Spring is an ideal time to clean out your files. You’re already dealing with paperwork to file your tax return. Just keep going. Here are a few guidelines to help you decide what to keep and what you can let go.

Keep monthly or quarterly statements until you receive the year-end statement. Verify the year-end statement is correct and then shred earlier statements. This also applies to paystubs.

Keep tax-related documents for three years. The IRS has three years to audit your return. There are exceptions such as failure to report income and filing a fraudulent return. You need to retain property records that document the basis for computing gain or loss until three years after you dispose of the property and file a tax return on that income (or loss). See IRS Publication 552 for details (Rev. January 2011).

Keep warranties until they expire or you no longer own the appliance. Keep manuals for as long as you own the appliance. This may seem obvious, but when is the last time you purged your file? Many people get rid of the appliance, but forget to get rid of the warranty and manual.

Keep important documents in a safe deposit box. Important documents include birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce papers, automobile titles, property deeds, military discharge papers, and partnership papers. Keep a list of documents and photocopies at home in case you need the information. It is vital that the safe deposit box be titled in more than one name so that you have access.

Safe disposal of documents: Shred any documents that have your personal information. This is to protect yourself against identity theft. Use a cross-cut shredder for maximum safety. Remember to oil the shredder monthly.

Neglect is a passive form of abuse, wherein the perpetrator fails to provide adequate care to meet the victim’s needs, resulting in harmful or potentially harmful situations. Some signs that an elderly loved one may be experiencing neglect include:
 Unusual weight loss, malnutrition, or dehydration
 Untreated physical problems
 Unsanitary living conditions
 Being left dirty or unbathed
 Unsuitable clothing for the weather
 Unsafe living conditions (ex. no heat or running water, fire hazards, etc.)
 Desertion of the senior in a public place

Financial Exploitation is the improper use of an elder’s funds or assets. This type of abuse may go unnoticed by seniors who do not manage their own funds, so it is extremely important for family members to look out for the following warning signs:
Significant withdrawals from the senior’s accounts
Sudden changes in the senior’s financial condition
Items or cash missing from the home
Suspicious changes in wills, power of attorney, titles and policies
Unpaid bills
Financial activity the senior couldn’t have done (ex. ATM withdrawals when the account holder is bedridden)
Unnecessary services, goods or subscriptions

Healthcare Fraud or Abuse occurs when individuals or institutions target elderly individuals in an attempt to sell illegitimate healthcare treatments or products. Be on the lookout for the following signs that your loved ones may be the victim of healthcare fraud or abuse:
 Multiple billings for the same medical service or device
 Evidence of over- or under-medication
 Evidence of inadequate care when bills have been paid in full
 Problems with the healthcare facility (ex. poorly trained or insufficient staff, crowding, inadequate responses to questions about care)

It is imperative that family members visit their elderly loved ones as often as possible and communicate with their care providers on a regular basis. Be vigilant and address any suspicions about elder abuse immediately. At Practical Care Continuum in Austin, we know that safety and security are primary to a good in-home care situation. Call us today at 512.380.9339 to schedule in-home care you can trust.

For more resources check out our “Monthly Survival Kit”

In a podiaterist’s office: “Time wounds all heels.”

At a proctologist’s door: “To expedite your visit please back in.”

On a plumber’s truck: “We repair what your husband fixed.”

On another plumber’s truck: “Don’t sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.”

On a church billboard: “Seven days without God makes one weak.”

At a tire shop in Milwaukee: “Invite us to your next blowout.”

On an electrician’s truck: “Let us remove your shorts.”

In a non-smoking area: “If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.”

On a maternity room door: “Push, Push, Push.”

On a taxidermist’s window: “We really know our stuff.”

At an optometrist’s office: “If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.”

On a fence: “Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive.”

At a car dealership: “The best way to get back on your feet – miss a car payment.”

In a veterinarian’s waiting room: “Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!”

In the front yard of a funeral home: “Drive carefully. We’ll wait.”

At a propane filling station: “Thank heaven for little grills.”

—Bob Haeffner
P.S. If your interested in finding out how to get ”Good Stuff” email me and I’ll give you their info. 

When a loved one is recovering from a heart attack, be prepared that he or she may not be able to do the same activities or tasks as before the heart attack, and this can be frustrating for everyone. Some people are able to recover more fully than others, but the key is to be patient and allow time for proper recovery. Talk to the medical team to get a better understanding of what to expect for the future. Here are a few other effects you can expect:

• Expect your loved one to have actively changing emotions and possible fears of death.
• Allow time to adjust and be sure to express how both you and your loved one feel.
• Support your loved one in making necessary lifestyle changes to prevent a reoccurrence or complication.
• Make future plans and help your loved one start “living” again.
• Accept that your roles may be temporarily reversed.
• Take the time to simply listen.
• When speaking, try to use I statements rather than you statements, such as “I feel frustrated” rather than “You make me feel frustrated.”

Keep in mind that the rehabilitation process enables many people to do much more than they ever expected, and eventually the up and down emotions of recovery should settle down. For more tips and information on recovery after a heart attack, click here.
Practical Care Continuum in Austin, Texas knows how to properly care for someone recovering from heart surgery or a heart attack. Our caregivers can prepare delicious, heart-healthy meals, do light housekeeping and our care team will work seamlessly with your physicians to provide the best coordinated, specialized care. Contact us today to learn more.

Recently, while going through my Twitter account, I came across this blog post from the Alzheimer’s Reading Room, on what I see as getting things done to make you and your elders life easier and more enjoyable.   But a huge part of the article covers getting his mother to exercise even though she is mean to him on the way to the gym.  I’m thinking I need to get my own mother to the gym or have someone come to the house who can start working with her.

Has anyone starting something like this with their elderly parent?  Do you have any suggestions for a trainer or physical therapist in the Austin area?

When she does emerge from her room, the kids love to visit with her and the dog absolutely adores her.  She unfortunately feeds him from her plate.  But she also pets him and lets him hide under her chair when the occasional Texas thunderstorm happens by.

Every year our family goes to Garner State Park to camp but this year we decided to visit a private camp ground called 7 bluffs.  We rented a big house so everyone, all 15 of us, could spend time together with Grandma, or Nona as she likes to be called.  Up to the last minute I thought she would change her mind but I kept encouraging her and she went.  I got her books to read and anything else that might keep her busy.  But after the first day she was ready to leave.  I think she missed her television which she leaves on 24/7 at home.  There was only one in the house and the kids had hijacked it for cartoons and tween shows.

She told one of my siblings she would never  come with us again.  She hasn’t told me that.  I guess she doesn’t want to hurt my feelings. I have to wonder though why she complains about not seeing her grandchildren more often and when she gets the opportunity to see all of them at once for 5 days she wants to high tail it out of there.  She did tell me the highlight of the trip was seeing the baby deer outside her window.  Sigh, I guess spending time with family will never be her thing.

Change is hard for anyone but especially older adults who have lived a lifetime doing things a certain way.  I shouldn’t have expected her to change her routines and become more social because I thought she would have a good time.  She knows what she likes and sticks to it.  I felt as though if I didn’t ask her to go her feelings would be hurt and she thought if she said no my feelings would be hurt.  I guess a little better communication would have been in order here but although she has  been living with me for over 6 months now I still can’t shake that mother/daughter role with every aspect of our relationship.

I think the lesson for caregivers is to find ways to socialize their parent(s) that follow their life long patterns.  Or at the very least introduce new activities in small doses.  Maybe 5 days was not such a good idea and maybe I should have brought her her own television.  I can’t help trying and I don’t think it’s right for caregivers to not try something.  Our parents did it for us when we where young and now it’s our time to change roles.

 First determine the needs: Does the senior require minimal or a lot of assistance with daily personal tasks such as bathing, grooming, medications and feeding himself? Is the senior able to walk and transfer from a bed or a chair independently or is a lot of assistance required? Is the senior experiencing some or a lot of mental impairment such as with Alzheimer’s or dementia that might require around the clock care? These are all questions that should be considered. A home care manager such as at Practical Care Continuum can help you sort through the questions and implications of the answers.

 Now consider finances: How will the home care be paid for? Non-medical home care is typically paid for through private funds or long-term care insurance. However, there are other options to explore, such as veterans’ benefits.

 Weigh the pros and cons: Home is where the heart is, and with a well-trained personal caregiver to ensure safety, socialization, proper diet and exercise, it is no wonder that home care is such a popular option for care. But finances and/or a senior’s abilities may make other options for care a better choice for a particular person. For more information on options for care at home, click here. 

Contact Practical Care Continuum in Austin, Texas for a complete geriatric assessment with suggestions for care needs.

Here is the introduction as compiled by Iumi Richards-Crow, my nominator, business associate and good friend

When I first met Samantha Young she was presiding over the Women’s Chamber Growth and Innovation Council.  I observed her competence in this position and was taken by her steady professionalism and lighthearted manner.  It would take several months before I realized the breadth of her accomplishments, the hugeness of her heart, and the depth of her commitment to those she serves in her home health care business, Practical Care Continuum (PCC).  The home elder care industry has changed in the last few years, becoming more competitive as many franchises have sprung up.  Some of these franchises are being run by people who see them as little more than a financial opportunity.

On the contrary, for Samantha, home elder care is avocation. Samantha has been in this field for over 20 years. She started PCC 10 years ago and has taken it to a high level.  In her daily work, she displays compassion for the elderly who want to remain independent, and understanding for the sandwich generation of stressed caretakers.  At PCC her every action and program and policy is focused on offering solutions and support.  Because it is the right thing to do for clients, she always has licensed social workers on staff.  This, by the way, is not required, it is expensive, and it is not a common practice.  In fact, PCC is the only home care business in the greater Austin area with social workers on staff.

Samantha’s accomplishments as a business owner and administrator would be impressive enough, but she has done all of this as a single mother of two lively, happy boys. In fact she was pregnant when she started her business, and remembers going around applying for financing in a very obviously pregnant state!  In those first lean and crucial years, she often brought her sons to work.  She understands first hand the conflicts of motherhood and work, and she offers her office staff flex time.  They can bring their kids to work when needed as well.

Samantha is an innovator and if she feels her clients need something that isn’t readily available, she goes about getting it. Sometimes she creates it, sometimes she contracts to have it made, and in the case of The Ashby Memory Method, an innovative program for persons with memory problems, she went to Canada to get it.

Single mom, innovator, successful entrepreneur, community volunteer, champion of the elderly; all this would be enough to make Samantha a blazing star, but in addition, she has added another responsibility to her overflowing schedule.  Samantha has invited her elderly mother to live with her and the boys, not an easy task, and not one that would be taken on by a majority of people.  In order to make this possible, she even had to remodel her home!

Recently Samantha told me that one night she had the boys settled in for bed  and was looking forward to a little time for herself when she heard the front door slam.  She ran downstairs just in time to see her mother going down the front walk in her robe and slippers. Upon catching up with her, she found out her mother was going out for the newspaper!  It was only when Samantha promised that she herself would get the paper that her mother was convinced to go back into the house.  So Samantha got dressed and ran to the store, giving up that short, precious time  to herself. And yet she takes it all in stride.

When asked what she would consider one of her greatest accomplishments, Samantha answered without hesitation, “My son just received 2^nd place in the Regional Fair.”

I admire Samantha.  In my book she is already a blazing star.  I would like to see her get the recognition she deserves.

You never know when they may suddenly become ill and you are the one that has to provide information to a doctor or other health care professional.  While these questions are not easy to ask now, it won’t be any easier months or years from now.  I had to learn this piece of advice the hard way when I had to suddenly care for my ailing father.  It is far easier to talk to parents when they are healthy than when they’re incapacitated or hospitalized.  The object of these conversations is to get the information you need so that you can determine what kind of help your parents may need or wish.  Since their needs will change, you may have to have this conversation more than once or twice.

In addition to finding out about what they can do and what they need help with, you’ll want to understand what they want out of life, what their biggest concerns are, and what they cherish most.

Some general tips to use when talking with a parent are:

• Talk when you won’t be interrupted and when you are both relaxed.

• Don’t tackle everything in one conversation.

• Ask open ended questions such as “When you think about your future, what are you most concerned about” instead of “What about going to a nursing home”, something nobody wants to do.

• Do not be judgmental.  Your parents are competent adults.

• Don’t pepper them with questions.  Finding ways to have a conversation about the future rather than answering a quiz will cause less anger and stress.

• Involve others if it will help.  There are people out there who help manage later life decisions and issues for families.  In some cases, it’s easier to talk about these matters with an outsider than with a family member.  Call your local Area Agency on Aging, attorney, or doctor for assistance.

• Be open and clear about the facts.  Don’t whitewash problems.  Be straightforward about factual medical prognoses, for example.

• Actively listen to their concerns, don’t just convey your own.

26 QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

1. Do you know the names and phone numbers of their doctors?
2. Do you know these physicians personally?
3. Are your parents enrolled in an HMO?  What do you know about their coverage and the quality of their HMO?
4. Are they covered by Medicare? Do they have supplemental insurance?
5. Do your parents’ have a lawyer? An Accountant? A financial planner? Do you know any of these people personally?
6. Do your parents have a will? (70% of Americans don’t) Do you know where it is kept?
7. Do you have health care power of attorney?  Do you have power of attorney?
8. How familiar are you with the “continuum of care”.  Do you know the difference between a retirement community (Sun City), an assisted living, a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, rehab, Alzheimer’s units, hospice care and home care services such as homemaker, personal attendant care, and skilled home health agencies.
9. Do you know how your parents feel about the possibility of leaving their home?
10. How much do you know about your parent’s finances?
11. Do you know what level of care they can afford?
12. Do you have other family members who might help serve as caregivers?
13. How honestly – and how recently – have you talked with your siblings and other family members about how you plan to care for your parents?
14. Is the family in agreement on what should be done?
15. Do you know who will be the primary caregiver or if it will be a shared responsibility?
16. If you will be the primary caregiver, how do you feel about that?  Are you willing to take on the responsibility?
17. How do your spouse and children feel about your commitment to your parents?
18. What is your current relationship with your parents?  Is it open and honest or are there a number of unresolved issues?
19. What can you do to resolve or ameliorate those issues?
20. Do your parents live nearby or will caring for them require a move?
21. Will they be moving near you or will you be moving near them?
22. How does your immediate family feel about either of those choices?
23. How candidly have you talked to your parents about their future?
24. Is there an “elephant” in your living room?  Are there on-going issues that have not been discussed such as alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, dangerous driving, memory loss, inadequate diet or self-imposed isolation?  Do you have the courage to discuss these issues?
25. Do your parents want extraordinary measures taken in case of medical emergency?  Do they have a living will?  Do they want to be organ donors?
26. Do you know what kind of funeral service they want, if any?  Do they want their service in a funeral home or a church?  Would they prefer an open casket or closed?  Do they want to be cremated?  Do you know a reputable funeral home?