Free Family Caregivers Kit: Information and Help for Orlando Seniors or Their Family Caregivers

by Lisa D'Aloise

A few years ago, the newspaper advice columnist Dear Abby (Abigail Van Buren) and the U.S. government teamed up to promote the free "Family Caregivers Kit," a collection of brochures and information designed to help family caregivers in Orlando and elsewhere navigate the maze of issues and concerns faced by older seniors and those who care for them.

How We Help Orlando Seniors and Family Caregivers with Late-In-Life Moves

While the brochures are no longer available by mail in hard copy form, they are available online for viewing.

As Certified Senior Housing Professionals in Oviedo, Orlando, and all across Orange County, Florida, Michele and I - the Estate Conversions Team of Keller Williams Realty - wanted to make sure you had easy access to all these resources and solid information.

Helping Orlando Seniors Manage Money

Managing an Older Parent's Money: Help for Those with a Power of Attorney

How to Manage Your Parent's Money: Help for Those with Guardianship or a Conservator 

Help for Representative Payees and Veterans Administration (VA) Fiduciaries

Help for Orlando Seniors in Managing Your/Their Medication

Complete List of Senior Caregiver Resources from the U.S. Government

Senior Citizens Resources in Orlando and Across the Country

End-of-Life Issues and Long Distance Caregiving 

Medicare Assistance for Family Caregivers in Florida and Across the U.S.

At Orlando Senior Housing, we help Central Florida seniors or their family caregivers learn how to age-in-place or prepare for a late-in-life move from a larger home to a smaller apartment or senior housing community. We provide end-to-end advice, organization, and service for the entire move, including selling an Orlando house. Contact Michele Moon or Lisa D'Aloise for a no-obligation analysis and casual chat.

3 beds, 2 baths, $225,000

Our Featured Orlando, Florida House for Sale

DRIVE...BUY!!! This home has been lovingly cared for and it shows! The floor plan is ideal and features a spacious living room and dining room off the foyer and an open kitchen and family room combo. The screen porch has nice brick pavers, a gas line and overlooks a scenic POND and CONSERVATION area.

Orlando Senior Community Review: The Bridge at Orlando

by Michele Moon

As Certified Senior Housing Professionals who specialize in helping seniors sell a family home and "downsize" to a more manageable living environment, we regularly tour and inspect senior communities in Central Florida. It's all part of our job to ensure that we - The Estate Conversions Team of Keller Williams Realty - can provide the best recommendations and senior housing options for a late-in-life transition.  

The Bridge at Orlando is an assisted living and independent living community that features five apartment floor plans to choose from. Situated amid a park-like campus complete with gazebo and picnic areas, their retirement services include:

Monthly lease with no buy-in
Variety of apartments
Restaurant-style fine dining
Scheduled transportation
Fitness center
Housekeeping services

The activity schedule features trips, socials, hobby groups, educational seminars and live entertainment, while the restaurant-quality dining may be enjoyed in the community dining room or, if you wish a larger gathering for guests, in the private dining room.

The Estate Conversions Team: We Specialize in Home Sales and Real Estate Services for Seniors on the Move

Of course, everyone loves saying goodbye to vacuuming, cleaning, dusting, preparing meals, and washing linenes. These household and apartment maintenance chores are taken care of by the staff at the Bridge at Orlando.

Health and Wellness plans are customized for each resident, and fitness classes ranging from yoga to walking groups are provided for individuals and focused on each residents' experience and fitness level, in addition to their level of independence.

The Bridge at Orlando: Visit Their Website

In addition to the exercise room, other popular areas on the grounds include:

Cozy lounge with fireplace
Comfortable lounge areas
Hair salon
Craft room
Ice cream parlor
Billiards room
Library
Laundry facility

If you are a senior or the family caregiver of an older adult and need advice or information on selling a long-held family home and potentially moving to an Orlando-area retirement community, please feel free to contact us. We - Lisa D'Aloise and Michele Moon - are specifically trained and experienced in helping seniors and their families navigate the complexities of a late-in-live move.

Our Featured Winter Springs, Florida House for Sale

There is plenty to love in this fabulous 4 bed, 3 bath, office, plus BONUS room home! This is an Engle Monterey floor plan with an added large, downstairs bonus room, extended master bedroom and screened porch with extended patio. The chef's kitchen features a built in double oven, center island, desk space, travertine flooring and overlooks the family room. The home also features bamboo wood flooring, large formal areas, plantation shutters and a side entry, three car garage.

Resources for Seniors and Family Caregivers in Orlando

by Michele Moon
The Estate Conversions Team

Family caregivers in Orlando - those who take care of an older adult - do exceptional work! As Certified Senior Housing Professionals - Realtors who help family caregivers and seniors in the sale of a family home and move to a new phase of life - we at Estate Conversions regularly come across people who are at the forefront of this demanding time in life.

The Estate Conversions Team: Specializing in Home Sales for Orlando Adults 55+

It's part of our job to know as much as possible about opportunities that can make life a bit better and easier for both those caregivers and their loved ones. I wanted to use this blog post to provide information on some of the community resources available to family caregivers across central Florida.

Veterans Administration Caregiver Support

If you're the family caregiver of a veteran in Orlando, from Oviedo to Lake Mary to Live Oak to Winter Springs to Altamonte, the Veterans Administration provides a wide variety of resources to help not only the veteran, but also YOU - the family caregiver of a veteran. These include respite programs, the free, online workshop "Building Better Caregivers," and plenty of other assistance.

Family Caregiver Support at the Orlando VA Medical Center

The Orlando VA Family Caregiver Support Coordinators are:

Elinor Splitter, MA, MSW, LCSW: 321-397-6465

James Conte, MSW : 407-646-4055

Jane Hoke Otto, RN: 407-271-2311

Richard Kennedy, RN: 407-646-4100

Central Florida Alzheimers and Dementia Resource Center

A fantastic local resource for Orlando family caregivers of those with these illnesses.

Alzheimers Association Central Florida Support Groups

Share the Care: Adult Day Care and Respite

Based on income with sliding scale fees

Senior Resource Alliance: Central Florida

Central Florida's Area Agency on Aging serving seniors, caregivers and aging services providers in Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties.

Orlando Counsel for Caregivers

As Certified Senior Housing Professionals, we at the Estate Conversions Team - Lisa D'Aloise and Michele Moon - consider it an honor to help boomers, seniors, and family caregivers with any and all questions they may have about the caregiving or downsizing/moving process. Reach us anytime here or fill out the contact form on the right sidebar.

Lake Mary, Florida House for Sale

2014 Orlando Family Caregiver Conference

by Michele Moon

As Certified Senior Housing Professionals - real estate agents who specialize in helping seniors downsize, sell their home, and move to a new phase in their lives - we at Estate Conversions Team of Orlando realize the pressures and amazing work that family caregivers offer those they love.

Buy or Sell a House in Orlando: Contact Lisa or Michele of The Estate Conversions Team at Keller Williams Realty

Whether you care for a senior spouse, parent, or other loved one, it's our goal with this blog to ensure that family caregivers, boomers, and seniors of all ages are aware of and have access to the many resources in Central Florida available to enhance their lives.

One of those resources is the Fearless Caregiver Conference which makes it's way to Orlando this month on January 30, 2014.

It will run from 8:30am - 2:30pm at the Holy Trinity Reception & Conference Center, 1217 Trinity Woods Lane, Maitland, FL 32751.

More Information on the Orlando Family Caregivers Conference

You'll get advice on how to balance family, work, and caregiving while learning to win support from family members. It's also an opportunity to pick the brains of a wide variety of experts and get your caregiving questions answered, while figuring out the particulars of how to obtain financial and community resources for caregivers in Orlando, Oviedo, Orange County and throughout the area.

Family Caregivers: Click Here for Free Tickets

In addition to exhibitors with a wealth of information, a round-table question and answer session will cover topics such as respites options, financial and legal issues, getting a parent to stop driving, Alzheimer’s care, grandparent caregiving, depression, stress management, and adult day services.

If you need advice on real estate services for seniors and their caregiver families, including everything you need to know about making a late-in-life move, please feel free to contact Lisa or Michele of the Estate Conversions Team of Orlando.

Oviedo House for Sale: Oviedo, FL 32765 4 beds, 2 baths, $215,000

Orlando Senior Real Estate Specialists and Certified Senior Housing Professionals

Here's a question for you: Are you aware of the fact that there are a select group of real estate agents who are specifically trained and educated in how to eloquently serve seniors and older adults 55+?

Do you think there's any difference between a regular real estate agent and one who specializes in working with senior citizens or their caregiver families?

The short answer is that yes, there is. And we at The Estate Conversions Team of Keller Williams Realty in Orlando are part of a national movement to help seniors drive through the wide variety of emotional, financial, and family issues that younger home sellers simply do not face.

We both - Michele Moon & Lisa D'Aloise - are Certified Senior Housing Professionals (CSHP) of The Seniors Real Estate Institute, a global organization that exists to educate and equip senior housing and real estate professionals across the world to effectively navigate the complexities of late in life moves for senior adult clients.

Our Approach is to Serve as a Friend, Adviser, and Business Partner

It's about being more than a "normal" realtor. Our focus is on serving as a trusted adviser that helps seniors or their caregiver children understand their options when considering the sale of a family home and move to another.

We zero in on being caring advocates, skilled real estate agents, and master collaborators, in addition to brilliant guides and consultants!

We've also put together an extensive network of other professionals who serve seniors in the move process, making it easier for us to refer you to others like accountants, tax professionals, moving services, home health providers, and adult living communities. Best of all, we serve as the HUB for all of these professionals and work to make sure that all of them are meeting your needs and obligations to you.

Please feel free to contact us here at anytime for a no-obligation chat and details on how we may be of service with your home sale and move.