Life is often considered a journey, with many paths from which to choose. But as we age, that journey can become more difficult and direction is hard to find. Some of us find ourselves alone on the journey, unsure of which path to take or whom to turn to for guidance. Living by Your Design is a unique company that fulfills the role of travel guide by providing referrals for residential options and health care. It can also act as an advocate, assisting seniors with Social Security and Medicare.
\n\u201cOur goal is to enhance their quality of life,\u201d Buttice says. \u201cOur goal is to enhance their quality of life,\u201d Buttice says. \u201cWe focus on our clients, their families, and their needs and wants to make life easier for them. We help people through stuff and ease their burden of where to turn next.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where to turn next is a very personal decision. It may be instinctual to want to remain at home; it\u2019s familiar and comfortable. If that\u2019s the goal, Buttice says LBYD can assist with connections to home health care and other services that will enable seniors to continue living in their homes. \u201cWe want to keep people safe in their homes as long as possible,\u201d says Nancy Medendorp, life care planner at Skender Medical Consulting. She partners with Buttice to hold educational seminars to inform seniors of their options. It takes preparation to stay home. \u201cPeople often don\u2019t plan ahead. We do the leg work for them.\u201d
\nFor those who can\u2019t or don\u2019t want to remain in their homes, LBYD offers referrals to independent living facilities and nursing homes, where they receive three meals a day and have support personnel for their health and other needs. \u201cPeople used to make this decision using the shotgun approach,\u201d Buttice says. Housing decisions were often solely income-based and made under pressure. His network and years of experience help his clients plan ahead and narrow the selection process using broader criteria, starting with income but also including location, assets, medical need, and possibly memory care \u2013 for an immediate need or for the future. \u201cFifty percent of Parkinson\u2019s patients will develop dementia,\u201d he explains. \u201cOne move is less impactful. They keep the same friends and the same staff.\u201d Familiarity can be comforting. While most of the referrals provided by LBYD are free, sometimes there\u2019s a consulting fee.<\/p>\n
Much of the success of LBYD can be attributed to Buttice and his throng of cohorts, each with a specialty that can benefit his clients. \u201cSteve\u2019s been in business for 30 years and knows everyone,\u201d reflects Fadi Rustom, partner at Hall, Rustom, and Fritz, a full-service law firm in downtown Peoria. \u201cWe are borrowing on his reputation when we work with people he has referred to us.\u201d Rustom, who specializes in estate planning, is accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which imposes regulations about who can submit applications on behalf of veterans or surviving spouses of veterans. Having completed training and ethics courses, he is allowed to assist clients with applications for benefits and pensions.
\nThe VA has increased restrictions on qualifications, Rustom says, so having an expert navigate the process is beneficial. In addition, the VA has \u201climited staff,\u201d he notes, \u201cso they prefer applications that are properly filled out.\u201d Some of his clients have had their applications denied because they weren\u2019t completed correctly or were missing information. He explains that applicants can ask the VA to reconsider their application if new information is submitted. \u201cSome try to apply on their own or have family members help, but they often get denied. We resolve the issues and resubmit.\u201d Most aren\u2019t even aware of this service, which is why his relationship with LBYD is so advantageous. To be approved, a person must be at least 65 years old (or 55 if on Social Security disability), an honorably discharged veteran who served in the military a minimum of 90 days \u2013 with at least one day during the time of war \u2013 or be the un-remarried spouse of a veteran. Next, the VA looks at the applicant\u2019s medical condition, Rustom explains mental disorders and physical limitations that require assistance. Needing help with two or more activities of daily living qualifies an applicant for eligibility.
\nA financial element is also examined. If your monthly expenses exceed your monthly income, you are eligible. Many applicants assume all assets count toward eligibility when applying for VA benefits. Rustom can advise which assets do and don\u2019t count toward eligibility for VA pension benefits. Many applicants already receive Social Security benefits and possibly a work-related pension. Adding the VA monthly pension could provide a comfortable living. Financial flexibility gives people choices. Rustom says, \u201cThey can stay home with home health care, seek assisted living or stay in a nursing home.\u201d There is no charge for his services unless the application is approved. Rustom believes it\u2019s worthwhile because the path to approval is difficult and the process can take a long time; the average wait time is three months.<\/p>\n
VA pensions aren\u2019t the only complicated matters with which seniors struggle. People have a lot of questions about Social Security, says Beth Cooper, administrative assistant. \u201cIt\u2019s very complicated.\u201d Because it\u2019s important to understand all of your options, LBYD counselors can help clients by preparing questions for them to ask and providing a list of materials needed at their appointment. Medicare is another minefield that Buttice has experience dealing with. His knowledge stems from his certification in Gerontology from the University of Illinois and experience running Medical Reimbursement Services. \u201cPeople are working longer,\u201d he points out. \u201cSome aren\u2019t sure when to take Medicare, but they can\u2019t afford to make a mistake.\u201d For other financial matters, Buttice sometimes sends clients to Eric Marshall, the senior partner at Legacy Investment Services. He can help them manage their investments and plan for the future. \u201cWe have a strategic alliance with Living By Your Design,\u201d Marshall says.<\/p>\n
Buttice maintains many strategic alliances throughout the area, which is what makes his company so successful in assisting seniors. \u201cWhen clients need care during a challenging time in their lives, Steve\u2019s vast knowledge and resources give them direction,\u201d Marshall says. Whether families are working or are far away, it\u2019s often difficult to coordinate. That\u2019s where LBYD steps in. \u201cHe fills a special niche, with services tailored to the individual at a pace that fits them.\u201d Medendorp, who has referred several people to LBYD because she says it\u2019s \u201cthe only group of its kind in Illinois,\u201d calls it a one-stop-shop because of its broad network. \u201cThey cover the whole journey. They are calm, supportive, and can help in a crisis.\u201d Buttice modestly says that his organization merely connects people with other organizations and provides public awareness, but it\u2019s more than that. It\u2019s providing support and guidance along a difficult journey. It\u2019s lighting the way for others on an unfamiliar path to a life of security and well-being. With Living By Your Design Life is often considered a journey, with many paths from which to choose. But as we age, that journey can become more difficult and direction is hard to find. Some of us find ourselves alone on the journey, unsure of which path to take or whom to turn to for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[34,37,49,52,46],"class_list":["post-2572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-veterans","tag-assisted-living","tag-assisted-living-facilities","tag-attorney-in-elder-law","tag-veteran-affairs","tag-veterans"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nOn Life\u2019s Journey with By Lori Lovely<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"