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Are you letting your money slip away? 25 leaks you may not notice.

Has your budget sprung a leak?

Plug your financial leaks, and pocket the savings. 
Too many things to do and not enough time? It's much easier for my clients' grown children when their parents aren't paying late fees due to  forgotten bills and are receiving help with calls to doctor’s offices, pharmacies, as well as creditors with questions about confusing mail they have received. Having help with these tasks helps put their grown children s minds at ease. In many cases, I have met the family members either during my initial free consultation or during a planned visit by the adult children. This has helped make everyone more comfortable with our working relationship. Throughout my time working with their parents, I hear regularly from these “children” with concerns over their parent’s health, as well as, questions about doctor’s appointments and medications their parent’s may be waiting for.  What I have become for these “grown children” is a direct line of communication between them and their parents as they struggle to accept the inevitable distance between each other.

We've all been in that uneasy position and you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.  At Every Day Money Matters, I help my clients and their families find that peace of mind they have been looking for. Whether the need is collecting and organizing bills like mentioned above or just getting checks out the door on time, I can help.
Posted by Mary Alice LaPoint at 11:19 AM For most people, memory lapses are a normal part of aging, not a warning of serious impairment. There are many ways you can improve your cognitive skills and keep memory loss from disrupting your daily life.
Many of us, when we reach a certain age, get a little nervous when we misplace our keys or forget a phone number we’ve dialed a hundred times. But lapses in memory and slowing of mental responses are a normal part of the aging process for many people, not an ominous sign of mental deterioration.



Memory isn’t a single cognitive process, and it isn’t stored in a single area of the brain. It’s classified by time (short-term vs. long-term) and by type (information you have to recall, like the 13 original colonies or a party you attended, and information that becomes part of you, such as how to drive a car or get dressed). Because different areas of the brain govern different activities and sensory functions, the nature of the information you want to remember determines what part of your brain takes it in and stores it. There are three stages in the process of memory formation and maintenance:
For more information, see the section What is memory? in Helpguide’s Improving Your Memory: Tips and Techniques for Memory Enhancement.


New information enters your brain along pathways between neurons (nerve cells) in the appropriate area of the brain. Unless you focus on the information intently, its residence in your brain is fleeting — the old “in one ear, out the other” phenomenon.


If you’ve paid attention well enough to encode new information in your brain, the relevant neuronal pathways get a signal from the hippocampus,a primitive structure deep inside the brain, to store the information as long-term memory. This happens more easily if it’s related to something you already know, or if it stimulates an emotional response. When you need to recall information, your brain has to activate the same pattern of nerve cells it used to store it. The more frequently you need the information, the easier it is to retrieve it along healthy nerve cell connections.
Several factors cause aging brains to experience changes in the ability to retain and retrieve memories:

These physiological changes can cause glitches in brain functions you’ve always taken for granted. You might have trouble remembering details of a movie you saw recently or directions to a new restaurant. It might take you longer to recall names, faces, and locations, even if you’ve seen them before. You might get flustered if you have to pay attention to more than one thing at a time.
Keep in mind, though, that much of what seems like forgetfulness is more of a slowing in the ability to absorb, store, and retrieve new information, not a loss. You can make and recall new long-term memories; the process just takes a little longer.
And many brain functions are largely unaffected by normal aging, such as:

Degrees of memory loss as part of agingNormal forgetfulness

Although most people start to experience memory lapses like these by age 60, they have little impact on daily performance. Later, we’ll look at some ways of improving memory and compensating for memory loss.

Mild cognitive impairment

When the information you forget is no longer trivial and your forgetfulness begins to have consequences — you miss your weekly card game or blank on your daughter’s birthday — your memory loss is beyond that of “normal” memory loss due to aging and may be diagnosed as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The hallmarks of MCI are being unable to remember details of something you saw or read just a few minutes ago and trouble pulling up information you’ve known for a long time. The memory lapses are similar to those of someone in the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s, and some experts see it as a precursor to Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. People with MCI do develop Alzheimer’s at higher rates than the general population of older adults. But MCI is not the same as Alzheimer’s, nor does everyone with MCI develop Alzheimer’s. Its symptoms stop well short of dementia, and people with MCI manage to accomplish their routine tasks independently, though they may struggle to do so.

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia

When memory loss becomes so pervasive and severe that it disrupts your work, hobbies, social activities, and family relationships, you may be experiencing the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, another disorder that causes dementia, or a condition that mimics dementia.
Helpguide’s article Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias: Understanding the Differences, along with other pages in its series on Alzheimer’s and dementia, explains the different forms of dementia, what causes them, and how they are diagnosed.

Conditions and lifestyle factors that can cause memory loss

The conditions below might cause memory loss or produce dementia-like symptoms, but they are treatable. Be aware of ways that your environment and lifestyle might be contributing to your memory loss.

Factors which might cause memory loss or dementia-like symptoms: Exposure to environmental toxins

Substances you come in contact with in your home and workplace can cause memory loss or inability to concentrate. They include:


Many prescribed and over-the-counter drugs or a combination of drugs can interfere with neurotransmitters essential to memory or simply make you drowsy.


Excessive alcohol intake is toxic to brain cells, and illicit drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine block the function of neurotransmitters needed for memory.


Especially in the elderly, persistent depression may actually cause a loss of neurons in brain areas responsible for memory, making depressed people less able to concentrate and process information.


B12 protects neurons, and some older persons develop an inability to absorb it effectively.



If you can’t hear what people are saying, you can’t remember it!
It’s time to consult a doctor when memory lapses become frequent enough or sufficiently noticeable to concern you or a family member. If you get to that point, make an appointment to talk with your primary physician and have a thorough physical examination. The doctor will ask you a lot of question about your memory, including

The doctor also will want to know what medications you’re taking, how you’ve been eating and sleeping, whether you’ve been depressed or stressed lately, and other questions about what’s been happening in your life. Chances are the doctor will ask you or your partner to keep track of your symptoms and check back in a few months.
If your memory problem needs more evaluation, your doctor may send you to a neuropsychologist, who will have you take some pencil-and-paper tests that gauge different aspects of mental ability. If those tests show abnormal results, the doctor will try to rule out causes of cognitive dysfunction based on conditions such as vascular disease, psychological problems, eating and drinking habits, and environmental factors.
A problematic showing on mental ability tests means you’ll probably go in for imaging studies of the brain, such as a CT or MRI scan, which can detect anything putting pressure on your brain, and, if that’s normal, a SPECT or PET scan, which track blood flow and metabolic activity in the brain, respectively, and are the most sensitive tools at present for revealing brain abnormalities.
If you are diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease, you may benefit from one of the medications which work by protecting acetylcholine, a brain chemical that facilitates memory and learning.
Compensating for memory loss
Even if you are experiencing a troublesome level of memory loss, there are many things you can do to learn new information and retain it.

Keeping track of dates, schedules, tasks, phone numbers. Write it down!




Work on your ability to focus your attention and screen out distractions:


The same practices that contribute to healthy aging also contribute to healthy memory.


Healthy diet featuring fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and “healthy” fats




In addition, two other lifestyle factors are crucial for maintaining healthy memory throughout life:
Lifelong learning and exercise of the brain
When it comes to memory, it’s “use it or lose it.” Just as physical exercise can make and keep your body stronger, mental exercise can make your brain work better and lower the risk of mental decline. Here are some ideas for brain exercise, from light workouts to heavy lifting:
 People who don’t have social contact with family and friends are at higher risk for memory problems than people who have strong social ties. Social interaction helps brain function in several ways: it often involves activity that challenges the mind, and it helps ward off stress and depression. So join a book club, reconnect with old friends, visit the local senior center. Being with other people will help keep you sharp!
Posted by Mary Alice LaPoint at 10:36 AM No comments: 
Prepare for the impact of alzheimers

Even in the early stages of dementia, financial skills can be diminished. These steps can help protect you or a loved one -- and a retirement nest egg.

By Susan B. Garland, Editor, Kiplinger's Retirement Report In drawing up your financial plan for retirement, you may be setting aside money for new hobbies or extensive travel. But perhaps you also should prepare a financial contingency plan for Alzheimer's disease.

That may sound somewhat alarmist, but consider this: A decline in the ability to handle financial matters is one of the early signs of Alzheimer's. Seniors with mild symptoms -- forgetting to pay bills or struggling to balance a checkbook or calculate change -- are easy prey for fraudsters. And the cost of caring for someone with dementia can devastate even a healthy nest egg. The risk of at least one spouse developing Alzheimer's disease is fairly significant, which makes creating a financial plan so important. According to the Alzheimer's Association, 13% of people 65 and older have Alzheimer's, and 43% of those 85 and older have the disease. Longer life expectancy among baby boomers will increase the prevalence of dementia.

As boomers age and the number of seniors grow, financial advisers and physicians are beginning to come to grips with the financial impact of dementia. AARP and the Financial Planning Association have released a guide for financial professionals on the special issues related to older clients. And in a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in February 2011, researchers instructed physicians on recognizing signs of impaired financial capacity. The researchers also provided guidance to physicians on the legal help that patients and family members could seek to protect their nest eggs. Daniel Marson, one of the study's co-authors and the director of the Alzheimer's Disease Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, notes that it's sometimes difficult for family members to know when a loved one has mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Those with mild cognitive impairment "don't have significant changes in everyday functioning," he says. But, Marson notes, "Ironically, people who have MCI may be the most vulnerable to making poor financial decisions because a lot of families are not yet willing to admit there are significant declines." About 15% of those with mild symptoms develop Alzheimer's each year, says Marson, a professor of neurology.

So how does a loved one identify the early stages of Alzheimer's? In one study funded by the National Institute on Aging, Marson and another researcher compared healthy seniors to those who had early-stage Alzheimer's. The patients with mild symptoms scored significantly below the healthy seniors on such tasks as obtaining change for vending machine use or making an investment decision. Patients with mild symptoms also were unable to explain the risks of mail and telephone solicitations. Seniors in the early stages of dementia have difficulty understanding basic financial terms, such as loan and interest, Marson says. They also forget to pay bills or pay them more than once. And they are particularly vulnerable to get-rich-quick schemes, he says. As the baby boomers move into their sixties, securities regulators are accelerating efforts to crack down on scams aimed at seniors with failing mental capacity.

Of course, it's best to make plans while you're still healthy, but someone with early-stage Alzheimer's can sign documents and make decisions. Here are some steps you and your family can take to protect your finances, whether it's before you or a loved one is diagnosed, or just after. Many of these plans work well for anyone who is diagnosed with a chronic illness. Draw up directives. The first step is to draw up an advance health care directive and a financial power of attorney. Together these documents will allow a spouse, adult child or close friend to make decisions about your finances and medical care if you're unable to make your wishes known.

If your spouse becomes incapacitated and has not appointed an agent to make legal, financial and health care decisions, you'll have to go to court to become a guardian. Typically, spouses will name each other as health care and financial agents. Make sure you each appoint a backup agent, perhaps an adult child or a trusted friend.

Select a team. A financial adviser can develop a long-term strategy to pay for care. The adviser should take an inventory of all of the couple's assets, income and insurance policies. A long-term plan is especially important if one spouse is showing signs of dementia while the other has an acute illness, such as heart disease.

An elder law attorney can set up a "special-needs trust" that would pay for the disabled relative's care and protect a family's assets if he or she seeks government benefits. A lawyer also could help mediate among family members who may have different opinions on how to care for Mom or Dad -- or manage the money. Moreover, a lawyer and financial adviser could develop plans that will take into account the financial needs of the healthy spouse. Even a short time in a nursing home can drain a couple's savings. At that point, a person with Alzheimer's will likely qualify for care paid by Medicaid. Rules vary by state, but generally the healthy spouse can continue to live at home and is allowed to keep some assets that are not counted in determining Medicaid eligibility. If you take action soon after the diagnosis, there are certain strategies that could protect assets for the healthy spouse and heirs while preserving Medicaid eligibility.

You can hire a geriatric care manager to help the family come up with strategies to assume control of the finances. A care manager also will help with day-to-day tasks, such as hiring home-care aides and finding an adult day-care center. You can find a care manager at the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (www.caremanager.org).

Designate a money manager. Because money-management skills are among the first to slide, a family member or the designated financial agent should start keeping tabs on the household finances. James Sullivan, a certified public accountant for Core Capital Solutions in Naperville, Ill., suggests that a family select two people to watch over the finances. "The family needs to establish checks and balances," he says.

It's not just financial abuse you're watching for, but also negligence. Sullivan recalls one incident where a mother was in a nursing home for five months before the son got around to filing for benefits under her long-term-care insurance policy.

Taking over the finances can be a delicate task if the senior has been in charge of the money. If your husband, for example, does not want to give up control of the finances, Sullivan suggests setting up a small checking account and depositing perhaps $200 or $300 a month. This way, he can still write checks, but the damage would be limited if he were tempted by a questionable financial scheme. "You're not taking away everything at once," says Sullivan, who specializes in planning for clients with chronic illness.

Family members can hire a daily money manager to pay bills, sort through the mail, balance checkbooks and decipher medical bills. You can find a money manager at the American Association of Daily Money Managers (www.aadmm.com).

There may come a time when a physician will be able to conduct a simple brain scan that will show whether you're in danger of losing your financial decision-making capacity. Research funded by the National Institute on Aging suggests a relationship between changes in the brain and diminished financial abilities in patients with mild cognitive impairments. "Wouldn't it be nice if we can tell patients that we're seeing certain changes in the brain that puts them at risk for declining financial capacity?" says Marson, a co-author of the study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, in February 2010. "Then they can take protective steps."

Marson says such a scan could be 20 years away. In the meantime, you can watch out for the warning signs and make moves to guard yourself or your loved one -- and the retirement nest egg -- from harm.

Read more: http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/retirement/archives/prepare-for-the-financial-impact-of-alzheimers.html#ixzz1pbL0lCJn
Posted by Mary Alice LaPoint at 5:45 PM No comments: 
Exercise for the Elderly -- There are Tremendous Benefits

By Marlo Sollitto

Reprinted from agingcare.com 

Regular exercise improves: 

Cardio/Endurance Exercises

Strength/Resistance Training

Stretching/Flexibility Exercises 
Reprinted from Senior Health Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of dementia that most often strikes people over the age of 65, although it is possible to occur at an earlier stage in life. It is incurable, and while treatments do exist, they generally have little effect on the disease’s progression. The best hope may be to recognize Alzheimer’s at its earliest stages in order to make the daily challenges of the sufferer less burdensome. Here are six common signs of Alzheimer’s.

1.Memory loss: Trouble remembering simple things is perhaps the most commonly-known symptom of Alzheimer’s. While some difficulty with memory is normal as a person ages, the problem is much worse in a sufferer of Alzheimer’s. The trouble extends to simple tasks that are part of everyday life, including things like not remembering where one recently put the car keys, or repeatedly asking someone the same question.

2.Problems following a plan or completing a familiar task: A person with Alzheimer’s will likely lose cognitive skills, which can make it hard to “use their brain.” It may suddenly become more difficult to solve crossword puzzles or cook a familiar dish. They may have trouble finding the way home from a place they visit often, or following the rules of a favorite game. This cognitive deterioration will also lead to problems doing multiple things at once.

3.Losing track of location or time: Someone suffering from Alzheimer’s will often have trouble with the details of the time and place in which they exist. This can be as simple as forgetting where the kitchen garbage can is. Or they may lose track entirely of what day it is or where they are, and forget significant events in their own lives and the world around them. Often they will only understand what is occurring in their immediate presence, and sometimes not even that. These symptoms will vary, and memory can temporarily return as quickly as it disappears.

4.Difficulty speaking or writing: As the brain degrades, those with Alzheimer’s will often experience trouble with their words, both when writing and when speaking. They may have trouble remembering the name of a familiar person or thing, may use the wrong word for something or find previously familiar words difficult to pronounce. They may jumble many words up so that though they think they are communicating, they are actually speaking nonsense.

5.Moodiness or personality changes: While changes in mood are expected as one ages, those suffering from Alzheimer’s may have more drastic changes than normal that can disrupt their daily life. They may find themselves apathetic, no longer enjoying things they previously did, such as hobbies or favorite foods. However this can extend to relationships as well, as the sufferer becomes withdrawn from their social life, and even fearful or anxious towards the people around them.

6.Making poor decisions: A common symptom of Alzheimer’s is a decrease in one’s judgment. The sufferer may have difficulty recognizing danger in common situations, such as crossing a busy street or using tools. They may also exercise poor judgment with their money and become susceptible to scams, because they are unable to understand when someone is taking advantage of them.
Posted by Mary Alice LaPoint at 6:47 PM 1 comment: