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The Star
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Seniors should initiate legacy planning to provide clarity for loved ones: Former Singapore president Halimah
SINGAPORE: The number of seniors is increasing in Singapore, but many still have not made plans for when they die, said former president Halimah Yacob, urging them to initiate such discussions. It is important to do so to make the process easier for loved ones and grieving children when the time comes, she said on Saturday (May 17). Recognising that legacy planning is a sensitive topic, Halimah said that the younger generation may not have the courage to broach the topic of death. 'Conveying our last wishes, or communicating to our loved ones our preferences regarding funeral rites and religious traditions, is critical so that they have clarity,' she said, speaking at a symposium on legacy planning by the Silver Caregivers Cooperative. It will make things easier for our loved ones when they know our wishes, so they are spared from confusion and everyone has peace of mind, she added. Halimah said that like many, she has thought about legacy planning for a long time, but has not taken the first step to start. 'I'm 71 years old now, so I think I should do something about it,' said the mother of five. Legacy planning includes estate and asset distribution plans, drafting a will, making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to ensure a trusted person can take charge if one loses mental capacity, and discussing advance care plans to settle preferences for medical care. Digital assets – like financial accounts, e-mail, social media, online business accounts and tech devices – are increasingly being discussed in wills and end-of-life documentation. Some law firms have seen a significant increase in queries from people asking about cryptocurrencies or other types of digital assets like non-fungible tokens. The symposium, held at the Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar, was attended by around 120 people who signed up to learn more about legacy planning. Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng from the National University of Singapore, who spoke during a presentation at the event, said that beyond asset distribution, legacy planning also includes values, wishes and preferences. This includes how you want to be taken care of if you need long-term care, funeral arrangements, and passing down family values and traditions. Prof Thang said that one thing she regrets is not asking for family recipes from her grandfather, who cooked Hakka dishes. 'I am no longer able to taste that special food from my grandfather,' she said. Another speaker, Dr Adeline Lam, a senior consultant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, spoke about the importance of establishing advance care plans. Advance care planning allows people to discuss their medical treatment preferences in advance, and enables them to designate someone to decide on medical care for them if they become mentally incapacitated. This helps to circumvent conflict when differences of opinion arise between family members regarding medical treatment for a loved one, she said. 'Having conversations and letting your family know your wishes so that they know what to do is important, so the burden of guilt is not there. They know that 'This is what mum wants', for example,' she said. Lawyer Norhakim Md Shah urged the audience to make an LPA. He said the process to be appointed as a deputy under the Mental Capacity Act takes a long time. This process is initiated when a person loses mental capacity and does not have an LPA for a trusted person to make decisions on their behalf. 'Doing an LPA cuts short a problem you can foresee. Nobody lives forever, and there are things we can do to help the people around us so that they do not get themselves in a complicated situation just because we have chosen not to do anything to prepare.' The LPA application fee, which is usually S$75, is waived for Singapore citizens until the end of March 2026. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Seniors should initiate legacy planning to provide clarity for loved ones: Halimah Yacob
Former president Halimah Yacob said the younger generation may not have the courage to broach the topic of death. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG SINGAPORE - The number of seniors is increasing in Singapore, but many still have not made plans for when they die, said former president Halimah Yacob, urging them to initiate such discussions. It is important to do so to make the process easier for loved ones and grieving children when the time comes, she said on May 17. Recognising that legacy planning is a sensitive topic, Madam Halimah said that the younger generation may not have the courage to broach the topic of death. 'Conveying our last wishes, or communicating to our loved ones our preferences regarding funeral rites and religious traditions, is critical so that they have clarity,' she said, speaking at a symposium on legacy planning by the Silver Caregivers Cooperative. It will make things easier for our loved ones when they know our wishes, so they are spared of confusion and everyone has peace of mind, she added. Madam Halimah said that like many, she has thought about legacy planning for a long time, but has not taken the first step to start. 'I'm 71 years old now, so I think I should do something about it,' said the mother of five. Legacy planning includes estate and asset distribution plans, drafting a will, making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to ensure a trusted person can take charge if one loses mental capacity, and discussing advance care plans to settle preferences for medical care. Digital assets – like financial accounts, e-mail, social media, online business accounts and tech devices – are increasingly being discussed in wills and end-of-life documentation. Some law firms have seen a significant increase in queries from people asking about cryptocurrencies or other types of digital assets like non-fungible tokens. The symposium, held at the Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar, was attended by around 120 people who signed up to learn more about legacy planning. Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng from the National University of Singapore, who spoke during a presentation at the event, said that beyond asset distribution, legacy planning also includes values, wishes and preferences. This includes how you want to be taken care of if you need long-term care, funeral arrangements, and passing down family values and traditions. Prof Thang said that one thing she regrets is not asking for family recipes from her grandfather, who cooked Hakka dishes. 'I am no longer able to taste that special food from my grandfather,' she said. Another speaker, Dr Adeline Lam, a senior consultant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, spoke about the importance of establishing advance care plans. Advance care planning allows people to discuss their medical treatment preferences in advance, and enables them to designate someone to decide on medical care for them if they become mentally incapacitated. This helps to circumvent conflict when difference in opinions arise between family members regarding medical treatment for a loved one, she said. 'Having conversations and letting your family know your wishes so that they know what to do is important, so the burden of guilt is not there. They know that 'This is what Mum wants', for example,' she said. Lawyer Norhakim Md Shah urged the audience to make a LPA. He said the process to be appointed as a deputy under the Mental Capacity Act takes a long time. This process is initiated when a person loses mental capacity and does not have an LPA for a trusted person to make decisions on their behalf. 'Doing an LPA cuts short a problem you can foresee. Nobody lives forever, and there are things we can do to help the people around us so that they do not get themselves in a complicated situation just because we have chosen not to do anything to prepare.' The LPA application fee, which is usually $75, is waived for Singapore Citizens until the end of March 2026. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Chicago Tribune
06-02-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Column: From celebrity guests to rumors of it being haunted, history of Leland Tower in Aurora a lesson to remember
Ellen Neupert has devoted a huge chunk of her 93 years to education. The former social studies teacher, who worked at both East Aurora and West Aurora high schools, is long retired. But she's certainly not finished acquiring wisdom and information. That's why she was in the classroom at Waubonsee Community College's Sugar Grove campus on Wednesday as a member of the Lifelong Learning Institute, listening intently as independent historian Tracy Duran talked about 'The Early History of the Leland Tower – Aurora's Tallest Building.' Back by popular demand, this class had an overwhelming response when it was presented in the fall, noted Lifelong Learning Institute facilitator Karen Christensen. And as a spectator in the back of the room I can see why. Who doesn't want to know more about this historic Aurora landmark that opened as a hotel on Feb. 8, 1928? Who doesn't want to learn about the reason the Leland came into existence at a cost of $1.75 million, or why its name was changed from the Illinois Hotel? Or how it earned a reputation as fireproof? From the time she was a kid listening to the stories of her father, 52-year-old Duran has considered the Leland 'mysterious and intriguing.' While urban legends contend that Al Capone, John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson were guests at the Leland, those stories will always be rumors rather than fact because of the low profiles these gangsters kept. But Sally Rand, Gene Autry and Hedy Lamarr did stay at the swanky Leland. Likely Henry Fonda was a visitor as well, when he was dating an Aurora girl. Oh, and it's definitely haunted, according to Duran, who has a few fascinating paranormal experiences to share from when she lived on the fifth and 19th floors for a couple of years. Not surprising, a chunk of this two-hour session focused on the grandiose Sky Club that capped this 22-story skyscraper – a high-end ballroom and restaurant that attracted local socialites as well as Chicago's elite because of its sophisticated menu, live music, glitzy decor and ritzy ambiance. The Leland also earned its rightful place in history when, in 1937-38, the Sky Club was used by RCA Victor as a recording studio for its Bluebird label, turning out some of the most influential blues music in the prewar Chicago area. The building had its share of owners over the years. The same can be said of foreclosures,14 in all, Duran noted. It was after the Teamsters Union purchased it in October of 1968 (as a home for the elderly) that it fell into disrepair because promised renovations were never done. Duran described it as 'condemnation by neglect.' Others, however, saw 'something beautiful in it,' she noted, which led to a class discussion about a grassroots effort to preserve historic buildings in Aurora that made it possible for the Leland to survive when other cities were demolishing abandoned sites. The Leland Tower (the name changed from the Leland Hotel in the early 1970s when it became apartments) and its history is what drew current owner David Karademus in 2014 to Aurora. He not only renovated the 121-unit building but also the nearby Graham Building and former Elks Club building renamed The Mayan. All are on the National Register of Historic Places. Base rent at the Leland ranges from a little over $1,000 for a studio to nearly $2,000 for a two-bedroom unit. Having lived her 90-plus years in Aurora, Neupert could contribute significantly to the history class herself. She recalls, for example, the Plantation Room as a far more affordable restaurant in the basement of the hotel, whereas Duran thought it was a more expensive place to dine. Neupert also talked about the large party her family hosted in the Sky Club when relatives were visiting from San Francisco. She remembers the live bands, the wonderful food and the elaborate decor and furnishings that set this venue apart. 'That was,' she said, 'THE place to go in the whole Fox Valley.' Later, as a West High social studies teacher, Neupert designed a curriculum for struggling students around Aurora history and took them for tours at the Leland. She also did broadcasts with her Sunday School class from the top of the tower, which for several years served as a transmitter site of WAUR-FM. The class, she recalled with a smile, 'mimicked meetings of the United Nations Security Council.' What makes this presentation so special, Duran said later, is how memories are stimulated in longtime Aurorans who, in turn, add to her knowledge of the community's history. For example, she learned from an attendee in her fall class about a notorious gangster kidnapping in Aurora in the summer of 1934 that, six years later, was made into the movie, 'Queen of the Mob.' According to an archived Beacon-News article, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had declared Alvin Karpis as the nation's public 'rat' number one at the time of his arrest. Just how long he and Arthur 'Doc' Barker – son of the infamous Ma Barker – made the house in the 400 block of Claim Street in Aurora their home is uncertain. 'I'm having so much fun,' insisted the local historian, well aware of how valuable as sources those sitting in the classroom are to her. 'I'm not just learning from my own research but also from their stories.'
