If you have read some of my posts, you may have figured out that I am a small town farm girl, having grown up among cornfields and farms, surrounded by animals. When I went away to college, a friend of mine told me about a friend of hers named Cynthia who owned a farm near the college town. When I arrived at college, I looked Cynthia up and introduced myself. We became fast friends! I spent a great deal of time on Cynthia’s farm during my college years. I rode her big mare all over the countryside. I rescued a newborn baby rabbit from Cynthia’s farm (by hiding it in my dorm room and feeding it milk warmed up with a “hot pot” by using an eye dropper – all went well except for the day it got loose and found it’s way into the RA’s room!). I made Cynthia and her friends laugh hysterically when they took me to the county racetrack and put me on a racehorse. I was supposed to circle the racetrack once and stop, but the horse grabbed the bit in its mouth and got away from me. He kept going … and going … and going … until he tired (I was tired pretty much after the first revolution). We also visited flea markets, a popular lake, and we explored restaurants. Cynthia paid me to clean her house so that as a poor college student, I had some spending money. These were really good times and I remember them fondly!
I called Cynthia a few weeks ago. She has since moved to Wyoming. We had a wonderful talk! After we hung up, I looked through my photographs and picked out a few pictures I thought she would enjoy because it has been decades since we have seen each other. I sent her the pictures and a long letter. She called me after receiving the pictures and the letter. Her closest friend had died a couple of days before she received the pictures (but after our phone call). Cynthia said that she felt very alone after her friend died, and that my letter and the photos meant a great deal to her.
Touch base with an old friend! It will make you smile and warm up an old friend’s heart! Let me know how it goes!
The ASPCA is reporting that military dogs are defined as “equipment” by the US Department of Defense. According to the ASPCA, this characterization makes it difficult to transport our canine heroes back to the US so that they can be adopted. Swift action is needed! Please contact your US senators and urge them to co-sponsor the CANINE MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ACT, US S.2134. You can also check the ASPCA website for additional information.
I had an interesting response to my post dated February 4, 2012, regarding Family Caregiver Agreements (see below). The response to my post stated as follows:
“A caregiving contract? That is absurd. A child should take care of there [sic] parents no matter what and never be paid to do so. A child should do all that out of the kindness of their heart and not expect money….”
I wholeheartedly agree that children should take care of their parents and/or help the parents make appropriate arrangements for the best possible care out there! However, here is just one example of a typical client’s situation that DOES warrant a paid caregiver contract, notwithstanding the love and care between the parent and child – the case below describes a mother and a daughter/caregiver:
Daughter is unemployed. She is taking care of her mother. She needs income badly and has a hard time meeting her expenses and her debts are increasing. Due to the amount of time she spends caring for her mother, she not only has an extremely difficult time searching for a job, but she has no idea how she would realistically work at a job due to all of the hours she devotes to her mother and her mother’s care needs. Mother cannot afford home health care or adult day care and relies on her daughter. Mother is the widow of a veteran. By arranging a paid caregiver contract between mother and daughter, mother qualified for VA pension benefits (aid & attendance) and daughter now has income to pay her bills and not go deeper into debt. Daughter feels a tremendous sense of relief. Mother now has added income from the VA to help pay for care, and her daughter/caregiver is less stressed.
To the person who made the comment, thank you for reading my post, and I hope you come back and see my reply!
Following is an article I wrote for Ellenbecker Investment Group, Inc. I thought many of you might find it useful (and do not forget to gather your financial information throughout the year in order to help avoid tax time stress!):
Are you or a family member paying for assisted living or skilled nursing care? All or a portion of these expenses may qualify you for a medical expense deduction on your personal tax return! First, in order to itemize taxes using Form 1041 – Schedule A. Medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income qualify for the deduction. You might be surprised at the wide variety of deductions available. Take a look at the following list, and if any of the items apply to you, consult with your accountant or attorney. Allowable deductions include:
Medicare Part B and D premiums; long-term care insurance premiums for qualified policies; ambulance bills; annual physical exams; eye exams; glasses; surgery; hearing aids; artificial limbs; artificial teeth; bandages and medical supplies; oxygen; wheelchairs; body scans; x-ray costs; diagnostic services; car mileage to and from medical appointments; transportation to and from medical care such as bus, taxi, train fares; dental treatment; drugs (prescription, not over-the-counter); home care; hospital care; nursing care; personal care; assisted living facilities and nursing homes (includes the cost of meals and lodging if the principle reason for being there is to get medical care, and if the reason is not personal); advance payments for lifetime care (a nursing home deposit); capital expenses to install special equipment in your home for medical care (i.e. wheelchair ramps, installing grab bars, lowering cabinet doors, grading the ground outside the home to provide better access).
With health care costs continually rising, it benefits you to take the time to document the previous listed expenses and run the calculations. This is especially true for those on a fixed income. Whether your deduction is hundreds or more, ever little bit helps! Take the time to save your documentation!
February 4, 2012 – 9:45 am
Years ago, one of my closest friends gave me the best piece of advice I ever received and I am offering the same advice to my readers. My grandmother, who lived alone, was having health issues and had been in a rehab facility for some time. Eventually, after she returned home for awhile, it was determined that she needed assisted living, and then hospice.
This was a new situation to me and I did not know how to react or what to do. My grandmother lived a state away, in Illinois, and it seemed that every minute of mine was filled with managing my law practice and dealing with my daily life. My friend told me that the coming weeks would be a period of time in my life that I would never get back. She told me to spend it wisely. I listened to her advice. Each and every weekend I dropped anything and everything I was doing and I drove to Illinois to visit my grandmother.
I had wonderful visits with my grandmother. I knew the visits meant alot to her, and they meant alot to me. Not being one for telling people how I feel, I also wrote her a letter telling her how much she meant to me and why. After she passed away, it meant a great deal to me to hear that she kept my letter in the night stand next to her bed. I know that she read the letter and I know that she knew how I felt about her. Knowing that gave me a true sense of peace.
Of of the last things my grandmother said to me was, “Joanne, you need to write.” Well, Grandma, I am doing that now, and I honestly can’t think of anything better to write about than how much you meant to me, and how happy I am that you knew it. I am happy to pass on some of the best advice I ever received.
Happy birthday, Grandma, on the 25th day of February.