Category Archives: 50-Plus

By Susan E. Campbell
The high-risk elderly population has faced greater challenges than most other demographic groups during the coronavirus pandemic. But although their doors are temporarily closed, local senior citizens centers have made sure their members stay safe through outreach and by shifting programs into the digital realm.
The Saratoga Senior Center did one-on-one phone calls to nearly 2,000 seniors who were either active members or who had recently not renewed memberships, according to Lois Celeste, executive director.
“Our first step was reassurance calls, then needs assessment,” Celeste said. “This resulted in a list of several hundred we have been calling daily.”

By Robert Snell
If you have decades to go until you retire, you don’t need to panic over volatile financial markets. You have plenty of time to regain lost ground and potentially achieve more growth in your investment portfolio.
But what if you are nearing retirement or already retired? After all, you will probably need to draw on your investments to pay for some of the costs associated with housing, food and the many other expenses you incur in daily life. So, is a down market cause for alarm?
It shouldn’t be. And you can help reduce your stress level by understanding your “reliance rate.” As its name suggests, your reliance rate tells you how much you rely on your portfolio—rather than other sources, such as Social Security or a pension—to meet your income needs during retirement.
Your reliance rate can influence your emotions and investment behavior. A higher reliance rate may tempt you to make emotional decisions during a market decline, since your portfolio is supplying more of your needs.

by Andrea Palmer
The Clifton Park Community Center provides a variety of services for those 50 and up. The town of Clifton Park took over the center in 2016 and has been running it ever since.
“Our programs are better than ever and our membership has increased tremendously, almost double in size,” said Susan Leonard, director of the center for the last two years. “We are all very proud of our accomplishments”

by Andrea Palmer
Saratoga Life is a Saratoga Springs-based insurance broker, providing solutions for insurance and Medicare issues to people over 50.
Kandis Paolone, owner, has lived in the area for 20 years.
“We now specialize mostly on senior products, such as Medicare,” she said.
Besides selling insurance, Paolone works at being a resource to seniors, as well as military veterans. She advises them about activities they may be interested in, special discounts, transportation and additional benefits they could be eligible for.

By Jennifer Farnsworth Maintenance-free living in Ballston Spa can be found at Kasey Pass Condos in Ballston Spa, a 36-unit community located within the Beacon Hill community. Pigliavento Builders of Schenectady did the construction. Alisha Pigliavento Houle of Alani Real Estate said anyone interested should act fast as 14 of the 36 units have...

By Jennifer Farnsworth
The Wesley Community in Saratoga is undergoing renovations.
Wesley CEO Brian Nealon said the $20 million project will include apartment renovations, a memory care assisted living facility and a training center.
Nealon said the entire project will take about three and a half years to complete, pending final approval from the city.
Renovations on the 37-acre property have already begun on the Springs building, the oldest part of the property, according to Nealon.
He said the fifth floor of the residential building has been completed and they will continue to work their way down to lower floors, working on about a quarter of the floor at a time.