Senior Village Forms and Documents Team Advocating for You

April 2025

Stephanie Thomas

“I’ve got your back.”  “You’re not alone.”  “Let me help you.”  What comfort it is to hear these words in stressful situations.

The twelve volunteer advocates on the Senior Village Forms and Documents Team “have your back” when it comes to organizing your estate documents, helping you prepare applications or getting through the first months of widowhood.

With experience in banking, financial planning, long-term care insurance and settling family estates, these team members ease anxieties when they explain financial and legal terms to Senior Village members.  Team volunteers participate in several orientations and ongoing workshops to prepare for meetings with Senior Village members. They competently provide information although their function does not include giving advice or helping with tax forms. Major decisions require a professional consultant.

Once a Senior Village member requests help from the Forms and Documents Team, an advocate calls to arrange a home visit. Most often, members want the advocate to explain the Planning Ahead handbook. This useful guide provides pages to insert personal information needed to settle an estate as well as a step-by-step chapter for widowed spouses. At the end of the home visit, the volunteer drafts an email memo to the member summarizing topics discussed and possible actions to consider.  As a member commented recently: “We learned a lot from our visit and will start to whittle away at the list provided.  We sure do appreciate your expertise.”

Forms and Documents advocates have visited over 350 SaddleBrooke homes in the past three and a half years.  Co-team leaders Dick Schroeder and Stefanie Williams organize appointments for advocates Peggy Albrecht, Kris Konecny, Barb Schaepe, Stephanie Thomas, Jim Thompson, Kathy Volpe and Cindy Witt.  Retired professional consultants on the team include estate attorney Stewart Fleisher, veterans’ benefits Joe O’Connor and long-term care insurance specialist Don Burkhead.

To request a visit from the Forms and Documents Team, phone Senior Village at 520-314-1042.   We are here to support you, to help you make decisions. We are your advocates.