Magnolia Manor Blog

Whether you’re actively independent or not quite as active as you once were, no one wants to sit around all day doing nothing. We all need stimulation to keep our minds, bodies, and spirits strong. Senior living fosters a sense of community and – here at Magnolia Manor, at least – provides a wealth of opportunities to exercise and socialize.

You are registered to vote, aren’t you? Seniors are notoriously strong when it comes to voting turnout, and you’re probably among those who are fully prepared for the general election in November. But what if you’ve recently moved to Georgia or to a different part of the state? Or you want to change your party affiliation?

This year, more than 268,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer – and more than 34,000 will die from it. With those numbers, it’s easy to understand that prostate cancer is the #2 cause of death among American men (lung cancer is #1). That’s why we “celebrate” September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

A Medicare premium reduction? With prices rising on virtually everything, you might think you misread that. However, the Medicare Part B premium really will be lower in 2023. That’s great news for more than 56 million seniors. But why, in a world of inflation, are we getting this price break?

Drug Pricing . . . but Not What You Think

The bears have it – for now, anyway. Any time the stock market becomes unusually volatile or takes a definite downturn, investors wonder if they should take action or just wait it out. This question affects seniors, especially, because the older you get the less opportunity you have to take a long-term approach to investments.

You may need that money soon to help pay for your retirement. Meanwhile, high inflation and talk of a possible recession also affect financial planning as well as daily living.

Here are some tips to weather this bear market.

Can you work and receive Social Security retirement benefits at the same time? Yes. Should you? Well, that depends. It’s important to understand that the issue isn’t only whether working will affect your benefit, but when you start receiving your benefits.

Retirement Benefits: There’s a Carrot, and There’s a Stick

If you still think of 65 as “retirement age,” think again. Due to very real concerns about future funding for the program and the fact that lots of Baby Boomers are retiring now, the SSA wants you to wait longer to start drawing benefits.

Welcome to Magnolia Manor in Columbus, Georgia! As our website says, we’re on “the banks of the Chattahoochee, where the Piedmont meets the Plain.” Sounds inviting, doesn’t it? And it is. While some of the nine Magnolia Manor campuses are quite large, we are a small community here in Columbus. Just 44 assisted living apartments plus two skilled nursing wings.

So, what is it like living and working here?

Our Magnolia Manor website contains lots of useful information about all nine of our campuses. But while living accommodations, care services, and amenities are all important factors in choosing a senior living community, prospective residents mostly want to know: what is it really like to live there? We try to portray that flavor as best we can, especially, in our quarterly Manor Living Magazine.

Things may not be back to normal yet – whatever “normal” may turn out to be – but here at Magnolia Manor our staff and residents are so happy to see the return of in-person events. Virtual get-togethers simply do not rise to the occasion like the opportunity to see, hear, and hug one another up close and personally.

So, you can be sure we are doing all we can to reconvene for activities small and large. Many of these activities center around our own campuses and residents, of course. But some also serve to reinforce the close relationships we enjoy with our surrounding communities. Here are two recent examples.

Nobody wants to admit they can’t do everything for themselves, especially after a lifetime of independence. The thought of having to move from one’s own home to assisted living or a memory care community can be so daunting that some seniors simply choose denial. Everything is just fine, thanks.