What's Next

Navigating Guardianship in Alaska - Resources for Current and Prospective Guardians

“Not everyone is aware they could be in a position to be a guardian for themselves or their loved ones,” says Lisa Wawrzonek, Administrator for ASAGA (Alaska State Association of Guardianship & Advocacy). Lisa knows the importance of establishing a plan for end-of-life or unexpected emergencies, but unfortunately, most people don’t. Due to this large discrepancy, Lisa continues to educate communities across Alaska about the tools and resources regarding adult guardianship and conservatorship in hopes of making the transition easier for everyone.  

The unfortunate reality is that you never know when something tragic might happen, and that is why Lisa encourages everyone to get their affairs in writing as soon as possible. While starting the process can be intimidating, Lisa explains that there are many tools available to help you. Lisa shares that the most important thing to do is educate yourself. ASAGA works with the Alaska Court System to help provide training videos, classes, and even personal mentors that will be there to guide you every step of the way.

Tune into this week’s episode of the What’s Next podcast to learn the difference between conservatorship and guardianship, what resources Alaska has to offer, and how you can talk with your family about making the decision that is best for you. 

 

Quotes:

• “Come July of 2017, we literally had a 625% growth so that really lets us know this is something that may be needed.” 

• “We would first encourage you to educate yourself about the options before guardianship, such as supported decision making agreements or powers of attorney.” (10:49-10:57)

• “The court has issued this order giving you permission to act on someone else's behalf. And because of that, the court has to monitor and enforce that order, no different than if it was a criminal or civil case.” (20:05-20:19)

• “We have to be mindful that while we are there to conserve and protect money, we are also there to enrich lives and allow decision making.” (39:11-39:15)

 

Links:

Alaska State Association for Guardianship & Advocacy (ASAGA) | https://asaga.info/

        Phone | 907-444-4015

        Email | asagaak@protonmail.com

        Annual Conference | https://asaga.info/conference/

        Featured trainings | https://asaga.info/er-featured-training/

https://www.guardianship.org/

Alaska Court System - Guardianship forms and resources | http://courts.alaska.gov/shc/guardian-conservator/index.htm

Alaska 211 | https://alaska211.org/

Alaska Disability Law Center | https://www.dlcak.org/

Truelink Financial | https://www.truelinkfinancial.com/

Alaska Statutory Power of Attorney (free, fill out on your own) | https://alaskalawhelp.org/resource/power-of-attorney-form?ref=JKmkS#iB409EEC2-01B9-4F60-9582-591BF2337F26

Alaska Statutory Health Care Directive (free, fill out on your own) | 

http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Director/Documents/advancedirective.pdf

 

For all of Liz Smith’s resources, give her a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizsmithlaw 

 

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Bravery and Bunnies - Charting a New Career Path for Yourself

Karen Tessandore, owner of Counseling for Her, had never been to college before the age of 40. After growing tired of living paycheck to paycheck, Karen knew it was time to make a change. Despite personal challenges and doubts from people in her life, Karen pushed through six years of school to pursue a master's degree in counseling. Today, she is a licensed therapist who is passionate about helping to inspire other women to navigate through transitional periods. 

When Karen was trying to figure out what was next for her, she reflected back on what she was good at. For her whole life, Karen has always been the friend that is there for people when they are down. She realized quickly that professional counseling would be a career where she could fulfill her passions and have financial stability for her family. For anyone who feels stuck, Karen suggests looking at the things that you already do. She explains that most times, that is where we can bring the most value. 

No matter what stage you are at in your life, you can make the change to get unstuck. Tune into this week’s episode of What’s Next to hear more about Karen’s inspirational journey. Learn more about her work at Counseling for Her, and how you can take the next steps towards a life that looks good on the outside but feels even better on the inside. 

 

Quotes:

• I just decided that this was my path. And once that decision was made, I never once have changed my mind. (16:10-16:19)
• “In America, we're fed through our culture the idea of fast success. But even the ones that we think we can look at that are fast successes, they're not fast, because it takes time to develop things.” (17:50-18:03)
• “Look at the things that you enjoy, and that seems easy to you. We have this feeling that when things are easy for us, they're not valuable. But if it's easy for you, maybe that is your skill, or that is the thing that you have to offer.” (23:15-23:29)

Links:

http://www.counselingforher.com/

https://www.counselingforher.com/values/

Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

For all of Liz Smith’s resources give her a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizsmithlaw 

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Incapacity Planning, Trusts, & What I‘m Excited About

“Estate planning is thinking about how to prepare so that if you are incapacitated, or you die, you have a plan in place,” says host and estate planning attorney, Liz Smith. In today’s episode, Liz takes a deep dive into how trusts work and explains the importance of planning for the end of life. 

One of the most commonly discussed topics in Liz’s career is incapacity. She has seen too many times the consequences of not planning for unexpected events. Many young people often think they can put off thinking about the end of life, but in reality, you just never know when tragedy may strike. According to Liz, the first step you want to take is to designate power of attorney to someone you trust ASAP. Many clients are concerned about the potential gray area when it comes to incapacitation, but Liz explains that it would take inputs from several physicians to determine whether or not you are capable of making your own decisions. Even though you may feel like you have enough trust in your family, it is required to have some form of legal documentation in order to pass decision-making responsibility onto someone else. Liz can’t stress the significance of getting this process started now to save you or your family time and money in the future. 

Tune into the first solo episode of the What’s Next podcast for a conversation with Liz Smith about end-of-life preparation. Expand your knowledge about planning for power of attorney, wills, and trusts so that you can better protect yourself from anything life may throw at you!

Quotes:

• ‘What I consider estate planning is thinking about how to prepare, so that if you are incapacitated, or when you die you have a plan in place.”  (03:19-03:30)
• “If you are out there and you do not have a power of attorney, and at least a single healthcare agent domination where you're saying who you want to make healthcare decisions for you if you cannot, then stop this right now and in the show notes will be a link to free power of attorney and health care forms documents.” (03:51-04:13)
• “With a power of attorney, you can decide what powers you want to give that person, I would say broader, the better.” (05:25-05:35)
• “The very basic thing that you want in place, of course, is a will. A will allows you to decide who you want to play in certain roles and where your assets go.” (13:12-13:24)

Links:

For all of Liz Smith’s resources give her a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizsmithlaw 

Free AK Power of Attorney: https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/family/docs/poa-booklet.pdf

Free AK Healthcare Directive: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Director/Documents/advancedirective.pdf

Five Wishes: https://fivewishes.org/

Dementia Directive from End of Life Washington: https://endoflifewa.org/tools-for-planning/dementia-directives/

Dementia Directive from Dartmouth: https://sites.dartmouth.edu/dementiadirective/

Webinar regarding end of life planning - with Vance Sanders and Liz Smith, hosted by the Foundation for End of Life Care: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXNrgVg6AWI

Ramit Sethi Podcast, I Will Teach You to be Rich: https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/podcast/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Buying Your First Home: With Real Estate Agent Heather Skaggs

Welcome! My name is Heather Skaggs and I am proud to be a Realtor with RE/MAX of Juneau. I’ve called Juneau home for over 35 years and I truly love the beauty of this community.

As a Realtor, I completely respect and value the trust that my clients place in me and I strive every day to exceed their expectations. My clients can count on me to make the process of buying or selling a home as stress-free as possible. I take great pride in being honest, dependable, and trustworthy.

As a Juneauite, I love the beauty that Alaska offers us and I’m proud to call Juneau my home. I value shopping locally, supporting small businesses, and participating in community events.

When you choose to work with me I will dedicate my time, attention, and expertise to every aspect of your home sale or purchase.

Tune into this week’s episode of the What’s Next podcast for a conversation with Heather Skaggs about all things real estate. Learn more about the roles and benefits of a real estate agent in the home buying process, how to hire the right agent, and how Heather saves her clients money in a legal and responsible way. 

Quotes:

• • “My job is to keep as much of my client's money in their pockets as I possibly can. There are several opportunities for negotiation throughout a real estate transaction, and I do my best to make sure that you get what you want without overpaying whenever possible.” (03:55-04:27)
  • “Just like most professions in life, I think the real benefit comes from the experience and seeing how things play out over and over and over again. That is the most beneficial education, right? Because sometimes it goes really bad. And sometimes there's something that you could have done about it, and sometimes there's not. But you know, it doesn't always go well and that's not something you learn in a book.” (08:30-09:16)
  • “It's a very personal decision. So my suggestion is that you need to find someone that you have fairly simple communication with.” (17:18-17:29)
  • “I think that you probably get the most honest feedback from people that have already used a realtor.” (18:24-18:37)

Links:

https://heatherskaggs.remax.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/HeatherSkaggs.Realtor 

For all of Liz Smith’s resources give her a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizsmithlaw 

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Intergenerational Connections and Reflective Storytelling

Overview:

Nim de Swardt, is a champion for co-generational connections. She understands that more can be achieved when people of all ages come together. Nim has dedicated her life's work to bringing together people of all ages and connecting them through their unique experiences. She currently sits as the founder of WIN|WIN, a service of self-discovery through storytelling.

As an experienced “lifestorian”, Nim envisions a world where people are connected to themselves and others through lived experiences. Nim is confident that her service can elevate the human experience and be used as an incentive for co-generational bonding. Nim is adamant that sharing our stories with others allows for knowledge to be passed from one generation to the next, and to her that is a win-win. 

Tune into this episode of the What’s Next podcast for a conversation with Nim de Swardt about the significance of intergenerational connection. Learn how to harness the power of your own life stories to promote wisdom and understanding for generations to come!

Quotes:

• “In large organizations usually executives from the top make decisions and they get pushed down. But what we wanted is to empowered a company of 6,500 employees to also contribute ideas up the pyramid.” (09:34-09:50) 
• “When you capture your life story you win and others win. We recognize that our lived experiences, our insights, our wisdom, and our stories are uniquely ours, but they can be mutually beneficial when shared with our loved ones.” (15:07-15:22) 
• “There is so much untapped wisdom in our elders, in terms of the lessons they have learned along the way.”  (20:33- 20:39)

Links:

https://www.thewinwin.life/

https://www.tomorrowsair.com/

https://www.nimdeswardt.com/

Books mentioned :

Wisdom at Work - by Chip Conley  The Second Mountain - by David Brooks 

Modern Elder Academy: https://www.modernelderacademy.com/ 

Workshops, including the upcoming intergenerational workshop to be offered soon:https://baja.modernelderacademy.com/workshops 

Wisdom Well Blog: https://wisdomwell.modernelderacademy.com/

Nim's blog that led Liz to find her: https://wisdomwell.modernelderacademy.com/i-just-hired-a-nearly-70-year-old-mentern

Seth Godin's Blog: https://seths.blog/

AltMBA : https://altmba.com/

Akimbo Workshops: https://akimbo.com/

Encore: https://encore.org/about/

For all of Liz Smith’s resources give her a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizsmithlaw 

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Navigating Loss and Illness

After the unexpected loss of her husband at a young age, Seanna O’Sullivan joined the board for the Foundation for End of Life Care. Three years later, she is the youngest person on the board and she sits as the president of the foundation. Seanna is focused on normalizing the conversation around death and helping others prepare end of life plans for themselves and family members. 

Because Seanna and her late husband had yet to reach the age of 50, they thought they had plenty of time to prepare for something like this. When her husband unexpectedly fell ill, there was little time to discuss the expectations and needs of either party. At the time of her husband's death, Seanna did not know anyone else her age who had experienced what she was going through. Trying to grieve, care for her husband, and plan for the future was incredibly overwhelming. Ultimately, she had to learn by herself how to navigate her new life on short notice. 

Tune into this episode of What’s Next for a comfortable conversation regarding one of life’s hardest moments. Learn about some of the resources available, how to have comfortable conversations regarding death, and the importance of preparing you and your loved ones for the end of life. 

Quotes:

• “For many of us, especially in this society, it becomes a real shock when we avoid the subject of death for so long in our lives and suddenly we are faced with it. Most of us don’t really know what to do.” (03:04- 03:14) 
• “If you can have as many things in place and you can talk about things then when that time comes you can focus on the rest of it like the time together.” (17:15- 17:28) 

Links:

For more information about the End of Life Foundation please visit:  https://www.foundationforendoflifecareak.org/

For all of Liz Smith’s resources give her a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizsmithlaw 

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Your Guide For Giving: Now & in the Future

“You don’t have to be a millionaire to leave something to help your community,” says Amy Skillbred, executive director of The Juneau Community Foundation. Amy has served many years on the board of directors for the foundation that has now raised $77 million dollars in funds. Throughout her time, she has helped the people in Juneau establish a plan to give back to their community in ways that represent them best. 

A lot of people don’t realize that with the proper planning they can make a difference in their community now and in the future. While we always think we have enough time to plan where and how our money will be distributed after we die, that is not always the case. Amy recommends getting your ideas written down and putting them into a will as soon as you can. The easiest way to delegate your funds is through a percentage to avoid future conflict.

Tune in to this episode of What’s Next for a conversation surrounding legacy. Learn how you can start planning to contribute to your community now and in the future! 

Quotes:

“The average bequest in the United States is about $35,000 and that's average across all 50 states. So you don’t have to be a millionaire to leave something to help your community or leave a legacy.”  (07:29- 07:44) 

“When you get to $100,000 you are giving out $5,000 a year and that can make a sustained difference.” (16:12-16:19) 

Links:

To donate or establish a foundation with The Juneau Community Foundation please go to: https://www.juneaucf.org/ 

You can contact Amy by email or telephone at: 

amy@juneaucf.org 907-321-8884

For all of Liz Smith’s resources please visit her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizsmithlaw 

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Welcome to the What's Next? Podcast

Welcome to “What's Next? Navigating Life's Transitions in Southeast Alaska” a podcast to help you plan for current and future life transitions.  An attorney in Southeast Alaska, Liz Smith focuses her law practice on estate planning, but this podcast brings much more than topics about who gets what and when! Liz hosts pleasant and practical conversations with industry leaders and practitioners in her community. We’ll investigate building and leaving your legacy, supporting aging loved ones and parents and the resources to assist you, and we'll dig into topics around birth (and special considerations for new parents), aging, and death, that will affect each of us.