Thursday, January 31, 2008

Tips for Passing Along Family Values

According to a groundbreaking study by the Allianz American Legacies Study, a true legacy is a combination of both emotional and financial components. Seventy-seven percent of Baby Boomers say it is important to receive values and life lessons from their parents and as a group prefer to preserve their parent's memories rather than receive a financial inheritance.

Legacy building is becoming increasingly popular as people show more interest in transferring values and non-financial assets from generation to generation. Preserving life's stories is especially important in light of recent events that point out the reality of life's fragility.

According to the study, although both Baby Boomers and seniors say they are comfortable in discussing legacy and inheritance, they do not typically discuss preserving all aspects of their legacy including values and life lessons. In light of that legacy gap, more efforts are being made in making sure that important personal information is saved for the future. Ethical Wills are becoming increasingly popular as a way to write down hopes, dreams and wishes for the next generation.

Intergenerational participants in the Allianz Study shared freely when the topic moved beyond the financial aspect of death to the best way to leave a legacy. In order to make sure that information is captured, many Baby Boomers may have to personally capture their parent's story. Follow these tips to insure that you can extract and preserve information that will document your parent's story and family heritage:

1. Preserve your memories forward in time - be aware of changing digital formats. To minimize the risks of losing your memories, perform frequent backups on an external hard drive and double backups on DVD-RAM storage disks. Use acid free products archival products that will stand the test of time.

2. Ask the right questions - move beyond fact based reporting to evoking sensory narrative. Ask open ended questions such as what did you feel like after accomplishing that huge goal in your life? What was your favorite song from that time period? What are/were your dreams for the future?

3. Tell the story - try to keep the original voice of the author and do as little modifications to the narrative as possible

4. Use technology to make it easier - use an Internet site that in addition to letting you upload photos, will let you preserve your memories in different ways including long-term archiving and acid free hard copies.

By taking the necessary steps to preserve your parent's legacy you will benefit future generations for years to come.

Latest Scam Can Steal Your Parents -- and Your Inheritance -- From You

There's a new scam targeting the elderly that may shock you. If you've got an aging parent, it's imperative that you know how to take precautions. In this scam, the crooks actually take guardianship of your parents. And once this one happens, you lose some very important rights with regard to your parents and their possessions. But if you take the right steps now, you can make sure this never happens you.

Your parents become a target when they begin to lose their ability to take care of themselves. They can come in contact with someone who wants to perpetrate this scheme through various means, but it's usually a crooked lawyer or medical professional who knows how to manipulate the legal system.

Once the crook identifies your parent as a target, all they have to do is tell a judge that your parent can't take of himself anymore and request guardianship. As long as the person has taken a short course in guardianship at the local college, has a high school diploma, has no felony record, and is over 18 years of age, the judge will usually comply. The crook doesn't even have to be related.

Once they have guardianship, the crook can take everything your parent owns -- legally! He can access bank accounts, brokerage accounts, real estate, and any other funds or assets your parent may have. And do whatever he wants with the money.

The action usually happens fast, and you and your parent may never know about the decision until all your parent's assets are gone.

And, what's worse, once the property is gone, it's very difficult to get back. The courts tend to favor the guardian over family. And the documents needed to take action are usually sealed by the court to "protect" your parent. So it's vital you take action now, before your parent is a victim. Here's what you need to do:

There are two forms you need to have your parent fill out. These will protect him better than anything else. The first is called the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. This document allows the person of his choice to handle his health care issues in the event he can't act on his own behalf. You can usually find these forms on the Internet for free. And some hospitals offer them.

The other form isn't as easy to get. It's called a regular Durable Power of Attorney. You'll probably have to take your parent to an attorney to have this done. Make sure you find a reputable attorney -- preferably one who has helped friends or other family members. The Durable Power of Attorney allows your parent to choose who will take care of his finances if he's not able to do so. This document makes it impossible for someone else to step in as guardian. And it protects your parent's assets.

Improving the safety of your home for elderly loved ones

Everybody get old; it’s a simple fact of life that can be hard to face. The truth is that muscles and bones get weaker and the home can slowly become a dangerous place. However, making some minor modifications to keep your loved ones safe is a very easy process.

Improving safety indoors

You can’t always prevent falls, but there are many things that you can do to help prevent them. Here are a few ideas:

• Clear floors of clutter – The majority of falls come from having a messy house. Be sure to keep all floors clear. The less of a struggle is it to move around the home, the less chance of falling. Make sure things are within reach, as well.

• Well lit rooms – Just as important as important as having clear floors, make sure things are lit well enough so you can see that the floors are clear. Keep plenty of flashlights around for blackouts, too.

• Safety railings – Grab bars and safety railings can be installed all around the house. Be sure to fix them to the bathtub and next to the toilet. Bed railings can also help keep your loved ones from falling out of bed at night.

• Non-Slip mats – Place non-slip mats underneath rugs and be sure to use them in the bathtub and on stairs.

Improving safety outdoors

Being safe outdoors is just as important as being safe in your home, but there’s not as much you can do to prevent danger. Make sure you assist your loved one by holding their arm when walking. If any roads or sidewalks become wet or icy, be sure to salt or sand them. Using a cane for any uneven ground is also advised.

What to do if they do fall

Not all falls can be prevented, accidents happen. When they do, the first thing you should do is not panic. If you panic, you’ll cause your loved one to panic as well. If they’re not able to get up, cover them with a blanket until help arrives.

Overall, you can’t prevent every fall, accident, or slip. You can, however, prevent the majority of them. The home is the place your loved ones will probably spend the most time in, so it’s the first place you should start.

Top 10 Tips For Traveling By Air With An Elderly Parent

Have you traveled with your elderly parent or parents when they were frustrated, overtired, and stressed?

Based on personal experiences with my own mother, I've put together ten ways to help achieve a safe and joyful air travel experience with your elderly parent.

In order to avoid stressful moments in travel with my elderly mother, I made conscious efforts to create joy in our travels. My goal was to keep any frustrations for my mother and for myself to a minimum.

We just finished a three-day air trip traveling across the country for a family reunion and had a smooth, joyful experience!

1. Include your parent in the planning stage of making reservations for rooms.
Some parents prefer having a separate room. Others like the security of sharing a room.

2. Review procedures for closing out their residence prior to leaving. Stop paper, mail, etc. Make sure there are no appointments lined up for the time period of the trip.

3. Plan to travel on a day ahead of the main activities of the trip. This time gives space for transition to the new environment and rest from the trip.

4. Arrange with the hotel/motel for adjoining rooms if you are in separate room
This gives you the opportunity for easy connecting. Even keeping the key for your parent could be helpful. Doors are usually very heavy and are not easy to handle. Better to have your parent wait in the room until you are with them.

5. Go over the procedures for contacting the front desk so that the security of having help nearby is there. Caution against opening the door thinking it could be family. Rely on the phone for connection if you don't have the key to their room.

6. If agreeable for your parent, arrange ahead of time for a wheelchair. Distances in the airport are LONG and there is so much confusion everywhere. Being in the wheelchair takes away that stress for your parent. AND you can zip through the security lines when you are with a wheelchair passenger!

7. Take along extra reading material for your parent to make the waiting time go faster. Something you have may be more interesting since it is different from what your parent usually reads.

8. Take along a nightlight so that there is safety at night for going to the bathroom. So many elderly people have falls which lead to inactivity which leads to degeneration of the body. Having light at night is a great safety precaution against falls.

9. Be careful not to pack the schedule too tight. Leave room for naps when necessary. Take along plenty of reading for yourself so that you are not impatient waiting.

10. When returning home, check over their residence to make certain all is in shape for reentry. Make certain lights are working. Check for any leaks in water lines. Ask if there is anything that you can do for them before you leave. Coming home after a trip is another important transition.

One final note: Be sure to check over your parent's carry-on luggage or purse. Make certain there are no liquids there that either need to be put in a separate ziplock bag or packed on their checked in luggage. This will avoid any confusion when going through the airport security. Isn't travel getting more complicated every year?

Tips On Senior Parents Care And Useful Products

There are lots of new products which are for everyday use & they are helping many senior consumers-still young at heart maintain their daily routines with almost no help from family or caregivers.
After seeing a huge increase in number of Americans reaching their old age, lots of companies are selling an array of products to meet the changing lifestyle needs of senior people from lift chairs to larger display phones for easy reading.
As there is hundred of products available for senior consumers, it is very essential to do detailed research & buy the best products that can help make life's everyday tasks easier for seniors. It’s a simple fact of life that can be hard to face that we all get Old, and in old age muscle, bones get weaker & this slows down the ability to respond to a physical activity. Using some products which are specially made for seniors keeping your loved ones safe is a very easy process.
Products like these can help senior citizens.
Lift Chairs
Senior people often find it difficult to sit in furniture like chairs etc due to injuries or arthritis etc... to make getting in & out of the furniture easier for seniors many furniture manufacturers make lift chairs. These Lift chairs makes sitting and standing almost effortless.
Bath Products like Elevated Toilet Seats, Shower Chair, Toilevator, Bathtub Seat, Support Shelf’s etc.. make it easier & provide support in bathing.
You can get all you need for senior care at ELDERLUXE (elderluxe.com), the world's first luxury retailer catering exclusively to those who want to age well, and age at their best.