Stephen Johnson
Stephen Johnson was ECI’s previous Executive Director and retired after 38 years at ECI. Several memorial documents regarding Steve are featured on a Memorial page at http://endependence.org/memorial/
Category Archives: items of interest
Ensure Financial Security for Adults with Disabilities
Ensure Financial Security for Adults with Disabilities
When you think of retirement, you may think of the distant future, nowhere near today. But old age occurs faster than we expect, and it’s important to be financially prepared for your needs. If you are affected by disabilities, then you have an ever greater need to begin financial planning, as you may already be able to anticipate your care needs as you age. It is never too soon or too late to begin planning and saving, so let’s discuss your options.
Start Financial Planning ASAP
It’s important to begin planning now for your future, especially if you anticipate having specific care needs later. According to CNBC, the earlier you can start saving, the better. People often underestimate the amount they will need in retirement, so you may want to utilize a retirement calculator to help estimate your needs. Set aside as much as you can and invest it wisely to ensure that you will have the best care available to you when you need it most.
Receiving Federal Financial Assistance
Anyone affected by disabilities qualifies for financial federal assistance through several programs. The Social Security Administration offers Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income to families affected by disability. There are some stipulations and requirements, so be sure to reach out to a specialist to understand if and how you qualify. You may also qualify early for Medicaid or Medicare to help pay for your health expenses. Research now to find out which will benefit you the most so that you are prepared down the road when you need the help.
Invest in Final Expense Insurance
Another type of insurance that you will want to invest in is burial insurance. Purchasing burial insurance will help protect the finances of your loved ones by covering your funeral expenses and other outstanding bills you may leave behind. It may seem morbid to consider your death at a younger age, but it’s an important part of planning and takes the burden off of your loved ones. Be sure to also have a conversation with your family to let them know your end-of-life wishes. It’s never too soon to have that conversation because you never really know what curveball life will throw your way. Planning now will alleviate the burden of decision-making, allowing your loved ones to focus on navigating your loss.
Make a Plan for Care
In addition to having a conversation with your family regarding your end-of-life wishes, be sure to properly document everything as well. There is more than just a will that you can draw up to protect your finances, estate, and care wishes. Forbes highlights the importance of medical documents like Advanced Directives and Physicians Orders For Life Sustaining Treatments to make clear what treatments you want administered. It’s also important to assign a Power of Attorney that you trust to make the proper decisions for both your medical care and your finances. Hopefully, at this point you have money saved up and quality insurance to cover your needs, but it is helpful to have someone to act and sign on your behalf if necessary.
Thinking about the end of your life and planning out potential needs may seem off-putting or in the distant future. But don’t procrastinate or put it off until you are older. Having a solid plan in place with sufficient finances and insurance will help you get the best care possible. It also takes the responsibility off your loved ones to help finance your care or make big decisions. Plan your future now.
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PLEASE NOTE: ECI does not promote these websites and to talk with an IL Coordinator at ECI regarding this article if you have questions or concerns.
Scam: Social Security
Please beware of individuals impersonating Social Security employees over the phone. Reports about fraudulent phone calls from people claiming to be from SSA continue to increase, and recent reports have indicated unknown callers are using increasingly threatening language in these calls. If you suspect you have received a scam call, you should hang up, and then report details of the call to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report
Living Independently with Assistive Technology
The Southside Housing and Supportive Services Regional Implementation Team is pleased to announce the release of a video series, titled “Living Independently with Assistive Technologyâ€, that highlights the various types of assistive technology items that can be used to help a person with a disability live in their own home in the community. This series also features two individuals, Jesse and Angela, who live in their own homes with the support of: 1) rental assistance (e.g., Housing Choice Voucher Program, SRAP, etc.); 2) DD Medicaid Waiver supports; and 3) assistive technology improvements that have allowed them to maximize their independence.  The Living Independently with Assistive Technology video has also been broken down into four short video segments based on the type of assistive technology. It is recommended to view the video in its entirety before accessing the segmented videos. To see the video, please visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_xMN7OeHxw.
How Can I Help?
Contributions
 The Endependence Center, as a non-profit organization, is continually pursuing funds  necessary to serve the South Hampton Roads area. If ECI is going to maintain the level of  services it currently is providing, or if ECI is to expand services to more fully serve South  Hampton Roads, we must depend on contributions from supporters of independent living in  the community. Individuals that believe in the work of ECI can show support by making an  annual contribution. Your donation can make possible the continuation and expansion of  needed services to individuals with disabilities in the community.
Make a donation to the Endependence Center by clicking on the PayPal button on the left
of the screen out of your bank account or credit card (you do not need to have your own
PayPal account).
Your contribution to ECI as a non-profit organization is tax deductible as we are a 501(c)3
organization (EIN 54-1250288). You will receive written acknowledgement for tax purposes.
Become a Partner in Independence
 Support the Endependence Center (ECI) to continue its important work by committing to
support Independent Living each month. Just $100 per month will help ensure that the
Endependence Center can continue to provide advocacy skills training, resource
information and direct independent living services across the region (i.e., Peer Mentoring).
The Annual Goal is to bring on 100 Partners in Independence at the $100 per month level.
This funding will help offset state and local government cuts to the Endependence Center
and ensure that our services remain free and available for anyone with a disability.
 For more information or to become a Partner In Independence, click here.
Endowment Fund Program
 Ways To Support This Fund Include:
Cash Contributions
Cash is the easiest and most popular form of gift and offers the donor a tax deduction equal  to the full value of the gift.
Life Insurance Policy
You may donate an old policy to this Fund, receiving an immediate tax deduction, usually in  the amount equal to policy cash surrender value, or you might choose to name this Fund as a  beneficiary to your insurance policy.
Charitable Bequests
A bequest is a gift of property or cash stated in your will that goes to a person or organization  at the death of the person making the will. A charitable bequest is completely deductible from  the donor’s estate, likely lowering estate taxes owed. This Fund continues your good work in  your name permanently, a living symbol of your caring.
Gifts Of Personal Property
Through inheritance or investment, donors may have accumulated personal property that can  be valuable-yet sometimes costly to insure or sell. This could include art collections, real
estate (residential, farm, developed, or undeveloped), antiques, even oil, gas, or mineral  rights may be converted into assets to be given to this Fund.
Publicly Traded- Securities
You donate stocks and bond to this Fund and get the maximum allowable tax deduction for  their full market value and ECI receive continuing income from the proceeds of the sale of  these securities.
Gifts From an Estate or Trust
You as the executor or trustee under a will, have instructions to allocate a certain amount of  money to charity. You may establish a Memorial Fund, honoring the deceased and with the  approval of the court, if necessary, you may arrange to have the charitable portion of the  estate paid to this Fund.
Your Contribution
With 40 years of combined service to their community, the Endependence Center, Inc. and  the Hampton Roads Community Foundation are pleased to announce their partnership in providing an opportunity for charitable giving that will assure services to the local disability community continue far into the future.
Your gift will become a part of the principle in a Fund that generates interest to support  Independent Living Programs and Services provided by the Endependence Center to  persons with disabilities in South Hampton Roads.
For further information or consultation, please contact:
Hampton Roads Community Foundation
101 W Main Street, Suite 4500 Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-7951
 YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL!