2025-2026 Speaker Series

Navigating Your Next Chapter

The theme is “Navigating Your Next Chapter” for the 2025-2026 St. James NEST Speaker Series.  Our purpose is to provide services and support to St. James' residents to enhance your ability to make 'aging in place' a reality. Each year NEST supports that goal with current topics the community will find valuable and interesting.  This year’s topics include: The Gift of Perspective, The Mind/Body Connection, Ensuring Your Wishes are Honored with Advanced Medical Directives, and Smart Living Made Simple: Enhancing Daily Life with Home Technology. We have a great line up of speakers this year who are knowledgeable in their respective topics. All programs will be held at the Homer E. Wright Event Center and are open to all St. James residents.

Estate and Long Term Care Planning

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 - 3:00-4:30 pm

Speaker:  Kara Gansmann, Esq., Cranfill Sumner, LLP

Estate planning provides peace of mind for handling your assets when you are no longer alive or capable of handling assets yourself. A comprehensive estate plan may encompass a broad range of legal strategies, including wills, trusts, and powers of attorney for finances or health. Estate plans focused on asset protection may often be geared toward planning for long-term care needs. Asset protection plans may involve deed transfers, protective trusts, or promissory notes to preserve assets. Planning for any long-term care is a gift that you and your loved ones will appreciate.

Get more information about these important topics from an experienced Elder Law attorney. This session will help you:

Understand essential estate planning tools, asset protection and long-term care planning
Powers of Attorney and how to determine if yours is “hot” enough
Wills versus Trusts and determining which one makes the most sense for you
How estate plans from out of state impact you in North Carolina
The best steps to take now to protect your assets for long term care
How to find and pay for quality long term care
This program is back by popular demand - you won't want to miss this important and informative program!