Category: Important Organization for Caregivers

Fight “Digital Amnesia” with free chapter from MemoryBanc

This morning, TODAY covered the story of “Digital Amnesia” — the experience of forgetting information that you trust a digital device to store and remember for you. We keep phone numbers, emails and even some passcodes on our digital devices which puts our information at risk and means our brains are out of the habit of memorizing this important information.

According to the study The Rise and Impact of Digital Amnesia by Kaspersky Lab, almost all (91.2%) of those surveyed agreed that they use the Internet as an online extension of their brain. Almost half (44.0%) also admit that their smartphone serves as their memory–everything they need to recall and want to have easy access to is all on it.

How do you fare against these simple questions:

– Can you dial the phone numbers of your family members from memory?
– How often have you reset a passcode in the past week because you couldn’t recall it?

For a simple back-up solution to your digital life, you can download a free chapter of the best-selling book MemoryBanc: Your Workbook for Organizing Life.

To take control of all of your personal information and accounts, purchase a copy of MemoryBanc: Your Workbook for Organizing Life from Amazon at a 30% discount.

Aging is like traveling to a foreign country.

I just returned from a mission trip to Belize. It dawned on me while I was there that planning for aging is a lot like planning for trip to a foreign country. You can read books and learn about what to expect, pack for a variety of experiences, but when you arrive, you depend on the help of those around you to make the most of your journey.

I packed rain boots but didn’t realize that the duct tape wasn’t going to hold so I needed to buy a new pair. My new boots were only $8 and are a unique memento of my trip.

The flies swarm in the rain and I wasn’t even that phased by the fly in the bottom of my cup of coffee on the 6th day.

The warmth of the people and their suggestions on how to cure heat rash (rub a lime on your skin), avoid the killer bees, and even the tasty chew on the leaves of the all-spice tree made our visit memorable.

As American’s we are fiercely independent but need to learn how to share life plans, as well as our weaknesses (not just our strengths), and accept help when we might need it most.

Life is a journey, and I hope to make the best of it even up to the end, when most likely, I will need the help from others to manage even my day-to-day activities.

Mom (or Dad) is Acting Differently, Should This Concern Me?

roundaboutYes! I am an adult family member who has cared for two parents. My parents had complete estate plans in place and did everything their financial and insurance advisor suggested. Helping them was initially incredibly difficult for a variety of reasons. Many financial institutions create roadblocks when you need to use the Durable Power of Attorney–I’m still waiting for Wells Fargo to accept mine on my mom’s CD account.

Any change in behavior by a loved one should start by a visit to the doctor. There are a variety of things that could cause changes like medication, lack of sleep, or a variety of medical conditions.

My parent’s both were eventually diagnosed with dementia. My mom’s symptoms started to present themselves to me when she was in her early 70s; I started to notice a change in my dad when he was in his late 70s. Their needs changed my life in unexpected ways. If you have suspicions, you will find information and suggestions on how to deal with the possibility of dementia by following the blog on DealingWithDementia.org. You can visit this page for a deeper explanation of dementia and its many forms.

My mom dismissed my concerns when I went to the doctor with her. After managing as the medical advocate for both of my parents, I know and have had many doctors and nurses confirm that family is the best resource. Often, dementia won’t be diagnosed until later in the disease progression and early treatment could help slow the advance of the disease. So getting an early start is beneficial to everyone.

If you are noticing changes, be mindful of what you are seeing. A loved one could be experiencing something that is very treatable.

Looking back, I now recognize so many issues and signs that alerted us to mom’s dementia, but it was a long difficult road to even get to a diagnosis for a variety of reasons. The biggest one being my mom and dad fought to keep their independence fiercely. Ignoring issues won’t make them go away and letting them linger may cause more harm than good. It will also help to involve an estate attorney so you will have the tools to help mom/dad if they are no longer able to help themselves. You can also have a discussion on they can guide the many choices that need to be made about how they want to live … and die.

The Complications of All Mobile Phone Family Plans

My son’s phone died. Of course my husband is traveling and my son is leaving for an overnight trip. I’m not used to the idea of him leaving without a phone. I can’t text him “nite-nite” and I can’t see where he is on the “find my iPhone app.” I really want him to have that phone before he goes.

Our mobile plan is all organized under my husband’s account. When I show up at BestBuy, I can get in with his social security number and validation of my phone account, but for this matter, we really need to login to the portal to understand our upgrade options. Right now I’m being told I will have to pay a $200 penalty on top of the new phone fee. That’s unacceptable.

For those families like mine where you divide and conquer accounts, bill pay, and household services, check out this free solution that captures usernames and passcodes. I know that the usage terms don’t allow for sharing, but I’m going to make sure that my family can get what we need when we need it. For that reason, I created a simple solution for sharing our online information so that a loved one could get what they needed in the event that either my husband or myself are traveling.

My solution is actually a chapter in the best seller MemoryBanc: Your Workbook for Organizing Life. To download the free chapter called “Taming the Internet” visit MemoryBanc.com/downloads.

The Faux Response from Wells Fargo to Help Me

I posted over a week ago Will Wells Fargo Accept Your Power of Attorney? Most people are shocked to hear that many banks will freely, but politely, decline to accept a durable power of attorney (DPOA). This is not the first financial services firm to say no to the power of attorney that gives me the ability to help my mom. Three years ago Fidelity told me they would not accept a DPOA more than 2 years old; and a second one declined because it was more than 5 years old. The fact that they are doing this is frustrating and not supposed to happen. It’s complicated. I will continue to recommend you work with an estate lawyer who can help navigate this issue.

My parents did their initial DPOA in 2002. When I started to get the refusals, we worked to update their DPOA. Now that my mom is into a later stage of dementia, I need it to work so I can help continue to get mom the care she needs.

After my post @Ask_WellsFargo responded on April 30 and asked me to private message them my name and phone number. I did that. It’s been a over a week and no one has reached out to me.

Last week, the estate lawyer followed up with a letter asking that they honor my mother’s DPOA and allow me to access her funds so that they can be used for her care.

Dear Wells Fargo, The caregivers journey is already hard. Please don’t make it harder by refusing to accept the tools my mom put in place so that I could help her should she ever need it. And when you publically say you are going to help, please keep your words. 

– Just one of the milions of caregivers trying to help loved ones

Will Wells Fargo Accept Your DPOA?

Having a roadmap to your assets along with a back up plan should your durable power of attorney be refused is now something every adult should do.

The Cost of Disorganization to American Families is More than $58 Billion

I recently presented at a woman’s conference and shared with the audience the fact that more than $58 billion is sitting with state and federal treasurers. It’s money that has been lost in a move, personal crisis, and death. It’s money that might rightfully be yours. Read more about this topic and find out how you can learn if you are entitled to some of it. 

What’s Your Online IQ?

These three questions will test your online IQ. Can you correctly answer them?

  1. Could you change or stop an online bill payment set up by your spouse from your banking portal?
  2. Do you have the right to access your minor child’s online accounts?
  3. Can your durable power of attorney provide the individual you have named access to your online accounts?

agreeThe answer to all of these questions is “no.” U.S. laws have not kept up with the Internet and the benefits it brings to our lives. Most of us don’t actually read the “terms and conditions” we accept when signing up for our bank’s online portal, our free email account, Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or even LinkedIn.

None of these sites recognize parental rights for a minor or even a durable power of attorney. For those of us who use online services and email accounts, and enjoy the online bill-pay services provided by our banks, what we don’t know can hurt us. Even joint account holders are required to set up individual accounts and their online bill payment vendors are not shared. If you are incapacitated, the only way a loved one can get access is if you shared your username and passcode.

The Uniform Law Commission helps standardize state laws and recently endorsed a plan that would give loved ones access to—but not control of—the deceased’s digital accounts, unless specified otherwise in a will. However, the statistics prove that most of us will have a period in our lives where someone will need to act on our behalf and that includes managing and using our online accounts and services. Whether you went paperless and get bill pay notices to your email, the person helping you recover from a medical crisis needs access to your insurance portal, or you want your friends updated on your progress, having a backup system to allow someone into your online accounts is a safety net no one should be without.

We recommend you record your user names, passcodes, and security questions. Not only will you find it simplifies your life (no more passcode resets), but in a crisis, your loved ones will have what they need to help you.

If you don’t have a tool that documents this information for your own benefit and that can provide loved ones with needed information in an emergency, click here to download a free chapter called “Taming the Internet” from the Amazon best seller MemoryBanc: Your Workbook for Organizing Life. This free download includes worksheets and details that will help you.

Can the Law Keep Up With Our Modern LifeStyle?

After having to step in and use a Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) to assist my parents, I quickly found so many gaps in its functionality, I devised many work arounds with my Dad so I could help them.

Not only were we surprised to find that a number of financial institutions declined to accept the DPOA, but there are many facets of our digital lives that it doesn’t cover.

moderntechoptionsFor those of us who use online services, email accounts and enjoy the online bill-pay services provided by our banks, what we don’t know can hurt us. If you haven’t stopped to read the “terms and conditions” you accepted, they typically state you can’t share the account and the provider basically dictates the rules. If you are incapacitated, the only way a loved one can get access is if you share your username and passcode.

The Uniform Law Commission helps standardize state laws and recently endorsed a plan that would give loved ones access to — but not control of — the deceased’s digital accounts, unless specified otherwise in a will. Given that at the age of 65, 7 out of 10 American’s will need 3 or more years of long-term care, we must recognize that most people will need someone to have access to these accounts while we are alive.

If you don’t have a list that documents this information for your own benefit and that can provide loved ones with needed information, click here to download a free chapter called “Taming the Internet” from the Amazon best-seller MemoryBanc: Your Workbook for Organizing Life that includes worksheets and details on how you can provide loved ones with the information they may need to help you.

 

What is The One Thing You Need to Stay Healthy?

It turns out that having purpose is a robust predictor of health and wellness. Have you found yours?

I’ve noticed a growing trend amongst us boomers. We have been steering clear of the classic ideal called retirement that we grew up with. Watching the decline in my parent’s when they “retired” is why I’ve been planning on working, in some form, as long as I’m able to contribute.

Prudential began a smart campaign geared to build on this growing trend. We watch as people are asked “If you could get paid to do something you really love, what would you do?”  To visit this campaign, check out the video

Purpose is important throughout our lives. An article in The New York Times called “Living with Purpose” reports:

So not only is my wish to have meaning and purpose in my life and contribute back to my community, but that need is also a factor to help keep me healthy.

Have you found your purpose? 

 

A Disorganized Home, Stress, and Family Life

Would you believe that a disorganized home is creating stress for American families today?

Many of us minimize the impact of stress on our health and well-being. Home organization, it turns out is a major source of stress for American families. The Huffington Post reports that “home organization was as much of a stress trigger for recently-stressed Americans as:

  • unexpected expenses (also 47 percent),
  • not having enough time for loved ones (46 percent), and
  • not having enough time to yourself (45 percent). “

When it comes to managing the household and finances,  having a shared roadmap can reduce anxiety and that includes every member of your household.

Home disorganization is also costing American families more than $58 billion dollars — at least that was what CCNMoney reported is the amount of unclaimed money sitting with state and federal treasurers. Loved ones are just unaware of both physical and financial assets during a crisis or upon death and they eventually end up in the very large “unclaimed money” coffers.

To start your roadmap, you can download a free list that includes all of the documents, accounts, and details you should have organized. Not only will it benefit you when you need to find information, but it will assist a loved one that may need to step in and help you.

To learn about the benefits of getting organized, find out how it helped an active family of five,  and a couple that wants to stay on the same page.

Consider doing just one thing to get better organized today.

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