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Which means no support system, I know that if I do not die suddenly I will need to sell everything and move into an apartment in independent or assisted living. I have no idea how to manage all the decisions that would need to be made. Are there available services to help with that?

It would be good to make some investigations now when you are quite able to do it. If you live now in a ‘gated retirement community’ there should be some care support services available, or information about how to get them. You can’t be the first to age! There may be no point in moving to independent living, which is much like what you have now. If your health deteriorates quickly (eg a stroke), assisted living may not be appropriate either.

The best thing would probably be to do some investigation of your own, using this site. If you click on the magnifying glass symbol at top right on the page, you can search all the options and all the terms you need to know more about. You can probably arrange to go and have a look at the options, on the ground. Once you have a reasonably good idea of what you might want to do, you can find out how to go about it and what assistance will be available, eg what agents are usually chosen to sell the gated community dwellings. But you need to have some idea of what option/s you would want help with.
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Reply to MargaretMcKen
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See your local Agency for Aging for ideas. They should be able to help you plan. As Margaret says, your own current community may have some resources too. Let us know how you make out. I am 88 and living in a condo. I know the next step, should I live that long, is assisted living or a nursing home, but I am in Canada and I think it is simpler here than the US.
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I was thinking some more, and I’d suggest that you ask around (or ask the biggest busy body) for anyone else in the retirement community who would like to find out more about moving-on options. Another single or couple could make looking around easier for you - share taxis, reactions and discussions about what you think. Make it clear that it’s about future options, not help in doing it right now. Good luck!
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You have some good suggestions so far. I would add, you can search for “geriatric care management near me” and if you find something near you, they will know what the local options are.

Kudos to you for asking!

the fact that your screen name is “GGoftwo” makes me guess you have grandchildren old enough to have children of their own. Are they in your life?
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You should contact an elder law attorney in your area first of all. You can discuss with her or with him things you need to work on getting in place. They will help you find a good Fiduciary who is licensed to help you with everything you may need in future; they work with them in the courts and typically know the best ones. It is not uncommon for family members to not exist, or to be incompetent in acting for needy family members. They will pay bills, work on best placement, and in general manage taxes and etc for you.

So in the new year, off you go to a good elder law attorney in your area. Wishing you the best.
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MargaretMcKen Dec 1, 2025
No. The attorney won’t make choices for you. You need to decide for yourself what you want to do. Then the attorney helps you to do it.
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Please start researching your Assisted Living, Nursing Homes and your Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) options! Most of us will one day be you! If you look around inside most of these options, you will see that are full of women! I would rather select my future home, than have a social worker at an ER suddenly decide. Document where you would want to go if something happened.
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Reply to Caregiveronce
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See and elder attorney then find someone to consult from aginglifecare.org so that you can establish a team of professionals to help take care of you.
I live in a community of 55 plus. Some neighbors do help needy people but there is a point. I find that if a resident stops paying bills and is unsafe, the HOA can petition probate to assign guardianship who will help place a person in care and sell the home. This too requires billables from professionals.
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Reply to MACinCT
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Realtors and some auction houses can help with this.

Start touring assisted living and independent living communities. They can help with the transition.
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Reply to brandee
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Most importantly you will need to string together a line of legal representatives and decision-makers for yourself. The attorney may have some ideas but you cannot at your age leave this a blank in your paperwork. You are in a demographic called Elder Orphan and you have lots of company. You may be advised to create a trust, which is common, but you will need reliable (and young) trustees who are local to you. Maybe also consider a Geriatric Care Manager or service. My PoA includes a form for a Pre-Need Guardian just in case my PoAs are not able to get their authority activated. Lots to ponder and you will need to revisit this every few years to make sure the support network is still in place.
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