Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 26, 2015

11

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, December 26, 2015 

HELPING AN AGING PARENT WITH THEIR FINANCES

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


Dear Savvy Senior

Can you offer any tips on helping an elderly parent with 
their finances? My 82-year-old mother is having some 
trouble keeping up with her bills, and I just found out 
that she has been making a lot of small contributions to 
suspicious charities. 

Concerned Daughter

Dear Concerned,

Millions of adult children today serve as financial 
helpers to their elderly or ill parents or other loved 
ones. They provide services like paying bills, handling 
deposits and investments, filing insurance claims, 
preparing taxes and more. Here are some tips and 
resources that can help you help your mom.

Have a Talk

Taking on some or all of the financial responsibility of 
an elderly parent or other loved one can sometimes be 
awkward and difficult. 

 The first step in helping your mom is to have a 
thoughtful and respectful talk with her, expressing 
your concerns, and offering your help in simplifying 
her financial life. If you have siblings, it can be a good 
idea to get them involved too. This can help you head off 
any possible hard feelings, plus, with others involved, 
your mom will know everyone is concerned. 

Get Organized

If your mom is willing to let you help manage her 
financial affairs your first order of business is to get 
organized by making a list of her financial accounts, 
and locate her important legal documents. This will 
help you get a handle on her overall financial situation 
and let you know if any key documents are missing. 
Your list should include her: 

. ¥ Monthly bills: Phone, cable, water and trash, gas, 
electric, credit card accounts, etc.

. ¥ Financial accounts: Including bank accounts, 
brokerage and mutual fund accounts, safe-deposit 
boxes and any other financial assets she has.

. ¥ Company benefits: Any retirement plans, 
pensions or health benefits from your current or former 
employer. 

. ¥ Insurance policies: Life, home, auto, long-term 
care, Medicare, etc. 

. ¥ Important legal documents: A will, advanced 
medical directive which includes a living will and 
health-care proxy, and durable power of attorney 
which gives one or more people the legal authority to 
handle her finances if she becomes incapacitated. Make 
sure these documents are prepared.

. ¥ Taxes: Copies of your mom’s income tax returns 
over the past few years. 

. ¥ Contact list: Names and phone numbers of key 
contacts like insurance agents, financial advisor, tax 
preparer, family attorney, etc. 

Seek Advice

If your mom has considerable assets or a complex 
financial situation, you and your mom should sit 
down with her financial advisor or attorney to review 
her situation. If she doesn’t have anyone, consider 
hiring a reputable fee-only financial planner who 
can help you figure things out and put a smart plan 
in place. Fee-only planners do not earn commissions 
by selling you financial products. They charge only 
for their services, which can be around $150 to $300 
an hour. To locate one in your area, visit napfa.org or 
garrettplanningnetwork.com. 

Simplify Financial Tasks

One of the easiest ways to simplify your mom’s monthly 
financial chores is to set up automatic payments for her 
utilities and other routine bills, and arrange for direct 
deposit of her income sources. You can also make 
arrangements to have her bank statements mailed 
directly to you, so you can monitor what’s coming in 
and going out each month. Or, you could set up your 
mom’s online banking service (if available), so you can 
pay bills and monitor her account anytime. 

 For more tips on financial caregiving, the 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers four 
guides on “Managing Someone Else’s Money” that 
you can read online at consumerfinance.gov/blog/
managing-someone-elses-money.

 If you need some help or live far away, you may want 
to consider hiring a daily money manager (aadmm.
com, 877-326-5991) who can come in once or twice 
a month to pay bills, make deposits, decipher health 
insurance statements and balance her checkbook. 
Costs range between $50 and $150 per hour. 

 Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 
5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim 
Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and 
author of “The Savvy Senior” book.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …December Birthdays*

Pat Karamitros, Joan Hufnagel, Mary Alice Cervera, Carol Horejsi, Shirley Anhalt, 
Mignon Grijalva, Helen Reese, Levon Yapoujian, Toni Buckner, Lottie Bugl, Pat 
McGuire, Sheila Wohler, Nan Murphy, Eleanor Hensel, Sylvia Curl, Elizabeth Levie, 
Gayle Licher, Cindy Barran, and Melissa Stute. 

 *To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth 
not required

...................................................................

ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the 
Hart Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 

 Activities at the Senior Center

 YWCA San Gabriel Valley - Intervale Senior Cafe 

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA Intervale daily lunch program held 
at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Meals are served Monday through Friday at 12:00 pm 
and participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 am. Meals are a suggested donation of $3.00 
for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary, space is 
limited. Please reserve your lunch by calling 626-355-0256.

Tech Talk: Held on Monday, October 19th and 26th from 1:30-2:30pm. Learn how to use your new 
technology devises. Please reserve your space with the Hart Park House by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. Join 
instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula. 

 

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to 
join. May be canceled if less than 5 people. 

 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 12pm. No appt. is 
necessary. 

 

Brain Games: Thursday, October 15th, 10:30am - 11:30am, improve your memory and strengthen 
your brain. Activities facilitated by Swati Puri, Community Liaison for New Wave Home care of 
Pasadena. 

 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, October 21st from 10:30am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. Appointment are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am. A suggested donation of $5 at one 
of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

 

Case Management: Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month. Case Management services are 
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required 
and can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394. 

 

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House. The free 
birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 

 

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group of 
seniors play poker. Other games available for use. 

 

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa Brandley. The class 
utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the class are provided. 

 

Senior Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am. 
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00. 


KATIE Tse..........This and That

GOOD NEWS!

I hope you had a wonderful 
Christmas and that 2015 has 
been a great year for you! This 
is actually the third year I’m 
submitting a variation this 
article, originally titled “Something Better.” In its 
original version I wrote about how the good news 
of the Gospel overcomes the inherent melancholy 
associated with New Years. I realized last year, 
however, that good news doesn’t mean much 
unless you’re aware of the bad news with which 
to compare it. 

 These days you don’t have to look far to find bad 
news. However, the bad news I’m talking about 
is even worse than that inflicted by ISIS or other 
terrorists. While there is good reason to fear ISIS 
and terrorists in general, they can do nothing to 
their victims after they’re dead. The Bible teaches 
that we should not fear men, who can kill the 
body, but then have no power to harm us. Instead 
we should fear (reverently respect) God, who has 
power over our bodies and our souls (Matthew 
10:28). You see, the truly scary thing about hell 
is that it is eternal. Let that sit on your mind for 
a while. What was the worst experience that has 
happened to you? For me, one thought that helps 
me get through tough times is “This, too, shall 
pass.” But the people in hell can’t say that. There 
are no words to describe it. 

 This should give us who follow Jesus a fresh 
urgency to share Him with those who don’t have 
a relationship with Him. It should motivate us to 
live godly lives as good witnesses to those around 
us. Never are we to have a haughty, “Holier than 
thou” attitude, for Jesus had the sternest rebukes 
for the self righteous religious leaders of His day. 
Instead we are to be humble, always remembering 
that if it were not for Jesus’ death on our behalves, 
we, too, would be damned to eternal suffering. 
And that is the thing that’s truly tragic about 
the people in hell --they didn’t have to go there! 
Jesus paid for all of us, but many never take Him 
up on His offer. It’s like those empty seats at the 
Olympics. Big corporations bought out blocks for 
their associates, but many decided not to attend. 
Unfortunately missing out on the Olympics and 
missing out on escaping hell are not comparable 
at all. This is a tragic, sobering reality. But where 
there is life there is hope! If you are reading this 
today it means you still have an opportunity to 
take the only means available to save your soul. 

 So make the decision today to take hold of the 
salvation that Jesus is offering you. All ways do 
not lead to heaven. If salvation had been possible 
any other way would God have sent His one 
and only Son to die for us? When Pastor Dick 
Anderson came to Sierra Madre Congregational 
Church in 1968 his first sermon was titled “Jesus is 
a Gentleman.” He stands at the door of your heart 
knocking. His greatest desire is that you would 
allow him to scoop you out of the gaping jaws of 
hell into His loving embrace. That is the Good 
News! But He will not force Himself upon you. 
Jesus has already completed all that is necessary 
to save you from eternal torment and secure your 
place with Him in heaven. But you must open the 
door. Don’t delay another moment --this moment 
is a gift, and the next is not guaranteed. Today is 
the day of salvation!

 If you choose to accept Jesus as your savior you can 
pray this prayer and He will come into your heart 
and give you peace with God --today and forever!

 “Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, 
and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died 
for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from 
my sins and invite You to come into my heart and 
life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and 
Savior. In Your Name. Amen.” 


626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre BlvdSierra Madre, CA 91024www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFE License198601953At first, Dad and I didn’tsee eye to eye about moving toThe Kensington, but sincehe did, we’re both thrilledLimited Senior Living Suites Still AvailableCall or Visit to Reserve Yours Today
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com