The Informer October 9, 2020

The Informer

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Senior Living...Mayflower Style

Celebrate the Holidays?

Like a flamboyant houseguest, the coronavirus continues to dominate everything we do. The difference: this one refuses to go away after 7 months…and can make you really sick!

In a recent posting on its website, the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) stated, “Rosh Hashanah, Yum Kippur, Halloween, Dia de Los Muertos, Navratri, Diwali, and Thanksgiving will likely need to be different this fall to prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Avoid activities that are higher risk for spread. Consider fun alternatives that pose lower risk of spreading the virus.”

In a posting to their website on September 21^st (and not subsequently deleted!), the CDC offered some very helpful guidance. The information in this sending is derived mostly from that site.

Specifically for Halloween:

· Cancel your trick-or-treat excursions this year.

· Do not use a costume mask in lieu of a cloth face mask.

· Show off your costumes at a distance, preferably outside.

· Carve pumpkins among members of your immediate household and display them afterwards.

· If you offer treats, wrap them individually and leave them at a distance outside.

· Avoid haunted houses, tractor rides, fall festivals, and large crowds.

Specifically for Thanksgiving:

· Unfortunately, one of the hallmarks is the gathering of family members who live some distance apart. That type of gathering enhances the risk of COVID-19 spread. Substitute virtual gatherings where possible.

· If you must travel, take extreme precautions and consider a 14-day self-quarantine when you return home.

· Limit the size of your dinner gathering, being especially mindful of mask-wearing (when not eating) and social distancing. Limit the amount of time spent at the gathering.

· Instead of an in-person gathering, consider a virtual dinner and recipe-sharing.

· If you prepare holiday food for delivery to others, do so in as “contactless” manner as possible, thoroughly washing your hands before and after.

Here are some key CDC guidelines:

1. Get a flu shot. As of now, the time is right for doing so. For people over age 65, the CDC recommends the “high-dose” shot. With four times the concentration of antigens, the high-dose version provides better immune response. Sanctioned research found that it was 24% more effective than the regular dosage in preventing the flu.

2. Limit family gatherings to immediate family members. Just because someone is family, that does not mean that they cannot infect other family members, especially after traveling from other geographic areas.

3. Choose outdoor gatherings whenever possible. The weather will soon not be conducive to most outdoor events, but they are safer than indoor celebrations.

4. Be sensitive to local COVID-19 conditions. For example, Poweshiek County, home of The Mayflower Community, has experienced an increasing rate of infections.

5. Expect infection rate increases to continue. Combined with the increase in indoor socializing and schools reopening, the federal government is now requiring periodic testing of long-term care facility employees. Not previously a requirement, this step will likely uncover more cases of COVID-19 in asymptomatic employees.

6. Be aware of crowd size. The more people present at an event, the less social distancing will be available, and more potentially-infected people will be present.

Be cautious during this holiday season. However, no one is suggesting that you fall into the trap described by comedian Fallon: “Yeah, Halloween will be different. If you see a house covered in cobwebs, those aren’t decorations. Those are people who haven’t gone outside since March!”

-Bob Mann, Sales & Marketing Director

Celebrating His 80^th Birthday at Mayflower

So, how do you celebrate your 80^thbirthday during the pandemic? Well, if you are Dick Vogel (with the assistance of wife Sis) and live in The Mayflower Community, you share your birthday with over 200 of your closest neighbors!

That’s what Dick did on Wednesday, September 30^th by providing Wells Blue Bunny ice cream treats from Mayflower’s kitchen to all independent living apartment and patio residents at Mayflower. Delivered by the Food Service staff, the big hits were the “vanilla sundae cones” (drumsticks) and ice cream bars and sandwiches. Blue Bunny describes the latter as “vanilla-flavored frozen dairy desert nestled between two soft chocolate cookie wafers” (hungry yet?).

After the day of ice cream deliveries, the Vogels hosted a party in their apartment. Guests all received face shields so that they could see each other smile. The great room was set up with coveys of chairs and couches spaced six-feet apart. The wine was served with straws to be enjoyed while wearing the face shields.

Dick shared the day with close neighbor Darwin Kinne, local retired veterinarian, whose birthday is also September 30^th….but Darwin is a lot younger

-Bob Mann, Sales & Marketing Director

UnLOCKIN the Power of Philanthrophy:

"Legacy Giving...Simple and Sound!"

My two prior messages featured a popular Legacy Giving technique (the charitable gift annuity) and a popular Legacy Giving asset (your Individual Retirement Account). I continue this week with “creative planning” thoughts not focused on a single technique or asset. Instead, the focus is creating a personal legacy plan that is simple, sound, and flexible. Here are the key elements:

An “If-Then” Plan

The majority of people I serve have hesitations about a legacy giving plan because of the unknowns in their future. Personal income security, medical or health care expenses, and providing for children, grandchildren, siblings or others are the real concerns people mention most. If any of this describes you, explore your legacy planning with a commitment to an “if-then” plan.

This strategy is as simple as it sounds: the charitable provision(s) of your plan will only happen IF enough assets remain to first satisfy your personal and family provisions. Here are a few examples:

Residual Provisions

Most wills and trusts are drafted such that your specific provisions for family and other heirs are first priority in the distribution of your estate. IF assets remain after these specific provisions are made, they are referred to as the “residue” of your estate and THEN your documents describe your wishes for distributing this amount. You can be very creative with the distribution of your estate’s “residue,” including percentages to family and charity, or fixed amounts to charity and the rest to family. The bottom line remains that your charitable provisions only happen if your wishes for family have been satisfied.

Charitable Accounts

When mentioning “charitable accounts,” I first think of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), though bank accounts and other (non-retirement plan) investment accounts can work well too. The plan is to set up a separate “charitable” account, over which you retain ownership and control. One or more charities are named as the account beneficiary. You transfer to this “charitable” account an amount that represents what you would give to (one or more) charities if your estate, as it is right now, were being distributed.

Going forward, the “plan” is to not spend amounts from your “charitable” account during your lifetime, and allow the balance ultimately to pass to charity. However, if personal or family needs arise, the charitable account is fully available to you.

Final Thoughts

The preceding thoughts all underscore the fact that the vast majority of charitable legacy plans in this country are revocable. Keeping the right to change your mind based on an uncertain future has and will always be at heart of sound planning.

I welcome an opportunity to explore how an “if-then” strategy might fit your circumstances and help Mayflower care for many generations of amazing seniors.

With a Charitable Gift Annuity, you get paid to leave a charitable legacy.

Doug Lockin 515.210.6603 or dlockin@mayflowerhomes.com

Treasure Chest:

October's Treasure Chest display is Halloween-themed, a collection brought to you by Sue Drake, started from practically the day she was born!

On October 1^st, Sue Drake, accompanied by her daughter Melody and mutual friend, Paige Everly, appointed The Mayflower Community “Treasurer Chest” with Halloween decorations. Each month, the display in this special area of the Pearson lobby, changes to a collection of a different variety.

A Mayflower Residents Association committee of residents, chaired by Sue, oversees this work.

MRA Executive Council Meeting:

The MRA Town Meeting, is scheduled for Monday October 19 on Zoom at 2:00 P.M

Please contact Gene Wubbels for more information or to have access to the virtual meeting.

COVID-19 Scams…Be Aware

Recently, a resident of Grinnell’s Mayflower Community received a phone call from a party identified on her caller ID as another resident. Happy to hear from this party, the resident answered the phone with a cheerful greeting.

As it turned out, not only was it not the other resident, it was a telephone solicitor (nicer term than “scammer.”). When asked to explain what was happening, the caller rebuffed the resident’s questions and launched into his scheme.

There are two warnings here. First, telephone solicitors can pick up any phone number, usually a local one, for display on caller ID. Second, since the start of the pandemic, the number of scam calls has increased significantly.

The following information is provided by the website, Security Boulevard.

In the last seven months, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has received over 175,000 consumer reports related to Covid-19 scams, totaling a whopping $118.81 million in losses.

So far, the top fraud reports relate to:

· Online shopping – 26,792 reports

· Travel and vacations – 21,674 reports

· Credit cards – 6,063 reports

· Banks, savings & loans, and credit card unions – 4,717 reports

· Healthcare – 4,109 reports

The #1 type of fraud, online shopping, resulted in $16 million in losses, according to the latest report. However, COVID-19 complaints related to fraud, identity theft, Do Not Call, and other consumer protection problems were also noted as a troubling trend.

“These are scams that trick people into ordering products like masks, hand sanitizer, and other high-demand items that never arrive,” the FTC said. “People are also reporting scam text messages related to bogus offers to earn income, phony economic relief programs, fake charities, and government imposters.”

The consumer protection agency also expects an uptick in phone scams leveraging the pandemic and government economic stimulus packages, as imposters seek personal and financial information.

Although the median loss fell from a reported $570 in April to $290, the number of submitted complaints has increased sharply, suggesting scammers are becoming more successful.

It’s critical to stay ahead of scammers and pay attention to red flags pointing to fraud. The FTC advises online shoppers to do some homework before ordering products online, paying attention to the company website and products.

Whatever you do, don’t provide personal or financial information via phone, email, and text messages, even if the person who contacts you claims to be a government or financial institution.

If you suspect you have been scammed, inform local authorities and contact your bank to dispute the charges. Brush up on spotting online shopping scams, and install a local security solution to ward off threats and protect your personal data from cybercriminals.

-Bob Mann, Sales & Marketing Director

Mayflower Is Doing “IT” with Residents

In this time of heightened electronic communications, The Mayflower Community (Grinnell IA) has been offering a helpful service to its residents, “‘IT’ with You and Me.”

Victoria Collins, Mayflower’s Community Development and Well-Being Coordinator, offers one-on-one technology training sessions to provide instruction in the use of Zoom®, iPhones, other “smart” cellular devices, and personal computers. “IT” is an acronym for Information Technology.

After living in a number of states and in the country of Spain, Victoria’s family moved to Grinnell prior to her junior year of high school. She graduated Grinnell High School and went on to earn an education degree from Drake University. Pursuing her interest in food, culture, and history, Victoria earned an MLA (master of liberal arts) in Gastronomy and Wine Studies from Boston University. When she is not working for Mayflower on a part-time contract basis, she works with a weddings and events planning firm and, in addition, is currently conducting research for an upcoming exhibit at Washington DC’s National Museum of Women in the Arts.

The resident signs up for an initial session with Victoria. During the time together, Victoria and the resident decide what additional time they will need.

Recently, Victoria worked with resident Karen Packard to assist her in managing her electronic photographs. When asked what she took away from the IT with You and Me session, Karen said, "I learned a way to organize my photos on my computer." According to Victoria, the next session with Karen will be focused on iPhone usage.

-Bob Mann, Sales & Marketing Director

‘IT’ with You and Me

“‘IT’ with You and Me” is a technology service that our Community Development and Well–Being Coordinator, Victoria Collins, is offering to Mayflower residents. This service entails a one-hour training session with Victoria, who will be dealing with your technology-related questions. If you would like to sign up for an “‘IT’ with You and Me” session, please call Deb Jack at the Mayflower Receptionist desk (641-236-6151) and schedule your session. Victoria will meet you at your home.

Available Residencies:

Restarting the Calendar of Events

If you wish to add to the Mayflower every-other-week published calendar, please email or call Deb Jack. Currently listed will be the movies on Saturdays in The Keisel Theater and The Men’s Coffee Group , Buckley 3^rd floor lounge, Thursday mornings 8:30.

Thank you,

Deb Jack

djack@mayflowerhomes.com

641-236-6151 ext. 100