Tips
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Your parents don't need the highest-priced attorney to ensure their legal matters are handled well. Attorneys charge a range of fees for estate planning services. Some bill a flat rate, others invoice by the hour. But the best attorney isn't always the most expensive. There are many talented attorne...
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When your parents draft a will and establish a revocable living trust, it's helpful for them to bring their tax returns from recent years to show to the attorney. These documents will serve as a guide to their assets and income. Additionally, when one of your parents passes away, having prior tax re...
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It's not always easy for people who've had strokes to maintain good oral hygiene. In her book After a Stroke: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier, stroke survivor and nurse Cleo Hutton suggests using a cordless electric toothbrush to clean teeth and stimulate gums, then following up with a disposable fl...
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If your parents want to leave substantial gifts of money or property to caregivers, you'll want to do two things: Ensure that your parent has not been pressured to make these gifts; and, if not, ensure that the gifts are legal. In some states, such as California, any bequest in a will of a caregiver...
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It's crucial to keep accurate records when your parent is dealing with diabetes. A dedicated notebook with separate sections for health measurements, drug details, exam results, and questions to ask healthcare professionals can help keep your parent on track. Make your own booklet, download a free c...
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An ongoing problem for cancer patients is swelling in the feet and legs due to fluid retention. Support hose can be helpful, but less so when put on over already swollen legs and feet. Instead, have your parent put on his support hose while he's still in bed -- and horizontal. This way gravity hasn'...
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If you're looking into getting a personal emergency response system (PERS) for your parent, ask how a company's response center staff is trained -- and be skeptical about the answer. Many companies claim their responders, the people who take action when an emergency button is pushed, have special em...
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If your loved ones ever need to evacuate their home in an emergency, they may not have time to sort through their important papers, find what they need to take with them, and get everything out of the house. So consider putting together an emergency briefcase that contains their important papers: So...
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Except for an initial "wellness" exam when someone first enrolls in the program, Medicare Part B doesn't cover regular physical examinations in 2010. This penalizes healthy older adults who, sensibly, want an annual physical as a preventive measure. Fortunately, beginning January 1, 2011, Medicare P...
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Medicare Part B covers physical therapy if a doctor prescribes it. But where your parent receives the therapy can determine whether she must pay something out of pocket. If she gets therapy at a doctor's or therapist’s office, Part B pays only 80 percent of approved charges -- your parent is respons...
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Whenever your parent is about to see a doctor or other healthcare provider for the first time, make sure she checks in advance to see if the provider accepts assignment of Medicare's approved charges for the care she'll receive. Accepting assignment means the provider won't charge your parent the pe...
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When you're talking to your parents about moving, try to avoid using words like facility, which can make your parents feel like you're trying to put them in an institution. Better to use terms like retirement community or assisted living community instead, suggests Donna Quinn Robbins of Ultimate Mo...
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If your parent has arthritis and can't easily grasp a toothbrush, put a foam ball on the end of it to make it easier to hold.
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To help prevent drug interactions, make sure your parents get all their prescriptions at one pharmacy or chain. Some chains use programs that automatically alert pharmacists if a new prescription could interact with other medications your parents take.
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If your parent has arthritis, encourage her to buy some lightweight plastic plates that she can lift and carry more easily than china -- and that won't break.
