The Financial Advisor’s Role in Aging Readiness: How to Navigate Senior Living, Care Needs & Timing

Financial advisors are increasingly being asked to guide clients through some of the most personal and overwhelming decisions they will ever face, yet many feel unsure about how to compare senior living options or when to recommend exploring them.

This session takes a purely educational approach to demystify the full spectrum of senior living, including Life Care, rental models, assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing. Nathan Faith of Boulay Financial Wealth Advisors and Ashlee Mueller of Friendship Village of Bloomington both bring incredible education to this topic and will walk through practical planning frameworks, real client scenarios and the financial implications tied to timing, contract structures and care transitions.

Friendship Village has become a leader in helping advisors and families understand these differences, and this session draws on that expertise without promoting any specific community or product.

The topic has become especially urgent with a rapidly aging population that is causing senior-housing occupancy to hit 87.4% in Q1 2025 and wait lists are growing across the country. Advisors will leave with the clarity and tools they need to help clients plan earlier, avoid crisis-driven decisions and approach aging with confidence.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify immediate and long-term tax and distribution planning strategies to minimize one’s lifetime tax bill while maximizing their security and legacy.
• Evaluate the key differences among Life Care contracts, rental senior living models and higher levels of care, and determine which options align with different client profiles and financial circumstances.
• Implement a clear, step-by-step conversation approach that helps advisors initiate proactive discussions about aging, care planning and readiness with clients and their families.