Caregiving is one of the most selfless acts one can do. It is a regular concern of our clients which is why estate planning is so important.

There are steps you can take in your own estate planning process so that should you need a caregiver, the groundwork has been laid out for them.

1. Make your family aware of your plans.
2. Don't wait until the last minute to update your Will.
3. Gift money and assets during your lifetime.

It is important to have an estate plan in place so the groundwork is laid out in the event you experience a new life-changing diagnosis, an acute medical event, or the complications that come with being disabled and aging. This ensures your wishes are known, the proper documents are in place (i.e. caregiver agreement) or MaineCare (Medicaid) has already been applied for. This planning will alleviate {some} of the immediate stress experienced by both you and your caregivers when the unexpected happens. If you expect the unexpected, you'll never be caught off guard.

Emotional Support for Family Caregivers

National Family Caregivers Month – celebrated each November -- is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country enabling us all to:

• Raise awareness of family caregiver issues.
• Celebrate the efforts of family caregivers.
• Educate family caregivers about self-identification.
• Increase support for family caregivers.

Caregivers are the unsung heroes in our society that stay the course, oftentimes in the background, quietly bringing loved ones and friends to doctor's appointments and therapies, assisting with ADL (activities of daily living such as bathing, feeding, and toileting), going grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking and providing companionship just to name a few.

• Caregiver Support Groups- SMAAA offers regularly scheduled family caregiver support groups both in-person and via Zoom. Visit SMAAA's program listings for more details.

• Memory Café at the Sam L Cohen Adult Day Center provides a safe, non-judgmental space where caregivers and their loved ones living with memory impairment can socialize, learn, create, and more.

• A Place to Start has caregiver support meetings and events during the month. Check out their monthly schedule or on Facebook.

Thousands of people enjoy the annual LanternFest in South Berwick each August or the Home for the Holidays celebration along South Berwick’s Maine Street in December. Over the years, many have also enjoyed the community-run Powderhouse Ski hill or joined in indulging in locally made soups at the November Keep South Berwick warm fundraiser.

These events and many others are all organized through the SoBo Central community non-profit organization, which is entirely run and managed by citizen volunteers. 

The local non-profit was created in 2009, but its history goes back to 1999 when a group of women held an art sale in a rural barn in the Tatnic area. In 2005, when the art sale moved to Town Hall, a group of citizens and a local store owner were inspired to start Home for the Holidays, and open up Main Street stores and businesses for a night of celebration. The goal was to support the downtown business district and to celebrate the holidays as a community. 

Home for the holidays, with the Women’s Holiday Art Sale as its anchor, offered everything from cookie and ornament-making to dreidel games, caroling, and a visit with Santa. 

After a few years, a group of people involved in both Home for the Holidays and issues related to protecting the downtown’s economy and character began looking into creating a more formal organization. This group, which called itself Smart Growth South Berwick, met with leaders of other local non-profit efforts, including Hot Summer Nights, The Food Pantry, the Fuel Fund, and the Powderhouse Hill ski club. Together they came up with the name SoBo Central and created a 501c3 community non-profit as an umbrella group providing insurance and fiscal oversight for these groups.

The mission is to bring together citizens dedicated to a healthy, vibrant town, which means healthy environmentally, socially, and economically. Since 2009 other programs have been added, including Sobo Cares to help needy families at Christmas and the Tuskegee/South Berwick Sister City project. Its signature project is the LanternFest, which takes place at Spring Hill and brings families together for music, a parade of lanterns, fireworks, and a beautiful display of light on Knights Pond.

We would like to thank Amy Miller for contributing to this written piece as well as the entire Board of Directors of SoBo Central for their tireless efforts toward the continuing social and economic sustainability of South Berwick. For more information about SoBo Central, to volunteer or donate, please email Kara Plank or SoBo Central's website or Facebook Page.

2 Storer Street, Suite 111 Kennebunk, Maine 04043

Mailing address:

PO Box 467

York, Maine 03909

The information and/or materials in this newsletter of Brennan & Rogers, PLLC, have been prepared for and made available for informational purposes only. The transmission and receipt of information contained in this newsletter, to clients or otherwise, do not constitute the giving of legal advice, professional advice, and/or services, nor does it constitute the formation of an attorney-client relationship. No recipient of this newsletter should 1) act or 2) refrain from acting based upon any information contained herein without seeking legal advice. Links in this newsletter may lead to other websites. Brennan & Rogers, PLLC does not necessarily endorse or approve of any materials or information on linked sites and is not responsible for any content on such linked websites. 

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Brennan & Rogers, PLLC

279 York Street (PO Box 467) 

York, Maine 03909

 (207) 361-4680 

www.brennanrogers.com