Seems like only yesterday we were making New Year’s resolutions to be healthier and now here we are nearly at the end of the year! If making healthier choices was on your to-do list but you didn’t quite cross it off, don’t despair. It’s never too late to start making better wellness choices as an aging adult and thankfully Sun Health is prepping seniors for better wellness opportunities with two upcoming workshops.

Memory Disorders: Next Wednesday, November 18^th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the Banner Sun Health Research Institute will host a free community lecture on methods to identify memory disorders. The free event takes place in the Morin Auditorium at Banner Boswell Medical Center, 10515 W. Santa Fe Dr., Sun City. Guest speaker will be Dr. Edward Zamrini, a neurologist with expertise in cognitive and geriatric neurology. He will discuss why Alzheimer’s disease is not part of normal changes in memory and how to tell the difference between the two. Seating is limited. To RSVP, call 623-832-3248 or visit www.bannershri.org to learn more.

Diabetes Awareness:The Sun Health Center for Health and Wellbeing will host a Diabetes Awareness Open House from 8:30 am to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 19^thlocated at 14719 W. Grand Ave., Surprise. This free community event will offer health screenings, healthy cooking demonstrations and samples, exercise tips and raffle prizes, along with educational materials and community resources, for people with diabetes, pre-diabetics and their family members. Call 623-832-9355 or visit www.sunhealthwellbeing.org to learn more.

Preventive self-care and health management is an essential part of retired living. So why wait until next year to start making resolutions to living healthier? Start now and make better living your goal in retirement now and for the future! For more Sun City events for Arizona retirees, please contact Sharon Mason.

Looking for the perfect Arizona retirement community to enjoy the best years of your life? Just one look and you’ll know right away why you should retire to the vibrant Ventana Lakes in Peoria. This sprawling, friendly retirement community features nine lakes packed with freshwater fish and has a bevy of activities and clubs that are perfect for 55-and-up active adults looking to truly enjoy retired living.

This diverse community of over 1700 homes has plenty of space for residents to relax, enjoy the gorgeous and scenic backdrop of the mountains southwest of Surprise, and enjoy well-designed water features by way of paddleboats and canoes. Miles of well-manicured walking trails are perfect for evening strolls or morning dog runs, and seven nearby courses provide ample tee times for both novice and accomplished golfers.

Since 1986, Ventana Lakes has been one of Arizona’s most desirable retirement communities and features luxurious amenities galore including:

• Arts and crafts studio
• Library
• Walking Trails
• Steam room and Sauna
• Tennis Courts
• Fitness Center
• Clubhouse
• Spas
• Heated Outdoor Pools

Ventana Lakes is close to the Loop 101, and provides fast access to nearby attractions such as the Arrowhead Towne Center Mall, Peoria’s Sports Complex, Camelback Ranch and Lake Pleasant Regional Park. Best of all, you can find the perfect style home, from spacious lake homes to cozy condominiums to maintenance-free townhomes. And with prices ranges starting from the low $100s, Ventana Lakes offers the perfect price and setting for Arizona retirees. So what are you waiting for? Schedule an appointment to tour the community and find out more about the available homes for sale in Ventana Lakes. Let’s work together to find the perfect retirement community of your dreams!

Think the ghost, goblins, and ghouls of Halloween are scary? Try planning for retirement! When many older adults think about retirement planning, they are both scared and overwhelmed at the process. Is now the right time to retire? Do I have enough money? Am I truly ready to stop working? It’s time to take the fear out of retirement planning this Halloween with these three tips.

Don’t be a skeleton. Have the guts to save now! It’s tempting to put off saving for retirement, especially with things like children’s college funds, saving for a home, weddings, and more of life’s major events to financially plan for. But there’s rarely anything scarier than facing retirement without enough money to live on during your golden years. Regardless of your obligations, put your retirement savings first and start contributing as early as possible. Contribute towards a work or personal 401(k) or an IRA putting contributions on automatic and gradually increasing the amount as you’re able. The more you save now, the less you’ll need to save later.

Make like candy and stick to your budget! What’s scarier than not having enough for retirement? How about living beyond your means! It’s nice to have all the things you want as an active adult, but if you overspend and don’t stick to a realistic budget now, you won’t have everything you need to stay out of debt when you’re ready to retire. Start eliminating the “wants” from the needs and continue to stay on top of debts such as credit card expenses and student loans.

BOO! Don’t be scared of the unexpected. When it comes to retirement, it’s great to have a plan but unexpected expenses can arise and throw a wrench into your planning. To protect yourself, set aside enough money to cover at least three months of essential expenses should you run into illness, job loss, or any other unexpected scares. Arizona retirees should continue to try to increase this amount as often as possible even planning to cover six months to a year’s worth of expenses.

Halloween can be scary, but planning for retirement doesn’t have to be. Start using these tips to take the fear out of retirement planning this Halloween so you can start enjoying this holiday and many more to come. Because nothing is sweeter than enjoying the treats of a happy retirement. Happy Halloween! – Sharon

Whether you’re an Arizona retiree or an active adult who’s always out and about, you know the importance of how health impacts the quality of your life. In fact, according to a 2014 study in the journal Health Affairs, those 65 and older spent about $18,424 per person on personal health care, “about three times more than the average working-age adult and about five times more than the average child.” And with the number of senior citizens on the rise (they make up over 13 percent of the overall population) healthy living has become even more important standard of living for the aging population.

Thankfully, at any age, there are lifestyle habits we can adopt to help maintain or even potentially improve our health. These habits may also help to keep our brains healthy as we age and possibly delay the onset of cognitive decline. That’s why I’m excited to tell you about the Sun City Healthy Habits for a Healthier You Workshop on Wednesday, October 28^th at 10:00 a.m. at the Sun City Branch Library located at 16828 N. 99th Ave; Sun City.

This free workshop covers four areas of lifestyle habits that are associated with healthy aging: Cognitive activity; Physical health and exercise; Diet and nutrition; Social engagement. RSVP is required at 602.528.0545 and more information can be found here. The Healthy Habits for a Healthier You Workshop is recommended for anyone interested in looking for information on ways to age as well as possible so spread the word and bring a friend or two. Because the best way to enjoy retired living is when you’re at your absolute healthiest!

For more information about local events in Sun City, AZ or to locate the perfect Sun Cityretirement community to best enjoy healthy living, please contact Sharon Mason today.

Fall is here and with Arizona temperatures dipping back into the 80’s, you may have noticed the migration of winter snowbirds returning to the Valley of the Sun. For those who don’t know, snowbirds are seasonal residents who visit warmer climates to escape the harsh winters of their main hometowns. Most hail from the Midwest, Western states, Pacific coast and Canada. Snowbird season is usually from October through May and with it, locals see an influx of retirees, Baby Boomers, and active adults soaking up the sun and enjoying all the amenities Arizona has to offer.

Local snowbirds are often retirees, having no attachments or obligations, and having the freedom to do what they want. Snowbirds move in the same general migratory pattern, but they take very different paths to their winter havens and spend their time differently. Baby Boomers in their 50s are a newer breed of Snowbird often choosing to purchase property in favorable markets and gradually spend more time in the state as they near retirement. From vacation rentals and condos to Arizona homes, some snowbirds are choosing to become permanent residents by their late senior years.

Various well-to-do snowbird retirees land in Sun City and other popular Arizona retirement communities to buy second homes, play tennis or hike, attend the theater and check out art galleries and shopping malls. Developments like Sun City Grand in Surprise and Trilogy at Vistancia in Peoria are catering to middle and upper-middle income snowbirds. And with so much to do from swimming laps in the pool to enjoying a round of golf, it’s no wonder so many visitors choose to make Arizona their second home. Either way, they’re enriching Arizona’s culture, community and economy and we extend them a welcome as warm as the weather. Welcome back, snowbirds!

So whether you’re seeking a seasonal get-a-way or searching to buy a home in an Arizona retirement community, contact Sharon Mason, your retirement expert, for all your living and retirement needs!

The fall season is here and now is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy all the fun fall events in Sun City. There are lots of things to do this month for Arizona retirees, snowbirds, and Sun City residents alike. I’m especially looking forward to the upcoming Fall Festival Country Fair in Sun City.

The Recreation Centers of Sun City are hosting the Fall Festival of Fun – Country Fair at the Sun Bowl located at 10220 N 107th Ave, Sun City, AZ. The festivities take place on Saturday, October 17^th from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and are free for RCSC Cardholders and their escorted guests. Bring friends, grandkids, and other family and enjoy carnival games and prizes, live DJ music, fun and yummy fair food will be available for purchase including hot dogs, cotton candy, kettle korn, ice cream and so much more. Beer, wine, and bloody marys will also be available.

Special guests at the country fair include the Sun City Fire Department as well as Sun City’s very own Kahkneeta and Laney – the infamous llamas that brought Sun City AZ international fame. So bring your lawn chair and blanket and your inner child and enjoy the RCSC Fall Festival of Fun! Click here for more details. Want to know about more local events in Sun City for active adults or seeking a premier retirement community in Sun City? Contact Sharon Mason today!

Did you know? There’s an estimated 177,000 children being taken care of by their grandparents or other extended family members in Arizona according to Arizona Grandparent Ambassadors, a support network for grandparents raising grandchildren. The reasons why a grandparent or family member may take over care of a child are most often because of substance abuse, mental illness, incarceration or financial difficulties. Nearly forty percent of children are being raised by their grandparents in Arizona.

If you’re an Arizona retiree caring for your grandchild or grandchildren, then you know how isolating and overwhelming it can be at times. Thankfully, there are various programs and resources available to finding organizations set up to support and guide Arizona grandparents such as Duet, Grandparent Ambassadors, and Arizona Kinship Support Services. These organizations can help grandparents pursue legal guardianship, find some financial resources, connect with other Arizona grandparents and more.

That’s why the Arizona Grandparent Ambassadors partnered with sixteen Arizona cities and towns including the West Valley cities of Buckeye, Goodyear and Litchfield Park to declare September Grandfamily/Kinship Care Month to help raise awareness about the issue of child care, as well as support and services available to families.

Just know if you are an Arizona retiree or grandparent raising children and needing help caregiving, you are not alone! If you’d like more information about resources to help Arizona retirees and Arizona grandparents with supporting your grandchildren, please contact Sharon Mason.

It’s no surprise that aging in long-term senior care facilities sometimes has negative annotations; and with good reason. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about eighty percent of older adults have at least one chronic health condition, which can lead to high levels of depression. So how are we supposed to take care of our aging Arizona retirees to assure they have a happy, fulfilling retirement? How about we throw some kids into the mix? That’s right. Putting preschoolers in the same space as senior citizens for learning and development. This is called an intergenerational learning program and it could quickly become a growing trend in the future. Here are some benefits of Intergenerational learning programs.

Studies have shown that interaction between the generations benefits both senior citizens and children alike. Older adults who regularly spend time with children are more optimistic, take better care of themselves, and have been shown to have longer attention spans. Some say that program seniors burn more calories and perform better on memory function tests when they spend time with children, too. Meanwhile, children are learning things like patience and acceptance which could help improve their academic performance and social maturity later in life. Best of all, nearly 500 intergenerational programs have popped up all over the country with a few programs in Arizona alone.

In fact, according to the non-profit organization azfoundation.org, the Phoenix area was recently named one of the Best Intergenerational Regions in the U.S. The Benevilla adult retirement community in Surprise, Arizona, the National Finalist for the 2015 Best Intergenerational Awards, features a Life Enrichment Program which pairs it’s senior residents with the children enrolled in Wirtzie’s Preschool and Child Care.

For more information about intergenerational learning programs and finding your perfect Arizona retirement community, contact Sharon Mason today.

Are you planning on retiring in Arizona this year? Congratulations! Before you put away your punch card and head off to your luxury retirement community, make sure you’ve effectively planned your retirement in a way that will benefit and support you. Here are 3 tips for planning retirement in 2015.

1.) Manage your Medicare
When it comes to retiring in Arizona, it’s essential that you sign up for Medicare as soon as you are eligible to. In fact, it’s best to submit the paperwork for Medicare up to three months before the age of sixty-five to avoid possible penalties for late sign up. Having an idea of Medicare costs in advance will also help you budget for out of pocket costs should they arise.

2.) Sign up for Social Security
Did you know that when you sign up for Social Security can affect how much you receive each month? The earlier you sign up, the less you’ll receive. Most Baby Boomers are eligible to receive full benefits at age sixty-six, however waiting to claim your social security benefits until you’re seventy increases your payments. Before you decide, talk to a financial planner to better understand the benefits of claiming Social Security early or delaying it beyond full retirement age.

3.) Have a plan “B”
It’s always good to have a plan “B” when it comes to planning for retirement, because you never know when an emergency will arise. Covering your basic monthly costs in retirement doesn’t give you enough wiggle room should your vehicle break down or should out of pocket Medicare costs end up higher than expected. Continue contributing to an emergency fund in retirement to cover unexpected bills or expenses.

Retirement is an exciting and sometimes overwhelming life transition. Making essential preparations early and utilizing these 3 tips for planning for retirement in 2015 will help make the transition into retirement more seamless and enjoyable. Worry less, enjoy more. Need more information about retiring in Arizona or looking for a retirement community to call your own?

Sun City Grand Golf Course Community

This coyote decided he needed a little drink from my water feature in my back yard. He may have been looking for dinner too. Be sure to watch your family pets and don't let them out alone.