Seniors Learn How to Navigate Transitions from Expert Panel - St. John's

Familial relationships are often most tested in times of transition. Older adults and their families can get mired in the complexities of family dynamics when it comes time to downsizing the family home, making decisions about health care, or considering allocation of assets. Mediation, access to resources, and related services for older adults and their families is an area of great need, especially with the emotional trials brought about by the pandemic.

St. John’s hosted the panel talk event “Navigating Transitions for Better Outcomes” last evening to help address these untapped needs in the community. “Likely, everyone in this room has been through a change of some kind at some point in their lives,” said St. John’s Vice President of Marketing Jennifer Lesinski, who welcomed a full room of community members last evening to Brickstone by St. John’s Wintergarden.

From coping with the family dynamics of helping elderly parents get their financial and legal affairs in order to spouses seeing eye-to-eye about the right timing for moving into independent living, significant life stage transitions are often the time when the help of professionals is critical.

The panel of expert professionals who were on hand to share their insights and experiences included: Karen Menachof, owner of Caring Transitions and a seasoned Senior Real Estate Specialist with Howard Hanna; Dee Schwartz, Chief Program Officer, Jewish Family Services of Rochester, licensed Master of Social Work, as well as a certified advanced social work case manager; and Cyndy Rochford, an attorney with Rochford Law and Mediation who is admitted to practice in New York and trained in collaborative law, divorce mediation, elder care mediation, will drafting and estate planning.

During a full hour of discussion attendees asked questions ranging about such topics as durable powers of attorney, transitioning to higher levels of senior care, selling a home,  determining what household items to keep when moving, and having discussions with your adult children about end of life wishes.

One guest walked away feeling better about her upcoming transitions, saying “the panel discussion was very helpful. Your choice of presenters was wonderful. I learned a lot that can help me with transitioning. I didn’t realize that there were resources than can help me prepare to move. The legal information was relevant and important to me. Thank you for setting this up and inviting me.”