Some asset based hybrid Life/LTC policies offer unlimited lifetime LTC coverage benefits.
  • Life/LTC Hybrid Policies will typically be offered in a level premium payment structure.  (Single Pay; 10-Pay; 20-Pay; All Pay).
Reviewing and Understanding the Benefits of a Currently Owned LTC Policy
  • Individuals/couples who own a policy providing traditional LTC or hybrid LTC coverage should periodically review the coverage with their Financial Advisor/Insurance Agent for the purpose of clearly understanding the policy’s benefits structure.
LTC and Life Hybrid LTC Policy Premiums
  • The cost of coverage is typically expensive and positioning policy coverage is best done while younger and healthier.
  • Many individuals and couples begin exploring LTC coverages in their early 50s.
  • If an individual/couple has the financial flexibility to do so, positioning a policy at a younger and healthier age will likely be less costly.
  • The shorter the premium payment terms, typically, the less costly the policy.  An evaluation of Single Pay, 10-Pay and 20-Pay options could be beneficial.
Long-Term Care Information Resources
Disclosure:  This information is for general education purposes only.  The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information purposes only, and should not be considered a solicitation for or recommendation of the purchase or sale of any security or insurance policy. Planning for long-term care requires a thorough evaluation of many variables that will impact available coverage and pricing for individuals and/or couples.  Do seek the advice and guidance of a registered and insurance licensed Financial Advisor and/or a knowledgeable Insurance Agent.