Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Forecast says air quality could worsen in Rogue Valley 10 things to know for Wednesday Police Reports December Student of the Month: Theo Whitcomb Plans call for removing some trails, adding others Education In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready Walker students show creative chops at Invention Convention Teacher's Tips: Second — and third — chances are there for students For a friend: AHS seniors team up to help former fellow student Ashland builds a bridge across the STEM gap Environment New TAP pumps bolster Ashland's options Most residents speak against gas pipeline proposed for Southern Oregon Home Help: Make your new house feel like home ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Business Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Silvio Calabi: Infiniti Q50 offers business-class driving Looking for crown's halo Silvio Calabi: GLA250 is a Merc for the masses Politics and elections State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Local rep to testify before U.S. Senate panel Tuesday Kent Bush: First Amendment doesn’t mean what you think it means State News Police officer shoots armed driver near Reedsport In Portland, mindfulness classes ease stress of high school Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Death Notices Death Notices Death Notices Charlene Mae Death Notices Shareable Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Sports Latest Stories Lillard, Blazers rally to beat Raptors in overtime Ashland swats Yreka, braces for Marist Harbaugh vows 'excellence' at Michigan Oregon RB Tyner returns to full strength Gutches storms into Midlands semis High school Ashland swats Yreka, braces for Marist Shibley-Styer, Malcolm lead Grizzlies to comeback win over Henley Feinberg scores 17 in Grizz loss Grizzlies tripped up late in tourney loss to Ridgeview Grizzlies' comeback attempt falls short against Mazama Southern Oregon University Ashland swats Yreka, braces for Marist Harbaugh vows 'excellence' at Michigan Oregon RB Tyner returns to full strength Gutches storms into Midlands semis Winston considers Ducks sans Ekpre-Olomu Opinion Latest Stories Granlund cartoon: Resolutions redux Matthew T. Mangino: Judges lament ‘Prosecution by PowerPoint’ Jim Brock: You don't have to take it anymore Our View: Police are doing their job Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Editorial Our View: Police are doing their job Our View: Is the Flutie effect real? Our View: Embracing downtown's future Our View: Good news this week The vaccination deniers Letters Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 23 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 17 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 16 Guest opinions Chris Honoré: 2014: the best and the rest Guest Opinion: The minimum wage and democracy Herb Rothschild Jr.: New Year resolutions Herb Rothschild Jr.: The role of charity Guest Opinion: Vaccination editorial was disrespectful Revels Latest Stories Kids New Years Eve celebration 4 Things to do This Week Community blog: Resolutions for writers SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party 4 Things to do this Weekend Theater Theater is an act of co-creation ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Putting the music into 'A Christmas Carol' Meet the real Jacob Marley Music The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Rating old-timers’ albums from 2014 SOU presents all-percussion concert Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Interview: Josh Brolin goes bananas in ‘Inherent Vice’ Interview: Chris Kyle’s widow talks about ‘American Sniper’ film Ed Symkus: My top 15 films of 2014 Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Walk this 'Wild' way, and observe Food and Drink Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Theater is an act of co-creation Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Mark L. Hopkins: New Year’s resolutions and more HealthStyle: New year, new you Kent Bush: Problems with getting old Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW Forecast says air quality could worsen in Rogue Valley ... Our View: Police are doing their job ... Ashland Calendar ... Forecast says air quality could worsen in Rogue Valley ... Our View: Police are doing their job ... Ashland Calendar ... AGING HAPPENS In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready Comment By Ellen Waldman DailyTidings.com By Ellen Waldman Posted Dec. 29, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Ellen Waldman Posted Dec. 29, 2014 @ 12:01 am » RELATED CONTENT • Options remain after the car keys are gone • Getting your papers in order now can save trouble later » Social News Most families I have met over the years needed some general guidelines regarding what to have in place and how to know to accomplish this task. Here are some of my favorite ideas for getting things sewed up and ready for a new start. This might seem burdensome, until you actually need that information at hand. Then it seems like it was terrific plan to have this all in one place. First, create a file that you name sometime like "ICE," which stands for “in case of emergency.” Some people call this their “grab-and-go” file, since that’s what it’s for. Make sure that anyone who needs to have this information knows how to access it. For example, if you have to leave for the hospital in a hurry, this file will contain all your important information. Here’s what to put in there: • Advance Directive for Health Care (these are available at every doctor’s office, hospital, senior centers and more). Get in touch with COHO ( cohoroguevalley.org ; 541-292-6466) or the Ashland Senior Center ( ashlandseniorcenter.org ; 541-488-5342) for more help in this area; • Copy of the POLST document ( Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment ). This must come from your medical provider; • Current list of medications; • Medical history; and • Copy onto one page, with the front and back of each item: date of birth, driver’s license or photo ID card; Medicare and/or other insurance card, including any secondary insurance. In addition, you also want to have an “important document locator” in this file. You can use Google to find a variety of them online using that phrase. This lists all of your insurances, emergency contacts, locations of keys, names of your professional team (attorney, financial planner, CPA, etc.), and more. It takes some time to fill this all out, but once you do, it will save so much stress later on. No one will need to play detective to find out what you have and where it is. Two of my favorite team players as I work with families are financial planners and attorneys. They are invaluable in making sure you have a realistic view of your situation at this point. Make an appointment with your advisor and attorney this coming year to be sure your documents are all current and up to date. One of our local financial planners has a great idea. He recommends that you review your expenses and see how it looks compared to your income. As care needs increase, the amount of money it costs will increase along with it. In previous columns, I’ve estimated how much you might expect to pay for housing, caregivers, etc. See how much your family might spend on these needs over the course of a year. You will arrive at what is called your “burn rate.” In other words, this is how fast you will go through your assets. Maybe it’s not the most fun thing to find out, but it’s better than getting caught unprepared. If someone in your family receives a diagnosis of memory loss or cognitive impairment, you are not a minute too soon to put this all in place. You will need a Durable Power of Attorney, and a review of your will or trust. If this just sounds like a bunch of work, consider it as a gift to your family instead. Recently a family was shocked to find out that their aging mother had no legal documents appointing anyone in case she needed help. At this point, given her current medical conditions, it was now very complicated. In Ashland, we have a great number of attorneys specializing in elder law and estate planning. We have financial planners who work for large firms like Edward Jones, and some who are smaller, independent companies. Find one that fits for you, and make the right choices now, while you have the luxury of options and time. Most families don’t really want to spend the New Year talking about these topics. But if you take a few small steps in this direction, you will be very relieved. And so will your family. — "Aging Happens" appears weekly in the Daily Tidings. Ellen Waldman is a certified geriatric care manager. Email questions about aging and Ashland-area aging resources and column suggestions to her at [email protected] . By Ellen Waldman DailyTidings.com By Ellen Waldman Posted Dec. 29, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501