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QUARTER 3, 2025
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Essential Travel Tips for Seniors PACK LIGHT, PLAN SMART
PLAN FOR COMFORT Packing light is key to avoiding muscle strain and fatigue. Also, plan carefully for comfort. Bring sun protection, clothing in basic colors you can mix and match, and your most comfortable shoes. Keep several days’ medications in your carry- on bags so you still have access if your flights are delayed. Bring medications in their original containers, and a list of your meds with physician contact information. A doctor’s letter may be required to bring certain medications into some countries. If you take a liquid medication, ask your physician for a letter stating your need to carry it onto a flight, to avoid obstacles at airport security checkpoints. If you will need a wheelchair or help with your luggage, contact the airline in advance. UPDATE YOUR ESTATE PLAN Just as most travelers leave a copy of their itinerary with loved ones, don’t forget to leave your trusted contacts an updated copy of your estate planning documents. Many clients wait until the last minute — of forget altogether. No one expects emergencies to happen while traveling, but your documents are designed to safeguard your responsibilities. Reviewing your estate plan with your attorney well before you depart will ensure that all your responsibilities at home will be well cared for, no matter what! Heeding these pre-travel tips can ensure a worry- free departure and peace of mind throughout your journey! Bon voyage!
Not all those who wander are lost, as the author J. R. R. Tolkien wrote. If the arrival of summer puts you in the mood to explore new places and check off those bucket list adventures, now is the perfect time to start planning!
As you make travel plans, consider these steps to pave the way to a worry-free, fulfilling experience.
HEALTH CARE PLANNING Medicare typically doesn’t cover bills for physician care, hospital stays, or ambulance rides outside the U.S., according to our Geriatric Care Manager Dedra Jize, a Certified Senior Advisor and Medi-Cal Specialist. One solution is to travel to alluring destinations that are part of the U.S., including Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, or American Samoa. For international trips, check any supplemental policies you have. Also, consider buying international travel insurance. These policies can cover medical expenses and protect you from losses if you have to evacuate a foreign location or deal with other travel emergencies. PRECISION TRAVEL Planning a trip requires research, reservations, and resources. If putting together an itinerary seems overwhelming, don’t make the common mistake of leaving everything to chance! Professional tour groups can lay all the groundwork for exactly the kind of trip you want. As Dedra points out, an added advantage of working with a tour company is that you can
travel by yourself if you want and meet new people. Check out your local senior center or college alumni association for travel options. STAYING SAFE While visiting unfamiliar destinations is part of the joy of travel, some places are not safe. Visit travel.state.gov for up-to-date safety advisories before choosing a destination, and consider enrolling in the department’s Smart Traveler, or STEP, program to receive weather and other alerts. For recommended vaccinations, see CDC.gov. Keep a copy of your itinerary, medications list, and travel documents in your luggage. Notify your credit card issuers to let them know where and when you will be travelling, so they don’t pre- emptively freeze your card.
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Why We Should Curate, Not Accumulate
MEET KENZIE ARMSTRONG, OUR SIGNING PARALEGAL
Step into a home where calm meets class; open spaces, quiet elegance, and thoughtful design turn everyday living into a curated experience. Luxury minimalism matches the sleek restraint of minimalism with the richness of high-end materials, creating a calming and refined home. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY In luxury minimalism, you choose every piece with care. Rather than filling a space with decorations or duplicate furniture, the goal is to curate , not accumulate. This means selecting fewer items but ensuring each is well-crafted, functional, and built to last. When designed with intention, a single, perfectly upholstered armchair can say more than an entire matching set. TIMELESS MATERIALS Luxury minimalists gravitate toward natural, enduring elements like warm wood, cool stone, and tranquil bamboo. These elements age beautifully and add character over time, grounding your space in authenticity and durability. The blend of raw and refined textures creates depth without being overwhelming. A NEUTRAL PALETTE Color plays a subtle but essential role in this aesthetic. Soft neutrals like cream, taupe, charcoal, and muted grays form the foundation of most luxury minimalist spaces. These hues soothe the mind and allow your eyes to rest, setting a peaceful tone throughout your home. Accents in metallic finishes or rich earth tones can add contrast and sophistication. PURPOSEFUL DESIGN AND LAYOUT Every object has a role, and every room serves a purpose. Clean lines, open floor plans, and thoughtfully placed furniture help create visual clarity and functional flow. Instead of crowding a space with décor, luxury minimalism encourages breathing room in a space dedicated to your lifestyle. SUSTAINABILITY WITH STYLE This lifestyle also embraces conscious living. By investing in a few high-quality pieces, you create less waste. Luxury minimalism is rooted in sustainability for the environment and for your peace of mind. Overall, luxury minimalism invites you to slow down, declutter with purpose, and surround yourself with beauty that endures. It’s about living intentionally with less noise, more clarity, and a quiet kind of sophistication that never goes out of style.
Clients creating their estate plans often have questions about the documents and details involved in leaving a meaningful legacy. For Kenzie Armstrong, answering those questions is a joy and a privilege. As our firm’s signing paralegal, she meets with clients before and after their documents are prepared to review the plans,
answer questions, support them during a signing meeting, and present them with their completed portfolios to take home. “Our clients are folks who love their families and just want to do right by the ones they love,” she says. “Helping them lay plans to make things easier for people they care about is very fulfilling.” Kenzie joined Litherland, Kennedy & Associates in the summer of 2023 after working as an administrator at a tech startup. Most employees worked remotely, except her. “I missed the human aspect of working face-to-face with colleagues,” she says. She began at Litherland, Kennedy’s front desk and later transitioned to working directly with clients. The firm’s leadership sets the tone for warm, responsive relationships with clients. “I love meeting with folks and answering tons of questions,” Kenzie says. “That culture comes from the top down. Our attorneys really care about the educational aspect of our work.” Kenzie came to Silicon Valley after graduating from Morehead State University in Kentucky and working for law firms in her home state. She first came to California on a two-week vacation with a college friend. “But I just fell in love with the area,” she says. “And eight years later, I’m still here.”
Kenzie has an active creative life outside work, including crocheting, embroidering, making ceramics, and painting in watercolors and acrylics. She attends many of the Bay Area’s art and wine festivals. “I love speaking with other artists and getting people’s perspective on things,” she says. “That is a through-line in my life,” she adds. “I love hearing people’s perspectives on things.”
Another of Kenzie’s great loves is her pet Netherland dwarf rabbit Jude — a playful little force of nature. About the size of a Beanie Baby, Jude “enjoys roaming around the house, comes when you call, and obviously believes ‘I am a person, not a rabbit,’” Kenzie says. “He is so sweet.”
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A FEW GOOD FRIENDS
How Close Friendships Help Beat Loneliness in Later Life
Many older adults assume that having a large circle of friends is the key to avoiding loneliness. In recognition of July 30 as the International Day of Friendship, this is a good time to explore research showing that just a few deep, meaningful friendships can be just as powerful for seniors’ health and well-being.
Loneliness is on the rise nationwide, but research published in 2022 by the journal Ageing & Society found that having just four close friends can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness in older adults. Three close friends are enough to ease stress, and two can help ward off depression. Friendship plays a powerful role in older adults’ health. As we age, emotionally close relationships become more important than ever. Prolonged loneliness across all age groups has been linked to increased anxiety, depression, difficulty managing stress, poor sleep quality, and cognitive decline. It also correlates with more frequent doctor and emergency room visits. The research suggests that working to increase the number of friends a senior has is less important than nurturing and deepening the warm bonds they already have.
Friendship patterns in later life reflect these findings. Older adults tend to have higher- quality friendships than younger people and report greater satisfaction with those relationships. They are also more focused on maintaining existing close friendships than forming new ones. The research also shows that spending time with friends may ease loneliness more effectively than interacting with children or grandchildren. This may be because friendships are chosen, while family relationships can be shaped by caregiving roles and other obligations. At Litherland, Kennedy & Associates, we understand how vital social connections are to our clients’ well-being. We host a variety of social, educational, and charitable events each year to help foster a sense of community and belonging. We hope you will join us at one soon!
CHEESY TOMATO- BASIL STUFFED CHICKEN
Inspired by HalfBakedHarvest.com
INGREDIENTS
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4–6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
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2 cloves garlic, smashed 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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1/2 cup basil pesto
Chili flakes, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved 2 cups cherry tomatoes, divided
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves Salt and pepper, to taste
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1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 2. Slice chicken down the middle horizontally (not cutting all the way through). 3. Spread pesto inside filleted chicken, then stuff with cheese and tomatoes before closing chicken, covering filling. 4. Place chicken in a large oven-safe skillet. Drizzle with reserved oil. 5. Set the skillet over medium heat; cook 5 minutes. 6. Add 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and season with chili flakes. Cook 2–3 minutes, then remove from heat. 7. Bake in oven for 7–10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tomatoes burst. 8. Toss remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes with basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. 9. Serve the chicken topped with fresh tomatoes. DIRECTIONS
SOLUTION ON PAGE 2
WHAT DO YOU CALL A SNOWMAN IN THE
SUMMER? A PUDDLE!
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Safe and Savvy: Travel Tips for Bucket List Trips! page 1
Introducing Kenzie, Our Signing Paralegal With Luxury Minimalism, Live Well With Less page 2 Fewer Friends, Stronger Bonds: A Lifeline for Mental Health Cheesy Tomato-Basil Stuffed Chicken page 3
The Art of Quiet Kindness page 4
Being There for Someone Who’s Struggling KINDNESS THAT LASTS
We’ve all experienced bouts of bad mood and even occasional depression. While difficult to go through, it can be equally challenging to see someone we care about hurting and not know how to help. The main thing to remember is that providing support isn’t about fixing things; it’s about showing up in meaningful ways. SKIP THE PEP TALKS AND LISTEN. For many of us, our initial instinct is to rush to lift our loved one's spirits and help them break out of a bad mood. However, offering them space and a calm ear is often the best thing we can do. Friendly company can be comforting even if they’re not ready to talk. Just be sure they don’t feel pressure to do or say anything. This might mean bingeing a favorite TV show together or just being with one another in the same room. FOCUS ON SMALL GESTURES. Along with providing company, you can support your loved one with simple gestures — a phone call, handwritten note, or warm meal. These acts remind them that someone cares and that they are not alone. Continuing to show up for your friend even after the rest of the world has moved on can have an even greater impact. There’s no specific script to follow, but small efforts all add up and may matter more than you’ll ever know.
If you have a friend or family member going through a hard time, validating their experience and being present for them can be all they need. While they may not remember what you said, they won’t forget you showed up and stayed when they needed you most.
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